It reached number 19 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Petty described it as one of the most depressing songs in rock history,[3] and so intensely personal for him that once the Echo tour was over, he refused to play it.
[4] "Room at the Top" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Eddie Vedder performed "Room at the Top" during the "In Memoriam" segment at the 90th Academy Awards that took place six months after Petty's death.
He later recorded the studio version for the soundtrack to the TV show Bad Monkey.