DIG
Brownlow Medallist
Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, John Mellencamp, or my favourite...John Cougar Mellencamp! - was one of my favourite artists as a kid. The Lonesome Jubilee was the first tape I ever bought. So lately I've been re-listening to those older albums, and also gone through his more recent stuff given I'd stopped following him about 20 yrs ago.
Most of his music holds up pretty well, except for his early work. I saw him as one of my first concerts I think about '92 at Rod Laver and it was fantastic, the band he had with him at that time had been together for ages and were so tight live.
Saw the local cover band a few times too - Scarecrow, had some (pretty successful!) nights at the Cherry Hill and The Mitcham back in the days when most pubs had bands not pokies.
He's always oscillated between Rock and Folk music. His earlier hits were mainly about getting into women's pants - something he resorted to even in the 90s to get a hit, but he also became a bloody good songwriter and storyteller pretty quickly, Scarecrow and Lonesome Jubilee in the mid 80s his absolute prime. A strong activist as well all the way through for various causes for the less privileged.
This countdown was easier to do than the Pumpkins. Most, but not all, of his best songs are his hits. Only the obvious 2 albums plus Whenever We Wanted were consistent all the way through, the rest have a few good songs then filler.
Top 50:
1. Check it Out
2. Minutes to Memories
3. Theo and Weird Henry
4. Pink Houses
5. Rain on The Scarecrow
6. Paper N Fire
7. Cherry Bomb
8. Get a Leg Up
9. Jackie Brown
10. Crumblin Down
11. Love and Happiness
12. Jack N Diane
13. Authority Song
14. Small Town
15. Lonely Ol' Night
16. Key West Intermezzo
17. Whenever We Wanted
18 Hurts So Good
19 When Jesus Left Birmingham
20 The Real Life
21 Martha say
22 Without a shot
23 Just another day
24* Wild night *Van Morrison Cover
24 If I die sudden
25 Rumbleseat
26 R.OCK in the USA
27 Pop Singer
28 Thundering Hearts
29 The Breakout
30 Crazy Ones
31 Sweet Evening breeze
32 Hotdogs and Hamburgers
33 Junior
34 I need a lover
35 Play Guitar
36 We are the people
37 What if I came knocking?
38 Freedom's Road
39 Again Tonight
40 Ghost Towns on the Highway
41 Your life is now
42 John Cockers
43 Another Sunny Day 12/25
44 Jerry
45 Miami
46 You've got to Stand for something
47 Grandview
48 This time
49 Our Country
50 Dance Naked
Most of his music holds up pretty well, except for his early work. I saw him as one of my first concerts I think about '92 at Rod Laver and it was fantastic, the band he had with him at that time had been together for ages and were so tight live.
Saw the local cover band a few times too - Scarecrow, had some (pretty successful!) nights at the Cherry Hill and The Mitcham back in the days when most pubs had bands not pokies.
He's always oscillated between Rock and Folk music. His earlier hits were mainly about getting into women's pants - something he resorted to even in the 90s to get a hit, but he also became a bloody good songwriter and storyteller pretty quickly, Scarecrow and Lonesome Jubilee in the mid 80s his absolute prime. A strong activist as well all the way through for various causes for the less privileged.
This countdown was easier to do than the Pumpkins. Most, but not all, of his best songs are his hits. Only the obvious 2 albums plus Whenever We Wanted were consistent all the way through, the rest have a few good songs then filler.
Top 50:
1. Check it Out
2. Minutes to Memories
3. Theo and Weird Henry
4. Pink Houses
5. Rain on The Scarecrow
6. Paper N Fire
7. Cherry Bomb
8. Get a Leg Up
9. Jackie Brown
10. Crumblin Down
11. Love and Happiness
12. Jack N Diane
13. Authority Song
14. Small Town
15. Lonely Ol' Night
16. Key West Intermezzo
17. Whenever We Wanted
18 Hurts So Good
19 When Jesus Left Birmingham
20 The Real Life
21 Martha say
22 Without a shot
23 Just another day
24* Wild night *Van Morrison Cover
24 If I die sudden
25 Rumbleseat
26 R.OCK in the USA
27 Pop Singer
28 Thundering Hearts
29 The Breakout
30 Crazy Ones
31 Sweet Evening breeze
32 Hotdogs and Hamburgers
33 Junior
34 I need a lover
35 Play Guitar
36 We are the people
37 What if I came knocking?
38 Freedom's Road
39 Again Tonight
40 Ghost Towns on the Highway
41 Your life is now
42 John Cockers
43 Another Sunny Day 12/25
44 Jerry
45 Miami
46 You've got to Stand for something
47 Grandview
48 This time
49 Our Country
50 Dance Naked
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