"I Need a Lover" by John Cougar
Written by John Mellencamp
Produced by John Punter
Released on John Cougar (July 27, 1979)
Released as a single, 1979
Peaked at #28 on Billboard Hot 100
I went to high school with a girl who knew John Mellencamp. She was
apparently best friends with his daughter. I have a vague memory of her
showing us a music video of his that she got to be in: She and Mellencamp's daughter were riding horses, and the song was somewhere between unfamiliar and not good. This may be another Mandela effect moment because I tried to find that video as I was preparing this post and found no evidence of its existence. And now I really think I dreamed this up because the only other thing I remember about this girl was that she did some kind of jump rope class for PE. They did a performance at the end of the term, and she did a routine with a couple of her friends. She either lacked any sense of rhythm, or she just wasn't very good with a jump rope because she was definitely the weak link of that performance. That's such a weird couple of things to remember about a girl from high school that I'm really beginning to question my own reality. Did anyone else go to boarding school with a girl who was best friends with John Mellencamp's daughter and wasn't any good at jump rope or was that just me?
This song came out before I was born, and I'm not quite sure when I became aware of its existence. When I was in high school, the only songs by John Mellencamp that were relevant to anyone's life were "Jack & Diane" and "Wild Night," his collaboration with Meshell Ndegeocello. "Jack & Diane" mattered because it's an amazing song that everyone loved. "Wild Night" mattered because MTV and VH1 played the music video all the time.
Ultimately, I have never loved John Mellencamp's music or image or whatever, but he did write and perform some great songs. This is one of them. Adding this particular song to this particular list did feel strange because I still seem to hold onto some kind of association with Mellencamp's music being uncool. But I included this song on this list because, despite any perceived sense of uncoolness that I associate with John Mellencamp, this is still a fantastic song. Would it still be on the list if I made it today? Probably, but maybe not.
It's been about three years since I finalized this list, and although I haven't listened to much new music since then, I have discovered or rediscovered plenty of old music that I really love. Earlier this week, I was listening to the song "Ramble Tamble" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. I didn't even know that song existed when I put this list together. It wasn't on their greatest hits compilation, so it might as well have never existed. When I finally checked out their Cosmo's Factory album, "Ramble Tamble" floored me. It's great.
For those curious, here are a few other songs that might make this list had I made it today: "Strangers" by The Kinks, "Roll Me Away" by Bob Seger, "Lie in Our Graves" (live) by Dave Matthews Band, "Thirteen" by Big Star, "I Miss My Baby" by Parliament, "Away" by The Toadies, "The Four Horsemen" by Metallica, "Reach Down" by Temple of the Dog, "Tones of Home" by Blind Melon, "The Calvary Cross" by Richard & Linda Thompson, "Porch" by Pearl Jam, "I've Just Seen a Face" by The Beatles. What would come off the list? I don't even want to think about that. It took me too long to finalize this list. The list is here, and it is what it is.
If I ever finish writing about these 100 songs, maybe I'll look at some of those others, but that's a big if.
Right now "I Need a Lover" by John Cougar is, probably, my 42nd favorite song of all time.
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