John Mellencamp discography explained

Artist:John Mellencamp
Studio:24
Live:2
Singles:71
Tribute:1
Compilation:5
1Option:1
1Option Name:Guest singles

The following is a comprehensive discography of John Mellencamp, an American singer-songwriter. During Mellencamp's career in the recording industry, he has released 24 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, and 71 singles.

Mellencamp's first album to chart on the Billboard 200 was the self-titled John Cougar album in 1979; the album was certified gold by the RIAA. Mellencamp's major commercial breakthrough came in 1982 with American Fool, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded two singles, "Hurts So Good" and "Jack & Diane", which reached number two and number one respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. American Fool would eventually sell 10 million copies worldwide (five million in the US alone). From 1983 to 1987, Mellencamp released three consecutive albums—Uh-Huh (1983), Scarecrow (1985), and The Lonesome Jubilee (1987)—which were all certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Combined, the three albums spawned sixteen singles, seven of which—"Crumblin' Down", "Pink Houses", "Lonely Ol' Night", "Small Town", "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.", "Paper in Fire" and "Cherry Bomb"—became top 10 hits in the US. In 1997, Mellencamp released his first-ever greatest hits collection entitled The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988.

Mellencamp has charted 28 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including 22 hits in the Top 40, 17 in the Top 20 and 10 in the top 10. He has scored 22 albums on the Billboard 200, including 17 in the Top 20 and 11 in the Top 10. Mellencamp has sold about 30 million albums in the US and over 60 million worldwide.

Studio albums

1970s

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
US
[1]
AUS
CAN
[2]
1976Chestnut Street Incident
  • Release date: October 1, 1976
  • Label: MCA
1978A Biography
  • Release date: March 6, 1978
  • Label: Riva
1919
1979John Cougar
  • Release date: July 27, 1979
  • Label: Riva
  • Released as Miami in Australia
647777
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

1980s

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
US
AUS
[3]
CAN
GER
[4]
NL
[5]
NOR
[6]
NZ
[7]
SWE
[8]
SWI
[9]
UK
[10]
1980Nothin' Matters and What If It Did
  • Release date: September 15, 1980
  • Label: Riva
37
  • RIAA: Platinum
1982American Fool
  • Release date: April 12, 1982
  • Label: Riva
11813037
  • RIAA: 5× Platinum[11]
  • MC: 5× Platinum[12]
1983The Kid Inside
  • Release date: January 27, 1983
  • Label: MainMan
1983Uh-Huh
  • Release date: October 23, 1983
  • Label: Riva
95792492
  • RIAA: 3× Platinum
  • MC: 5× Platinum
1985Scarecrow
  • Release date: July 31, 1985
  • Label: Riva
222149
  • RIAA: 5× Platinum
  • ARIA: 4× Platinum[13]
  • MC: 5× Platinum
1987The Lonesome Jubilee[A]
  • Release date: August 24, 1987
  • Label: Mercury
621413416361031
  • RIAA: 3× Platinum
  • ARIA: Platinum[14]
  • MC: 6× Platinum
1989Big Daddy
  • Release date: May 9, 1989
  • Label: Mercury
713273312661125
  • RIAA: Platinum
  • ARIA: Platinum[15]
  • MC: 2× Platinum
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

1990s

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
US
AUS
CAN
FIN
[16]
GER
NL
NZ
SWE
SWI
UK
1991Whenever We Wanted
  • Release date: October 8, 1991
  • Label: Mercury
17384440191639
  • RIAA: Platinum
  • ARIA: Platinum
  • MC: Platinum
1993Human Wheels
  • Release date: September 7, 1993
  • Label: Mercury
776488781837
  • RIAA: Platinum
  • MC: Platinum
1994Dance Naked
  • Release date: June 21, 1994
  • Label: Mercury
136172432
  • RIAA: Platinum
  • MC: Platinum
1996Mr. Happy Go Lucky
  • Release date: September 10, 1996
  • Label: Mercury
91111265336263782
  • RIAA: Platinum
  • ARIA: Gold
  • MC: Platinum
1998John Mellencamp
  • Release date: October 6, 1998
  • Label: Columbia
41413748108
  • RIAA: Gold
1999Rough Harvest
  • Release date: August 17, 1999
  • Label: Mercury
99131
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

2000s

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
US
US Rock
[17]
AUS
GER
SWE
UK
2001Cuttin' Heads
  • Release date: October 16, 2001
  • Label: Columbia
1513199
  • RIAA: Gold
2003Trouble No More
  • Release date: June 3, 2003
  • Label: Columbia
31159
2007Freedom's Road 53145
2008Life, Death, Love and Freedom 732153162
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

