It's Good to Be King (song) explained

It's Good to Be King
Type:	single
Artist:	Tom Petty
Album:	Wildflowers
Released:	1995
Genre:	Blues rock folk rock^[1]
Length:	5:10
Label:	Warner Bros
Producer:	Rick Rubin
Prev Title:	You Wreck Me
Prev Year:	1995
Next Title:	Walls (Circus)
Next Year:	1996

"It's Good to Be King" is a song by American rock singer-songwriter Tom Petty, released as the third single from his 1994 album Wildflowers. It peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[2] and No. 6 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.^[3]

Review

On AllMusic, reviewer Matthew Greenwald wrote about the song, "One if [sic] the most self-effacing and personal songs to reach the Top Ten charts in the 1990s, "It's Good to Be King" deals with the phenomenon of rock & roll stardom." He described the song's melody as "elegant and folk-rock-ish", and "buttressed" by a Michael Kamen string arrangement that he described as "absolutely stunning".^[1]

Personnel

• Tom Petty – lead & harmony vocals, electric guitar
• Mike Campbell – electric & bass guitar
• Benmont Tench – piano
• Howie Epstein – harmony vocals
• Steve Ferrone – drums

Additional musicians

• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Michael Kamen – orchestration, conductor

Notes and References

1. Web site: It's Good to Be King - Tom Petty | Song Info. AllMusic.
2. Web site: Almost Hits: Tom Petty, "It's Good To Be King" (1995). Nick . Deriso. November 19, 2013. March 15, 2022.
3. Web site: Chart Beat: All of Tom Petty's Record 28 Mainstream Rock Songs Top 10s . Billboard Pro . Kevin . Rutherford . October 3, 2017. March 15, 2022.