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TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

#495 RAIN ON THE SCARECROW John Cougar Mellencamp
When he first made the charts in 1979, it was as Johnny Cougar. The rock musician fought hard to make his real surname a recognisable brand. In 1983, he was being referred to as John Cougar Mellencamp. The middle moniker had been completely dropped by 1991.
No matter what you call him, Mellencamp is 1 of American rock music's best storytellers, in the tradition of Springsteen, Bob Seger and Tom Petty. He writes memorable pop hooks and can be equally as adept at writing a stinging commentary on Americana. Some examples include "Pink Houses" and "Small Town". 
"Rain on the Scarecrow" is yet another example of Mellencamp's writing skill. He co-wrote the song with George M. Green. It deals with the financial woes experienced by farmers. The song was recorded in late March 1985 in Indiana. It was lifted as a single from his 1986 album 'Scarecrow'. The disc peaked at #21 in the USA and 34 in Australia. 

This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
2 new songs are added each day (every 12 hours)  with a mid-week bonus every Wednesday.