  John 'Cougar' Mellencamp was
born October 7, 1951 in Indiana. Singing
since a young boy, Mellencamp signed his
first record deal after graduating college.
The singer/songwriter gained fame as John
Cougar which allowed him to hit the pop
charts before establishing a musical career
and allowing fans to know him by his given
name - John Mellencamp.
 Chestnut
Street Incident was released.
The
Kid Inside was released.
 A Biography
was released.
John
Cougar was released.
 # 114
Singles Artist of the Year
 Nothin'
Matters And What If It Did was released.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"This Time."
 # 90
Singles Artist of the Year
 Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Ain't Even Done With
The Night."
 # 2
Singles Artist of the Year (# 1
Male Artist of the Year)
American
Fool was released and topped the
Billboard LP charts for 9 weeks.
 Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Hurts So Good."
Mellencamp hit the Top 10 with "Hurts So Good."
American
Fool was certified gold.
 American
Fool was certified platinum.
Mellencamp hit
the Top 40 with "Jack & Diane."
Mellencamp hit
the Top 10 with "Jack & Diane."
 Mellencamp hit #1 on the ARC Weekly Top 40 for 2 weeks with
"Jack & Diane."
Mellencamp topped the Billboard
Hot 100 Singles chart for 4 weeks with "Jack & Diane."
The singles "Jack & Diane" and "Hurts So Good" were certified
gold.
 Mellencamp hit
the Top 40 with "Hand To Hold On To."
December 31: Mellencamp topped the
Billboard 1982
Year-End Chart Toppers as the Top Pop Artist
- Male and Top Pop Singles Artist - Male.
 # 36
Singles Artist of the Year
 Mellencamp won an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist tying with Rick
Springfield.
Mellencamp won
a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male
("Hurts So Good") and was
nominated for Album of the Year (American
Fool).
Uh-Huh was released
and 'John Cougar' was now known as 'John
Cougar Mellencamp.'
 Mellencamp hit
the Top 40 with "Crumblin' Down."
Mellencamp hit
the Top 10 with "Crumblin' Down."
Uh-Huh was certified
platinum.
Mellencamp hit
the Top 40 with "Pink Houses."
 # 48
Singles Artist of the Year
 Mellencamp hit
the Top 10 with "Pink Houses."
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"The Authority Song."
The video for "The Authority Song" was nominated
for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Cinematography.
 American
Fool and Uh-Huh were certified 2x
platinum.
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male ("Pink Houses").
 Scarecrow was released.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Lonely Ol' Night."
Mellencamp hit the Top 10 with "Lonely Ol' Night."
Mellencamp
helped launch Farm Aid and continued over the
years being a part of the benefit concert.
Scarecrow was certified
platinum.
Scarecrow was certified
2x platinum.
 # 10
Singles Artist of the Year
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male (Scarecrow).
American
Fool and Scarecrow were
certified 3x platinum.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Rumbleseat."
 # 39
Singles Artist of the Year
 The
Lonesome Jubilee was released.
The
Lonesome Jubilee was certified
platinum.
 # 47
Singles Artist of the Year
The
Lonesome Jubilee was certified
2x platinum.
 # 76
Singles Artist of the Year
Mellencamp was
nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.
 Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Pop Singer."
Big
Daddy was released.
Big
Daddy was certified
platinum.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Jackie Brown."
Mellencamp was nominated for an American Music
Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.
 # 115
Singles Artist of the Year
Whenever
We Wanted was released and 'John Cougar
Mellencamp' dropped the 'Cougar' and was now
known simply as 'John Mellencamp.'
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Get A Leg Up."
 # 130
Singles Artist of the Year
 Whenever
We Wanted was certified
platinum.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Again Tonight."
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male (Whenever
We Wanted).
Mellencamp topped the Billboard
Album Rock Tracks chart for 2 weeks with
"Again Tonight."
Mellencamp could be heard on the
Falling
From Grace soundtrack - a film
Mellencamp directed and starred in.
The video for "Get A Leg Up" was nominated
for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Male Video.
 # 119
Singles Artist of the Year
Human
Wheels was released.
 Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Human Wheels."
Human
Wheels was certified platinum.
 # 25
Singles Artist of the Year
Mellencamp suffered a mild heart
attack during the year.
 Mellencamp hit the Top 40 along
with Me'Shell
NdegéOcello with their remake of
"Wild Night."
Dance
Naked was released.
Mellencamp hit the Top 10 with "Wild Night."
