| John Mellencamp | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | John Mellencamp |
| Cover: | John Mellencamp eponymous cover.jpg |
| Released: | October 6, 1998 |
| Recorded: | 1998 |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Length: | 45:56 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | John Mellencamp |
| Prev Title: | The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 |
| Prev Year: | 1997 |
| Next Title: | Rough Harvest |
| Next Year: | 1999 |
John Mellencamp is the 15th album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, released on October 6, 1998. It was the first of three albums Mellencamp would record for Columbia Records. "On this record, we ended up quite a bit away from where we started," Mellencamp told Guitar World Acoustic in 1998. "Initially, I wanted to make a record that barely had drums on it. Donovan made a record (in 1966), Sunshine Superman, and I wanted to start with that same kind of vibe—Eastern, very grand stories, fairy tales. We ended up with a few Eastern instruments. But everybody prepared to make that record. After the last tour, I gave everybody Sunshine Superman, and I said: 'Listen to this record, because you're going to need to know it.'"
While it is unusual for an artist to release a self-titled album this late in their career, Mellencamp was asked by Columbia Records to self-title his debut album for them to mark a fresh start and a creative rebirth.
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