2010s

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
US Folk
[18]
US Rock
AUS
GER
NL
NOR
SWE
SWI
UK
2010No Better Than This
  • Release date: August 17, 2010
  • Label: Rounder
105836293293383138
2014Plain Spoken
  • Release date: September 23, 2014
  • Label: Republic
18258458169
2017Sad Clowns & Hillbillies
  • Release date: April 28, 2017
  • Label: Republic
1113522878
2018Other People's Stuff
  • Release date: December 7, 2018
  • Label: Republic
71170
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

2020s

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positions
US
US Folk
US Rock
GER
SWI
2022Strictly a One-Eyed Jack
  • Release date: January 21, 2022
  • Label: Republic
196530246
2023Orpheus Descending
  • Release date: June 16, 2023
  • Label: Republic
7993

Compilation albums

YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertifications
US
US Rock
AUS
CAN
NZ
UK
1997The Collection
  • Release date: 1985
  • label: Castle
1997The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988
  • Release date: November 18, 1997
  • label: Mercury
3337591925
  • RIAA: 3× Platinum
  • ARIA: 2× Platinum[20]
  • BPI: Silver
  • MC: Platinum
2004
  • Release date: October 19, 2004
  • Label: Island/UTV
1393
  • RIAA: Platinum
201020th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of John Mellencamp
  • Release date: January 4, 2010
  • Label: Universal
On the Rural Route 7609
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Live albums

YearAlbum details
2009Life, Death, Live and Freedom
  • Release date: June 23, 2009
  • Label: Hear Music
2014Performs Trouble No More Live at Town Hall
  • Release date: July 8, 2014
  • Label: Mercury
2018
  • Release date: May 11, 2018
  • Label: Eagle Rock
2021The Good Samaritan Tour 2000
  • Release date: August 27, 2021
  • Label: Republic

Singles

1970s singles

YearSinglePeak chart
positions
Album
US
[21]
AUS
1978"I Need a Lover"5A Biography
"Factory"
1979"Miami"31John Cougar
"I Need a Lover"28
"Taxi Dancer"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

1980s singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
US
US Main
[22]
US AC
[23]
US Country
[24]
CAN
[25]
UK
[26]
IRE
[27]
AUS
NZ
GER
[28]
1980"Small Paradise"87John Cougar
"A Little Night Dancin'"105
"This Time"2743Nothin' Matters and What If It Did
1981"Ain't Even Done with the Night"174415 [29]
"Hot Night in a Cold Town"
1982"Hurts So Good"213 [30] 539
  • RIAA: Gold
  • MC: Platinum
American Fool
"Jack & Diane"131 [31] 2577
  • RIAA: Gold
  • BPI: Silver
  • MC: Platinum
"Thundering Hearts"36
"Hand to Hold on To"1941 [32] 892697
1983"Crumblin' Down"929 [33] 42Uh-huh
"Pink Houses"8315 [34] 69
1984"Serious Business"34
"Play Guitar"28
"Authority Song"151541 [35] 93
1985"Lonely Ol' Night"61377 [36] 1383250Scarecrow
"Small Town"621313 [37] 538040
"Justice and Independence '85"28
1986"Minutes to Memories"14
"R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to '60s Rock)"26367 [38] 671817
  • MC: Gold
"Under the Boardwalk"19Non-album song
"Rain on the Scarecrow"211634Scarecrow
"Rumbleseat"28484
1987"Paper in Fire"913 [39] 861316The Lonesome Jubilee
"Cherry Bomb"81125 [40] 204
  • MC: Gold
"Hard Times for an Honest Man"10
"The Real Life"3
1988"Check It Out"14310 [41] 962218
  • MC: Gold
"Rooty Toot Toot"61719 [42] 1245410
"Rave On"1718 [43] 7Cocktail soundtrack
1989"Pop Singer"1521 [44] 938187Big Daddy
"Jackie Brown"4820318223 [45] 4730
"Martha Say"8
"Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)"4283 [46]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

1990s singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
US
US Main
US AC
US Adult
[47]
CAN
UK
AUS
[48]
NZ
GER
1991"Get a Leg Up"1414 [49] 21Whenever We Wanted
"Love and Happiness"554 [50]
1992"Again Tonight"361468 [51] 39
"Last Chance"1273 [52]
"Now More Than Ever"329 [53] 61
1993"Human Wheels"48240340Human Wheels
"What If I Came Knocking"123 [54]
"When Jesus Left Birmingham"3521 [55]
1994"Junior"3545 [56]
"Baby Please Don't Go"72 [57] Blue Chips soundtrack
"Wild Night" (featuring Me'Shell Ndegéocello)3171301 [58] 341855Dance Naked
"Dance Naked"4121377 [59] 79
1996"Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)"14101541922135Mr. Happy Go Lucky
1997"Just Another Day"46132413181
"Without Expression"2514The Best That I Could Do
1998"Your Life Is Now"151923313692John Mellencamp
1999"I'm Not Running Anymore"372222196100
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