Mellencamp hit #1 for a week with "Wild Night."
 Mellencamp topped the Billboard
Adult Contemporary Singles chart for 8 weeks
with "Wild Night."
Dance
Naked was certified platinum.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Dance Naked."
 # 186
Singles Artist of the Year
 American
Fool and Scarecrow were certified 4x
platinum, and The
Lonesome Jubilee and Uh-Huh were certified 3x
platinum.
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with
Vocals
("Wild Night" with Me'Shell
NdegéOcello).
Nothin'
Matters And What If It Did and John
Cougar were certified gold.
Nothin'
Matters And What If It Did was certified
platinum.
 # 51
Singles Artist of the Year
American
Fool was certified 5x platinum.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Key West Intermezzo (I
Saw You First)."
 Mr.
Happy Go Lucky was released.
Mellencamp hit the Top 10 with "Key West Intermezzo (I
Saw You First)."
Mr.
Happy Go Lucky was certified gold.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Just Another Day."
 # 75
Singles Artist of the Year
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance -
Male
("Key West Intermezzo (I
Saw You First)").
Mellencamp hit the Top 10 with "Just Another Day."
Mr.
Happy Go Lucky was certified platinum.
 The
Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 was released.
The
Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 was certified
gold.
 # 105
Singles Artist of the Year
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male
("Just Another Day").
The
Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 was certified
platinum.
Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
"Your Life Is Now."
 John
Mellencamp was released.
John
Mellencamp was certified gold.
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male
("Your Life Is Now").
 Rough
Harvest was released.
 # 126
Singles Artist of the Year
VH1: 100
Greatest Videos included "Jack & Diane" at # 98.
 Mellencamp hit the Top 40 with
help from India.Arie with "Peaceful World."
Cuttin'
Heads was released.
Scarecrow was certified 5x
platinum.
Mellencamp was honored with the
Billboard Century Award. Mellencamp said of
the honor: "I like what this particular
award stands for. When they called me say I
was receiving it, I was told it's for artists
who really did not get the credit they
deserved. And I liked that because I've
always felt like an underdog, which is why
I've probably remained competitive. Early on,
I was always dismissed as, 'Well, he's a
Midwestern rocker.' That would always piss me
off, so this award means a lot."
Mellencamp was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance -
Male
("Peaceful World").
Cuttin'
Heads was certified gold.
The
Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 was certified 3x
platinum.
 Trouble
No More was released and topped the
Billboard Blues Album chart for 11 weeks.
VH1: 100 Best
Songs of the Past 25 Years includes "Jack & Diane" at # 67.
Mellencamp and his wife, Elaine,
wrote an open
letter
reacting to presidency of President Bush and
the war in Iraq.
 Mellencamp
performed at the 19th annual Farm Aid concert
in Washington.
Mellencamp hit the Billboard
Country charts helping out Travis
Tritt with
"What Say You."
Mellencamp began touring as part
of the 'Vote For Change' tour. The tour
featuring several major acts will be
performing in key "battleground"
states with the goal of getting citizens out
to vote, and vote to change the current
administration.
Mellencamp released another hits
collection, Words
& Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits with the new single
"Walk Tall" co-produced by Babyface.
Words
& Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits was certified
platinum.
# 12 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
 Mellencamp performed on ReAct
Now: Music & Relief - a benefit
program shown on music video channels to
raise money for those affected by Hurricane
Katrina.
Mellencamp performed as part of
Farm Aid 20 in Illinois.
VH1: 100
Greatest Songs of the 80's included "Jack & Diane" at # 59.
 Mellencamp released Freedom's
Road.
Mellencamp nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance ("Our
Country").
 March 10: Mellencamp was
inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame.
Mellencamp released Life,
Death, Love And Freedom.
Mellencamp performed at the 21st
annual Farm Aid concert held at the Comcast
Center in Massachusetts.
 Mellencamp released the live LP Life
Death Live & Freedom.
