JOHN MELLENCAMP - R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A.

Released: January 1986

Charts:  US: #2   UK: #67 

Released in 1985 on John Mellencamp’s landmark album “Scarecrow”, “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to ’60s Rock)” became the album’s biggest hit, climbing to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Top Rock Tracks chart. In Australia, the single charted as a double-A side when radio also embraced its B-side, “Under the Boardwalk,” pushing both songs together to No. 18.

“R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” is exactly what the subtitle promises: a loving tribute to the American rock, R&B, and soul records of the 1960s that shaped Mellencamp’s musical identity. Growing up in Indiana, he listened to AM radio at a time when stations played everything—rock ’n’ roll, folk, Motown, doo-wop—all mixed together. That eclectic upbringing echoes throughout the track.

In the lyrics, Mellencamp name-checks artists who had a profound influence on him, including: Frankie Lymon, Bobby Fuller, Mitch Ryder, Jackie Wilson, The Shangri-Las, The Young Rascals, Martha Reeves and James Brown.

These nods weren’t just fan service—they had impact. Bobby Fuller’s family personally thanked Mellencamp for reviving interest in the late musician. When Mellencamp performed in Albuquerque, Fuller’s hometown, his family brought him the belt Fuller was wearing when he died—an emotional gesture acknowledging how meaningful the mention was.

“Scarecrow” is a stark, sometimes bleak portrait of the decline of rural American life. With tracks like “Rain on the Scarecrow” and “Face of the Nation,” the album explores themes of erosion—of farmland, of small-town stability, of the very idea of the American Dream. “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”, by contrast, is joyful and effervescent, celebrating musical rebellion rather than social decay. Mellencamp worried the track was too upbeat, too lightweight, to sit alongside the album’s darker material. Originally, he planned to include it only as a cassette/CD bonus track. But his manager insisted the song’s energy was irresistible, and Mellencamp decided, almost at the last minute: “Yeah—what the hell!” It went on to become one of his biggest hits.

Mellencamp had his band study approximately 100 songs from the 1960s before recording “Scarecrow”, not to copy them, but to absorb their spirit. That study permeates “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” in subtle and clever ways. The instrumental break especially showcases the song’s musical lineage: The riff is lifted from Neil Diamond’s “Cherry, Cherry.” It’s first played on an ocarina, referencing the unexpected ocarina solo in The Troggs’ “Wild Thing.” The riff then shifts through guitar and keyboards, echoing different corners of ’60s rock.

On tour, Mellencamp would often pull a fan from the audience to dance with him during this section—a playful nod to the communal joy of early rock ’n’ roll.