2000s singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
US
US Main
US AC
US Adult
US Country
2000"Yours Forever"The Perfect Storm soundtrack
2001"Peaceful World" (featuring India.Arie)[B]382711Cuttin' Heads
2003"To Washington"Trouble No More
"Teardrops Will Fall"
2004"Walk Tall"2526Words & Music
2006"Our Country"881639Freedom's Road
2007"The Americans"55
"Someday"
2008"My Sweet Love"25Life, Death, Love and Freedom
"Troubled Land"
2009"A Ride Back Home" (featuring Karen Fairchild)
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

2010s and 2020s singles

YearSingleAlbum
2010"No Better Than This"No Better Than This
"Save Some Time to Dream"
2014"Troubled Man"Plain Spoken
2020"A Pawn in the White Man's Game"
2021"Wasted Days" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)Strictly a One-Eyed Jack
"Chasing Rainbows"
2022"Did You Say Such a Thing" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)
2023"Hey God"Orpheus Descending
"The Eyes of Portland"

Featured singles

YearSingleArtistPeak chart
positions
Album
US Country
1992"Sweet Suzanne"Buzzin' Cousins68Falling from Grace soundtrack
2004"What Say You"[C]Travis Tritt21My Honky Tonk History

Other appearances

Year Song Album
1987"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"A Very Special Christmas
1994"Pink Houses" (live version)The Unplugged Collection, Volume One
2007"This Land Is Your Land"Song of America
2009"Pink Houses" (live version)The Official Inaugural Celebration (DVD)

Music videos

YearVideoDirector
1978"I Need a Lover"David McMahon
1979"Miami"Bruce Gowers
1980"Small Paradise"Bruce Gowers
1980"This Time"Bruce Gowers
1981"Ain't Even Done with the Night"Bruce Gowers
1982"Hurts So Good"Bruce Gowers
1982"Hand to Hold Onto"Bruce Gowers
1982"Jack and Diane"Bruce Gowers
1983"Crumblin' Down"Chris Gabrin
1983"Pink Houses"Chris Gabrin
1984"Authority Song"Jay Dubin
1985"Lonely Ol' Night"Jonathan Kaplan
1985"Small Town"Jonathan Kaplan
1986"R.O.C.K. in the USA (A Salute to '60s Rock)"John Mellencamp
1986"Rain on the Scarecrow"Jonathan Kaplan
1986"Rumbleseat"Faye Cummins
1987"Paper in Fire"Jonathan Dark
1987"Cherry Bomb"
1987"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
1988"Check It Out"Jonathan Dark
1988"Rooty Toot Toot"Jonathan Dark
1989"Pop Singer"Jonathan Dark
1989"Jackie Brown"John Mellencamp
1989"Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)"Wayne Maser
1991"Get a Leg Up"
1991"Love and Happiness"
1992"Again Tonight"Dennis Virkler
1992"Now More Than Ever"
1992"Sweet Suzanne" (Buzzin' Cousins)Marty Callner
1993"Human Wheels"
1993"When Jesus Left Birmingham"
1994"Baby Please Don't Go"
1994"Wild Night" (With Meshell Ndegeocello)
1994"Dance Naked"
1996"Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)"
1996"Just Another Day"
1998"Your Life Is Now"Samuel Bayer
1999"I'm Not Running Anymore"Robert Duffy
2001"Peaceful World" (With India.Arie)
2003"To Washington"
2003"Teardrops Will Fall"
2004"What Say You" (With Travis Tritt)Chris Lenz
2004"Walk Tall"
2006"Our Country"Deaton Flanigen
2007"The Americans"Eric De Fino
2008"My Sweet Love"
2008"Troubled Land"
2009"A Ride Back Home" (With Karen Fairchild)Jamie Anderson
2010"No Better Than This"Ian And Kurt Markus
2014"Troubled Man"
2017"Easy Target"
2020"A Pawn in the White Man's Game"[60]
2021"Wasted Days" (With Bruce Springsteen)
2023"Hey God"
2023"The Eyes of Portland"

See also

Notes

^ The Lonesome Jubilee also reached number 63 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[61] ^ "Peaceful World" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 4 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100; an extension of the Hot 100 chart.[62] ^ "What Say You" did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number 17 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100; an extension of the Hot 100 chart.

