R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. - John Cougar Mellencamp (1986) 9/30/23

Today's Great Song of the '80s is a Salute to '60s Rock...literally.

And by literally, I mean kit's the actual subtitle of John Cougar Mellencamp's "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A!"

The track was a last minute addition to John's "Scarecrow" album.

Initially, he didn't want to include a party song on an album that was full of dark and moody material about corporate greed and the decay of the societal foundations of rural America.

But his manager talked him into it.

Like many of us of a certain age, John listened to AM Top 40 stations growing up, and was influenced by the mix of genres played on the air, every hour of every day!

R.O.C.K. in the USA not only paid tribute to those songs, but the artists who sang them...and the dreams of stardom they installed in the youth (like John) of the '60s.

And in addition to including instrumental nods to '60s music, he dropped the names of several stars of the decade.

As you might imagine, the song was big hit, reaching #2 on Billboard's Hot 100, and #7 on Canadas Top (40, in 1986)!

"R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to '60s Rock)" by John Cougar Mellencamp: 'A Great Song of the '80s! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgtmStUrXMQ

Tomorrow: The Dead Rise into the Top 10.