Mellencamp released No
Better Than This.
 |
Chestnut Street Incident
Released: 1976
Tracks: "American
Dream" - "Oh Pretty Woman"
- "Jailhouse Rock" -
"Dream Killing Town" -
"Supergirl" - "Chestnut
Street" - "Good Girls" -
"Do You Believe in Magic" -
"Twentieth Century Fox" -
"Chestnut Street Revisited" -
"Hit The Road Jack" - "I
Need Somebody" |
 |
The Kid Inside
Released: 1977
Tracks: "Kid
Inside" - "Take What You
Want" - "Cheap Shot" -
"Sidewalk & Streetlights" -
"R. Gang" - "American
Son" - "Gearhead" -
"Young Genocides" - "Too
Young To Live" - "Survive"
- "The Whore" - "The Man
Who Sold The World" |
 |
A Biography
Released: 1978
Tracks: "Born
Reckless" - "Factory" -
"Night Slumming" - "Taxi
Dancer" - "I Need A Lover"
- "Alley Of The Angels" -
"High C Cherrie" - "Let
Them Run Your Lives" -
"Goodnight" |
|
John Cougar
Released: 1979
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 64
Tracks: "A Little
Night Dancin'" - "Small
Paradise" - "Miami" -
"The Great Midwest" - "Do
You Think That's Fair" - "I
Need A Lover" - "Welcome To
Chinatown" - "Sugar Marie"
- "Pray For Me" - "Taxi
Dancer" |
|
Nothin' Matters And What
If It Did
Released: 1980
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 37
Tracks: "Hot Night
In A Cold Town" - "Ain't Even Done
With The Night" - "Don't
Misunderstand Me" - "This
Time" - "Make Me Feel" -
"To M.G. (Wherever She May Be)"
- "Tonight" - "Cry
Baby" - "Wild Angel" -
"Peppermint Twist" -
"Cheap Shot" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
American Fool
Released: 1982
US: 5x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 9 weeks)
Rolling Stone: 
Tracks: "Hurts So Good" - "Jack & Diane" - "Hand To Hold On To" -
"Danger List" - "Can You
Take It" - "Thundering
Hearts" - "China Girl" -
"Close Enough" - "Weakest
Moments" |
|
Uh-Huh
Released: 1983
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone: 
Tracks: "Crumblin' Down" - "Pink Houses" - "The Authority Song" -
"Warmer Place To Sleep" -
"Jackie O" - "Play
Guitar" - "Serious
Business" - "Lovin' Mother Fo
Ya" - "Golden Gates" |
|
Scarecrow
Released: 1985
US: 5x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 2
Tracks: "Rain On The
Scarecrow" - "Grandma's
Theme" - "Small Town" -
"Minutes To Memories" - "Lonely Ol' Night" - "The
Face Of The Nation" - "Justice
And Independence '85" -
"Between A Laugh And A Tear"
(with Rickie Lee Jones) - "Rumbleseat" -
"You've Got To Stand For
Somethin'" - "R.O.C.K. In The
U.S.A." - "The Kind Of Fella I
Am" |
|
The Lonesome Jubilee
Released: August, 1987
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 6
Tracks: "Paper In
Fire" - "Down And Out In
Paradise" - "Check It Out"
- "The Real Life" -
"Cherry Bomb" - "We Are
The People" - "Empty
Hands" - "Hard Times For An
Honest Man" - "Hot Dogs And
Hamburgers" - "Rooty Toot
Toot" |
|
Big Daddy
Released: May, 1989
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 7
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Big Daddy
Of Them All" - "To Live" -
"Martha Say" - "Theo And
Weird Henry" - "Jackie Brown" - "Pop Singer" - "Void
In My Heart" - "Mansions In
Heaven" - "Sometimes A Great
Notion" - "Country
Gentleman" - "J.M.'s
Question" - "Let It All Hang
Out" |
 |
Whenever We Wanted
Released: October, 1991
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 17
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Love And
Happiness" - "Now More Than
Ever" - "I Ain't Ever
Satisfied" - "Get A Leg Up" -
"Crazy Ones" - "Last
Chance" - "They're So
Tough" - "Melting Pot" -
"Whenever We Wanted" - "Again Tonight" |
|
Falling From Grace soundtrack
Released: 1992
Mellencamp Tracks: "It Don'
Scare Me None" - "Sweet
Suzanne" (with Buzzin' Cousings,
Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, Joe Ely, &
James McMurty) - "Nothings For
Free" |
|
Human Wheels
Released: September, 1993
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 7
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "When Jesus
Left Birmingham" -
"Junior" - "Human Wheels" -
"Beige To Beige" - "Case
795 (The Family)" - "Suzanne
And The Jewels" - "Sweet
Evening Breeze" - "What If I
Came Knocking" - "French
Shoes" - "To The River" |
|
Dance Naked
Released: June, 1994
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 13
Tracks: "Dance Naked" -
"Brothers" - "When
Margaret Comes To Town" - "Wild Night" (with
Me'Shell NdegéOcello) -
"L.U.V." - "Another Sunny
Day 12/25" - "Too Much To
Think" - "The Big Jack" -
"The Breakout" |
|
Mr. Happy Go Lucky
Released: September, 1996
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone:
Tracks:
"Overture" - "Jerry"
- "Key West Intermezzo
(I Saw You First)" - "Just Another Day" - "This
May Not Be The End Of The World" -
"Emotional Love" - "Mr.