Notes and References

  1. John Mellencamp Chart History - Billboard 200. Billboard. May 14, 2021.
  2. Web site: RPM Search Engine . March 31, 2004 . . PHP.
  3. Australian chart peaks:
  4. Web site: John Mellencamp . . de . January 30, 2022.
  5. Web site: John Cougar Mellencamp . Dutch Charts . Hung Medien . nl . ASP . July 12, 2011.
  6. Web site: John Cougar Mellencamp . . Hung Medien . ASP . July 12, 2011.
  7. Web site: John Cougar Mellencamp . . Hung Medien . ASP . July 12, 2011.
  8. Web site: John Cougar Mellencamp . . Hung Medien . ASP . July 12, 2011.
  9. Web site: John Cougar Mellencamp . . Hung Medien . ASP . July 12, 2011.
  10. Web site: Artist Chart History: John Mellencamp . https://archive.today/20130204155447/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/john%20mellencamp/ . dead . February 4, 2013 . . July 12, 2011 .
  11. Web site: Gold & Platinum Searchable Database . . PHP.
  12. Web site: Gold & Platinum Database Results . . ASPX . July 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405135039/http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=&ica=False&sa=&sl=&smt=0&sat=-1&ssb=Artist . April 5, 2012 .
  13. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia.
  14. Web site: John Mellencamp ARIA Albums chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022 page 1. ARIA. Imgur.com. December 3, 2023.
  15. Web site: 1989 ARIA Albums Chart. ARIA. September 8, 2016.
  16. Web site: John Cougar Mellencamp . Finnish Charts . Hung Medien . ASP . July 12, 2011.
  17. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Rock Albums. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  18. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Americana/Folk Albums. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  19. United Kingdom. John Mellencamp. January 14, 2023.
  20. Web site: Accreditations - 1998 Albums. ARIA Charts. July 6, 2016.
  21. John Mellencamp Chart History: Hot 100. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  22. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Mainstream Rock Tracks. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  23. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Adult Contemporary. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  24. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Country Songs. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  25. Web site: Search : RPM - Library and Archives Canada. Library and Archives Canada. March 14, 2018.
  26. Web site: Artist Chart History: John Cougar Mellencamp . https://archive.today/20130204064608/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/john%20cougar%20mellencamp/ . dead . February 4, 2013 . . July 12, 2011 .
  27. Web site: Search : IRMA - The Irish Charts - All There Is to Know. January 17, 2020.
  28. Web site: Chartverfolgung / MELLENCAMP,JOHN / Single . Music Line . . de . July 12, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170826114413/http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/MELLENCAMP%2CJOHN/single . August 26, 2017 . dead .
  29. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0326.pdf Canada’s Only National 50 singles, 2 May 1981
  30. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6529.pdf Canada’s Only National 50 singles, 24 July 1982
  31. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6508.pdf Canada’s Only National 50 singles, 11 September 1982
  32. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6947.pdf Canada’s Only National 50 singles survey, 27 November 1982
  33. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4382.pdf 50 singles. Canada’s Only National Singles Survey, 3 December, 1983
  34. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.4468.pdf Canada’s Only National 50 singles survey, 18 February 1984
  35. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6730.pdf 50 singles. Canada’s Only National Singles Survey, 19 May 1984
  36. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0591.pdf RPM 100 Singles, 26 October 1985
  37. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.9390.pdf RPM 100 Singles, 28 December 1985
  38. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0658.pdf RPM 100 Singles, 12 April 1986
  39. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0893.pdf RPM 100 Singles, Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey
  40. RPM 100, Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey, 21 January 1988
  41. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0956.pdf RPM 100, Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey
  42. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.8545.pdf 50 singles. Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey
  43. 26 November 1988 . Canada’s Only National 100 Singles Survey . RPM Weekly . 49.
  44. 26 June 1989 . Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey . RPM Weekly . 50 . 9 . 6.
  45. PRM 100, Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey 28 August, 1989
  46. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.6606.pdf PRM 100, Canada’s Only National 100 Single Survey
  47. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Adult Pop Songs. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  48. Web site: John Mellencamp ARIA Albums chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022 page 8. ARIA. Imgur.com. December 3, 2023.
  49. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.1678.pdf Canada’s Only National 100 Hit Track Survey
  50. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2042.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  51. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.7741.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  52. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.1987.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  53. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2144.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  54. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2235.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  55. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2354.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  56. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2414.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  57. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2470.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  58. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2536.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  59. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.2676.pdf PRM 100 Hit Tracks and where to find them
  60. Web site: John Mellencamp Reworks Bob Dylan's 'Only a Pawn in Their Game'. August 27, 2020.
  61. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Country Albums. Billboard. September 29, 2018.
  62. Web site: John Mellencamp Chart History - Bubbling Under Hot 100. Billboard. September 29, 2018.