The 10 Best John Cougar Mellencamp Songs of All Time
John Cougar Mellencamp, AKA John Cougar or John Mellencamp, is a singer-songwriter in the U.S.A. From his early days, the rock legend embraced the American spirit with dozens of hits. John has amassed 13 Grammy Awards and 22 U.S. Top 40 hits. He began his career in the late 1970s in the shadow of artists like Bruce Seger and Bruce Springsteen. John Cougar has written about forgiveness, desperation, and poverty across different racial lines. He has also written some simple roll tunes and kicking rock. John is among the founding members of Farm Aid, where they spread awareness on the loss of family farms and raise funds for farm families to stay on their land. He has also featured in films such as falling from grace in 2001. Below are the ten best John Cougar Mellencamp songs of all time.
10. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
John Mellencamp released this song in 1986 on the album scarecrow. He grew up in Indiana in the 60s. He is among the first musicians to admit that his diverse music heard on F.M. radio profoundly affected his musical career. On this track, he shares his childhood musical inspirations with the world. This song topped the likes of Jackie Wilson, Martha Reeves, and James Brown. It was just one spot away from becoming number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRp856r2moA
9. Crumbling Down
Crumbling down was released in 1983 on the album Uh-Huh. The song talks about what you need to do when the walls crumble down when success is gone. When you listen to this song, you will notice that Muhlenkamp has intimate knowledge that settling for the best can turn out to be the best thing for you. You can’t help but think that he knows from a personal experience. John also acknowledges that no evil deed goes unpunished. He talks about being whipped as a young boy making you realize that his convictions back then were as strong as they were when he wrote this classic song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PErUiAyVoGc
8. Rain on the Scarecrow
John Cougar released this song in August 1985. It was number two on the U.S. chart and served as an inspirational template for the Scarecrow record. In late 1985, Mellencamp explained to Creem magazine that he wrote the song to show people to stand out for their truth. He also suggested that each individual must find out who they are and not let the world drag them down. His work inspired many artists. The song established his career as one of the strongest individuals to advocate for the rescue of American farmers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me-YOqjTf9M
7. I Need a Lover
John Mellencamp released this song in 1979 on the album John Cougar. He had already released two albums (Chestnut Street Incident and A biography) on independent labels that made him a household name. It was the first hint to showed he would become a great singer. Most of his fans know that the song was a bigger hit for Pat Benatar than Mellencamp. But for John Mellencamp, his version included an exciting extended instrumental introduction before the setting in of the vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adMXjSithMs
6. Wild Night
Van Morris, a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, was the original writer of the song and was launched in 1971. It was number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. John Mellencamp and Meshell Ndegeocello recorded a new version of the wild night in 1994 on the album dance naked. It was number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the same year, it reached number one in Canada and topped for three weeks during summer. It is a song that talks about coming out to dance and have romance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nPPRQeTxTY
5. Our Country
Our country is the 8th song on freedom’s road album. In late January 2007, it debuted at Number 5 on the billboard 200. It received a lot of exposure before the release of the album that is why it was the highest-debuting album in John’s career. The song featured in commercials for Chevrolet Trucks. Most rock fans did not think that rock music could get a place in commercial advertisements. But they did the placement of the song in the commercials tastefully. It is among the best patriotic songs ever written.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlGmKF5hmZ4
4. Cherry Bomb
John Mellencamp released Cherry Bomb in 1987 on the lonesome Jubilee album. It is a song that talks about his teenage years while hanging out at the Last Exit Teen Club. The song successfully reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 12 on the adult contemporary chart. Mellencamp recalls the times he was laughing and dancing with his friends to show that they are memories he continues to remember until his last day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gym0tgA5O9c
3. Small Town
John Mellencamp released Small Town in 1985 on the album Scarecrow. The song was a huge hit reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the adult contemporary chart. He talks about his experiences while growing up in Indiana, a small town. The song became a hit, especially among the working-class population. It is a testament to the singer’s ability to identify with his fans. He says that you don’t have to live in a big town to live your life to the fullest. He is not one of those guys who grew up thinking they need to get out of their small town. Muhlenkamp recognizes that valuing family and close friends is all you need to enjoy your life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CVLVaBECuc
2. Jack and Diane
John Mellencamp released Jack and Diane in the 1982 album American Fool. It was a love song that encourages the young to hold onto 16 as long as they can. Many teens loved this song back in the day. They recognized what Mellencamp was talking about in the music. In the 1980s, Jack and Diane was among the most played videos on MTV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h04CH9YZcpI
1. Pink Houses
John Mellencamp release pink houses in 1983 on the album Uh-Huh. The song originated while John drove down the road home and saw an old black man sitting with his cat on his arm outside his little pink house. In early 1984 it reached number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 in Canada. Also, on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, it ranked number 447.
