John J. Mellencamp first found fame in the late 70s under the stage name “Johnny Cougar”, a moniker he was assigned without his consultation by his manager. His brand of “heart land” rock and roll produced small hits like “I Need a Lover” (later covered by Pat Benatar) and “Ain’t Even Done With the Night”.
His fame skyrocketed in 1982 with the release of “American Fool” which yielded Grammy Award winning “Hurt’s So Good” and #1 smash hit “Jack and Diane”. With his 1983 release of “Uh-Huh” he solidified his 1980s super star status with hits like "Crumblin' Down", "Pink Houses" (which I would name the American national anthem if I actually possessed such power) and "Authority Song". He found continued success well into the 1990s with albums including Scarecrow (1985), The Lonesome Jubilee (1987), and Whenever We Wanted (1991). He has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the United States. In addition, he holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, with seven. Mellencamp has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning one. Mellencamp is also one of the founding members of Farm Aid, an organization that began in 1985 with a concert in Champaign, Illinois, to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame 10 years later.
- Top selling original album: American Fool
- Top Selling single: Jack and Diane