The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | November 18, 1997[1] | |||
Recorded | 1978–1997 | |||
Studio | Various
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Genre | Rock, heartland rock | |||
Length | 58:51 [1] | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Producer |
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Compiler | John Mellencamp | |||
John Mellencamp chronology | ||||
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The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 is the first greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, released by Mercury Records in 1997 (see 1997 in music). It compiles Mellencamp's most popular material recorded during his first decade with Riva and Mercury Records, beginning with 1978's A Biography, up through 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, with a new recording of Terry Reid's "Without Expression". Mellencamp picked the songs for the album and also came up with the title for the album. [3] The album reached No. 33 on the Billboard 200. [4] This album and Rough Harvest came about because, after leaving Mercury Records for Columbia Records, Mellencamp still owed the label two more albums. [5]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | [6] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [7] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic.com said that the album's title was suitable and while it did not include all of Mellencamp's hits, it is a good summary of Mellencamp's "remarkably consistent" work. [1] Robert Christgau described it as the best of John Mellencamp, which to him is not saying much. [6] Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B" rating, describing it as "uncomplicated but sophisticated." [7]
All tracks are written by John Mellencamp, except where noted
No. | Title | Original release | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | " I Need a Lover" | A Biography | 5:38 |
2. | "Ain't Even Done with the Night" | Nothin' Matters and What If It Did | 4:37 |
3. | " Hurts So Good" (Mellencamp, George Green) | American Fool | 3:39 |
4. | " Jack and Diane" | American Fool | 4:16 |
5. | " Crumblin' Down" (Mellencamp, Green) | Uh-Huh | 3:36 |
6. | " Pink Houses" | Uh-Huh | 4:45 |
7. | " Authority Song" | Uh-Huh | 3:50 |
8. | " Lonely Ol' Night" | Scarecrow | 3:46 |
9. | " Small Town" | Scarecrow | 3:41 |
10. | " R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." | Scarecrow | 2:55 |
11. | " Paper in Fire" | The Lonesome Jubilee | 3:53 |
12. | " Cherry Bomb" | The Lonesome Jubilee | 4:49 |
13. | " Check It Out" | The Lonesome Jubilee | 4:20 |
14. | "Without Expression" ( Terry Reid) | Previously unreleased | 5:06 |
The version released in Japan features two additional songs ("Miami" and a cover of "Under the Boardwalk," tracks 2 and 15, respectively), and places "Lonely Ol' Night" before "Authority Song".
No. | Title | Original release | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | " I Need a Lover" | A Biography | 5:38 |
2. | "Miami" | John Cougar | 3:53 |
3. | "Ain't Even Done with the Night" | Nothin' Matters and What If It Did | 4:37 |
4. | " Hurts So Good" (Mellencamp, George Green) | American Fool | 3:39 |
5. | " Jack and Diane" | American Fool | 4:16 |
6. | " Crumblin' Down" (Mellencamp, Green) | Uh-Huh | 3:36 |
7. | " Pink Houses" | Uh-Huh | 4:45 |
8. | " Lonely Ol' Night" | Scarecrow | 3:46 |
9. | " Authority Song" | Uh-Huh | 3:50 |
10. | " Small Town" | Scarecrow | 3:41 |
11. | " R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." | Scarecrow | 2:55 |
12. | " Paper in Fire" | The Lonesome Jubilee | 3:53 |
13. | " Cherry Bomb" | The Lonesome Jubilee | 4:49 |
14. | " Check It Out" | The Lonesome Jubilee | 4:20 |
15. | " Under the Boardwalk" (Resnick, Kenny Young) | "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." B-Side | 3:57 |
16. | "Without Expression" ( Terry Reid) | Previously unreleased | 5:06 |
Adapted from the album's liner notes. [2]
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia ( ARIA) [16] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Canada ( Music Canada) [17] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom ( BPI) [18] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States ( RIAA) [19] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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