Bellows" - "The Full
Catastrophe" - "Circling Around
The Moon" - "Large World
Turning" - "Jackamo Road"
- "Life Is Hard" |
|
The Best That I Could Do
1978-1988
Released: November, 1997
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 33
Tracks: "I Need A
Lover" - "Ain't Even Done
With The Night" - "Hurts So Good" - "Jack & Diane" - "Crumblin' Down" - "Pink Houses" - "The Authority Song" - "Lonely Ol' Night" -
"Small Town" - "R.O.C.K.
In The U.S.A." - "Paper In
Fire" - "Cherry Bomb" -
"Check It Out" - "Without
Expression" |
|
John Mellencamp
Released: October, 1998
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 41
Rolling Stone:
Tracks: "Fruit
Trader" - "Your Life Is Now" -
"Positively Crazy" - "I'm
Not Running Anymore" - "It All
Comes True" - "Eden Is
Burning" - "Where The World
Began" - "Miss Missy" -
"Chance Meeting At The
Tarantula" - "Break Me Off
Some" - "Summer Of Love" -
"Days Of Farewell" |
|
Rough Harvest
Released: August, 1999
Billboard
peak:
# 99
Tracks: "Love And
Happiness" - "In My Time Of
Dying" - "Between A Laugh And A
Tear" - "Human Wheels" - "Rain
On The Scarecrow" - "Farewell
Angelina" - "Key West Intermezzo
(I Saw You First)" - "Jackie Brown" - "When
Jesus Left Birmingham" - "The
Full Catastrophe" - "Minutes To
Memories" - "Under The
Boardwalk" - "Wild Night" (live) |
|
Cuttin' Heads
Released: October, 2001
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 15
Rolling Stone: 
Tracks: "Cuttin'
Heads" - "Peaceful World"
- "Deep Blue Heart" -
"Crazy Island" - "Just
Like You" - "The Same Way I
Do" - "Women Seem" -
"Worn Out Nervous Condition" -
"Shy" - "In Our
Lives" |
|
Trouble No More
Released: June, 2003
Billboard
peak:
# 31
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "Stones In
My Passway" - "Death
Letter" - "Johnny Hart" -
"Baltimore Oriole" -
"Teardrops Will Fall" -
"Diamond Joe" - "The End
Of The World" - "Down In The
Bottom" - "Lafayette" -
"Joilet Bound" - "John The
Revelator" - "To
Washington" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Words & Music: John
Mellencamp's Greatest Hits
Released: October, 2004
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 13
Tracks: "Walk
Tall" - "Pink Houses" - "Lonely Ol' Night" - "Jackie Brown" - "Rain
On The Scarecrow" - "Love And
Happiness" - "Check It
Out" - "Peaceful World" -
"Paper In Fire" - "Your Life Is Now" - "Human Wheels" - "When
Jesus Left Birmingham" - "The Authority Song" - "What
If I Came Knocking" - "Crumblin' Down" -
"Small Town" - "R.O.C.K.
