Some of John Mellencamp’s Best

John Mellencamp is winding down his 2016 tour with stops in the Midwest next week. John’s classic song “The Authority Song” fits right into this political season, given the ‘insider vs. outsider’ battle this upcoming election seems to represent.

In 1976, Johnny Cougar began to sell records with his ‘Chestnut Street Incident’ album, but he evolved as an artist, changing his name back to John Cougar Mellencamp. A few years dropping the Cougar altogether. With millions in record sales, and nearly 30 albums, we thought we’d look back at his biggest songs.

“Pink Houses” introduced John to a whole new pop audience in 1983. Inspired by his drive outside Bloomington, Indiana, he passed an elderly African American man sitting outside his little pink shotgun house.

“Hurt So Good” in 1982 was a top 40 single John recorded as ‘John Cougar’ from his highly successful “American Fool” LP. The tune came to John while in the shower, and the MTV video was primarily shot in Medora, Indiana, a small town about 20 miles southwest of Seymour IN his hometown.

“I Need a Lover” was the first radio tune for John, released from his 1976 self-proclaimed “John Cougar” LP. Pat Benatar loved the song so much she released it as her first single in 1980.

“Jack and Diane,” “Tumbling Down” and “Small Town” were all big hits for John, helping him get elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

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