John Mellencamp "The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 (USA, Mercury Records, 314 536 738-2)"

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. The album reached #33 on the Billboard 200. This album and Rough Harvest came about because, after leaving Mercury Records for Columbia Records, Mellencamp still owed the label two more albums.

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. Robert Christgau described it as the best of John Mellencamp, which to him is not saying much. Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B" rating, describing it as "uncomplicated but sophisticated."

Track listing

Original release

All tracks are written by John Mellencamp, except where noted

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