In The U.S.A." - "Cherry
Bomb" - "Pop Singer" -
"Thank You" - "Martha
Say" - "Key West Intermezzo
(I Saw You First)" - "Jack & Diane" - "I
Need A Lover" - "Hurts So Good" - "Get A Leg Up" - "Wild Night" -
"Dance Naked" - "Teardrops
Will Fall" - "Ain't Even Done
With The Night" - "Just Another Day" - "Hand To Hold On To" -
"Rumble Seat" - "I'm Not
Running Anymore" - "Again Tonight" - "This
Time" - "Now More Than
Ever" |
|
Freedom's Road
Released: January, 2007
Billboard
peak:
# 5
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: C+
Tracks:
"Someday" - "Ghost Towns
Along The Highway" - "The
Americans" - "Forgiveness"
- "Freedom's Road" - "Jim
Crow" - "Our Country" -
"Rural Route" - "My
Aeroplane" - "Heaven Is A
Lonely Place" |
 |
Life, Death, Love And
Freedom
Released: July, 2008
Billboard
peak:
# 7
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: B
Tracks: "Longest
Days" - "My Sweet Love" -
"If I Die Sudden" -
"Troubled Land" - "Young
Without Lovers" - "John
Cockers" - "Don't Need This
Body" - "A Ride Back Home"
- "Without A Shot" -
"Jena" - "Mean" -
"County Fair" - "For The
Children" - "A Brand New
Song" |
|
Life Death Live &
Freedom
Released: June, 2009
Live Tracks: "If I Die
Sudden" - "Troubled Land"
- "Don't Need This Body" -
"Longest Days" - "Young
Without Lovers" - "A Rid eBack
Home" - "Jena" - "My
Sweet Love" |
|
No Better Than This
Released: August, 2010
Tracks: "Save Some
Time To Dream" - "The West
End" - "Right Behind Me" -
"A Graceful Fall" - "No
Better Than This" - "Thinking
About You" - "Coming Down The
Road" - "No One Cares About
Me" - "Love At First
Sight" - "Don't Forget About
Me" - "Each Day Of Sorrow"
- "Easter Eve" - "Clumsy
Ol' World" |
 |
Performs Trouble No More
Live At Town Hall
Released: July 8, 2014
Live Tracks: "Stones In
My Passway" - "Death
Letter" - "To Washington"
- "Highway 61 Revisted" -
"Baltimore Oriole" -
"Joliet Bound" - "Down In
The Bottom" - "Johnny
Hart" - "Diamond Joe" -
"John The Revelator" -
"Small Town" -
"Lafayette" - "Teardrops
Will Fall" - "Paper In
Fire" - "Pink House" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Plain Spoken
Released: September 23,
2014
Billboard
Top 200 LPs
peak: # 18
Tracks: "Troubled
Man" - "Sometimes There's
God" - "The Isolation Of
Mister" - "The Company Of
Cowards" - "Tears In Vain"
- "The Brass Ring" -
"Freedom Of Speech" -
"Blue Charlotte" - "The
Courtesy Of Kings" - "Lawless
Times" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Sad Clowns &
Hillbillies
Released: April 28, 2017
Tracks: "Mobile
Blues" - "Battle Of
Angels" - "Grandview"
(featuring Martina McBride) -
"Indigo Sunset" (featuring
Carlene Carter) - "What Kind Of Man
Am I" (featuring Carlene Carter) -
"All Night Talk Radio" -
"Sugar Hill Mountain"
(featuring Carlene Carter) - "You
Are Blind" - "Damascus
Road" (featuring Carlene Carter) -
"Early Bird Cafe" - "Sad
Clowns" - "My Soul's Got
Wings" (featuring Carlene Carter) -
"Easy Target" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Other People's Stuff
Released: December 7, 2018
Billboard
peak:
# 7
Tracks: "To The
River" - "Gambling Bar Room
Blues" - "Teardrops Will
Fall" - "In My Time Of
Dying" - "Moblie Blue" -
"Eyes On The Prize" -
"Dark As A Dungeon" -
"Stones In My Passway" -
"Wreck Of The Old 97" - "I
Don't Know Why I Love You" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
The Good Sanaritan Tour
2000
Released: August 27, 2021
Tracks: "Small
Town" - "Oklahoma Hills" -
"In My Time Of Dying" -
"Captain Bobby Stout" -
"Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You
First)" - "All Along The
Watchtower" - "The Spider And
The Fly" - "Early Bird
Cafe" - "Hey Gyp" -
"Street Fighting Man" -
"Cut Across Shorty" -
"Pink Houses" |
iTunes
Amazon.mp3
vinyl |
Strictly A One-Eyed Jack
Released: January 21, 2022
Tracks: "I Always
Lie To Strangers" - "Driving In
The Rain" - "I Am A Man That
Worries" - "Streets Of
Galilee" - "Sweet Honey
Brown" - "Did You Say Such A
Thing" (with Bruce Springsteen) -
"Gone So Soon" - "Wasted
Days" (with Bruce Springsteen) -
"Simply A One-Eyed Jack" -
"Chasing Rainbows" - "Lie
To Me" - "A Life Full Of
Rain" (with Bruce Springsteen) |
 |
Orpheus Descending
Released: June 16, 2023
Tracks: "Hey
God" - "The Eyes Of
Portland" - "The So-Called
Free" - "The Kindness Of
Lovers" - "Amen" -
"Orpheus Descending" -
"Understated Reverence" -
"One More Trick" -
"Lightning And Luck" -
"Perfect World" -
"Backbone" |
|
