John Mellencamp explained why he “hated” one of his biggest hits on a new episode of Real Time With Bill Maher and revealed how the “stupid and silly” song ended up on his album anyway.
The song in question? “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute To 60’s Rock),” the closing track on Mellencamp’s multi-platinum 1985 album Scarecrow. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, tying with “Hurts So Good” as his second-biggest hit behind the chart-topping “Jack & Diane.”
Despite its success, Mellencamp was staunchly against including “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” on his album — but a bad bet forced his hand.
READ MORE: Top 10 John Mellencamp Songs
Why Did John Mellencamp Put ‘R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.’ on His Album?
Mellencamp told Maher the circumstances that led to him begrudgingly tacking “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” onto the end of Scarecrow.
“I had a song called ‘R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.’ And I hated it,” the singer said. “I just thought, this is f—ing stupid and silly.”
Mellencamp’s record label begged to differ.
“I didn’t want to put it on the record, but I made the mistake — I never let the record companies hear my records until I present them,” he explained, “because they have A&R people that want to come in and say, ‘You need to do this, you need to do that.’ And I always say, ‘No, no, no, no.’ They’re not even gonna ask me anymore.”
He continued: “So anyway, I made the mistake of letting somebody hear ‘R.O.C.K.’ and they just went nuts. They said, ‘That’s a number one record.’ Well, it’s not gonna be on the album because it didn’t fit on the album. Back when albums had a theme. So I arm wrestled the guy, and we tied. Well, I had to put it on the record.”
Listen to John Mellencamp’s ‘R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.’
What to Expect From John Mellencamp’s Upcoming Tour
Despite Mellencamp’s initial disdain for “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” he told Maher it will be in the set list of his upcoming Dancing Words tour, during which he will play all of his biggest hits for the first time in years.
The trek will kick off July 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is currently scheduled to conclude on Aug. 12 in Mountain View, California. Tickets are on sale now.
Just make sure not to heckle Mellencamp or he’ll tell you to shut the f— up.
See where Scarecrow lands on our list of John Mellencamp albums ranked worst to best:
John Mellencamp Albums Ranked
A pre-fab pop singer turned heartland rocker turned rootsy moralist, John Mellencamp has had almost as many career turns as names.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
