Top 10 John Mellencamp Songs

Photo: By Andrea Sartorati [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

John Mellencamp’s career began in the late 1970s in the shadows of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger. Mellencamp’s first two official album releases echoed the pop sentiments of late 1970s FM/AM radio. His early hits like “I Need a Lover,” “This Time,” and “Ain’t Even Done with the Night,” were heavily dominated by Roy Bittan-style piano playing and Springsteen-style lyrical ideas. However, Mellencamp’s quick response to the Springsteen comparisons was to jettison the piano player and steer towards a more Rolling Stones style sound with the release of the album American Fool and the single “Hurt So Good,” just a few years later in 1982. It was a brilliant move because Mellencamp’s guitar-oriented sound and midwestern vocal stylings proved enormously successful. His addition of Lisa Germano on fiddle in the mid-eighties had a major impact on John Mellencamp, creating a unique sound of his own.

The United States recession in the early eighties shaped the lyrical content of albums like Scarecrow and The Lonesome Jubilee, which are considered by many to be Mellencamp’s best work. Over time, Mellencamp’s involvement with Farm Aid helped endear him to the heartland of America. John Mellencamp has continued to release albums of substance and soul throughout a forty-year career.

John Mellencamp was recently called an “old school cowboy” by his close friend Christie Brinkley. In essence, that perfectly described Mellencamp. He has been an artist who has defined the mainland of the United States. He has written about poverty, desperation, and forgiveness across all racial lines. And he has also written some simple, fun, and kicking rock-and-roll tunes. These are not his ten best songs; these are simply ten Mellencamp songs that we have chosen as a representation of his brilliant career.

# 10 – I Need A Lover

John Mellencamp’s single “I Need A Lover” appeared on the singer’s first U.S official released album entitled John Cougar. That record was released in 1979. John Mellencamp had already released two other albums on independent labels (Chestnut Street Incident and A Biography) that had seen limited release until John Mellencamp had became a household name. As most John Mellencamp fans already know, the song” I Need A Lover” was a bigger hit for Pat Benatar than for John Mellencamp. However, John Mellencamp’s version included a pretty exciting extended instrumental introduction before the vocals set in.

# 9 – Paper In Fire

John Mellencamp’s 1987 album The Lonesome Jubilee was the follow-up record to his groundbreaking 1985 album Scarecrow. The maturity Mellencamp discovered on Scarecrow blossomed even further on the Lonesome Jubilee record. The musical growth was evident instantly on the album’s opening track, “Paper In Fire.” Lisa Germano’s electric fiddle groove and John Cascella’s accordion created a fresh sound that resonated throughout the record.

# 8 – Rain On The Scarecrow

John Mellencamp’s 1985 Scarecrow album was a complete departure from Mellencamp’s previous 1980s rock records. The social issues that Bruce Springsteen formulated on 1984’s Born In The U.S.A. may have served as an inspirational template for the Scarecrow record. Springsteen’s work inspired many artists, and Mellencamp’s topical shift seemed more than a coincidence. But that being said, Mellencamp created a sound on the Scarecrow album that would alter the course of his career and establish him as one of the strongest advocates for the rescue of the American Farmer. “Rain on the Scarecrow” was the opening track and set the tone for an album’s worth of the deepest material John Mellencamp had written at that point in his career.

# 7 – Peaceful World

The great soulful groove-oriented track “Peaceful World” was released on John Mellencamp’s 2001 album Cutting Heads. The songs featured a Mellencamp duet with Inida Arie. Drummer Steve Jordan contributes immensely to the track. Jordan’s signature loud snare drum becomes the driving force behind the song’s soulful groove.

# 6 – Our Country

Many rock fans argue that rock music deserves no place in commercial advertisements. However, the placement of Mellencamp’s “Our Country” was tasteful. In an era when radio began to ignore rock music, the placement of “Our Country” in an automobile commercial helped Mellencamp reach a much larger audience than would have been possible. That’s a good thing, because “Our Country” is one of the most heartwarming patriotic songs ever written.

# 5 – Love and Happiness

The excellent song “Love and Happiness” was released on John Mellencamp’s 1991 album, Whenever We Wanted. The album is probably the most underrated record of John Mellencamp’s career. It is easily the hardest rocking record the singer has ever done. While Get a Leg Up was the hit, we have always loved the excellent guitar work on the album’s opening cut, “Love and Happiness.”

# 4 – Small Town

No song has ever depicted the pride of those who grew up in middle America like Mellencamp’s “Small Town.” John Mellencamp, who was raised in Indiana, set the bar for hometown feel-good songs with “Small Town” on his 1985 Scarecrow album. The song “Small Town” was a massive hit for the artist, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985.

# 3 – Jack & Diane

If we were to come up with a list of the top 10 most memorable guitar hooks in rock music history, “Jack & Diane” would easily make the cut. Not much to say about this one, because the song speaks for itself. A brilliant recording released on John Mellencamp’s breakout album, American Fool, in 1983. “Jack & Diane” was also one of the most-played videos on MTV in the early 1980s.

# 2 – Hurt So Good

With the release of “Hurts So Good” in 1983, John Mellencamp finally found his voice. After struggling over the course of his first two albums to distance himself from the shadows of Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp turned to straight-ahead rock and roll with a dirty midwestern accent that proved enormously successful. What can’t be lost is Kenny Aronoff’s contribution. Rock and roll is all about groove and great drummers. Kenny Aronoff’s playing proved essential to the development of the John Mellencamp sound.

# 1 – Pink Houses

Any one of the songs in our Top 10 John Mellencamp Songs list could have landed at the No.1 spot. Truthfully, there are a few dozen more we did not list that could also have landed in the No. 1 spot. Mellencamp had delivered such a fantastic body of work to his fans that it became tough to create this list. However, this is all in fun and, in essence, simply just a tribute to the man. The song “Pink Houses” defines the musical essence of John Mellencamp. The song was released on his 1983 album Uh Huh! The song reached the Billboard Top 10 in 1984.