LITTLE DITTY 'BOUT THE HALL OF FAME: One of the surprising omissions from this year's Rock And Roll Hall of Fame is that, yet again, John Mellencamp has failed to make the short list for induction. Let's take a look at his Keltner-ization.
1. Was John Mellencamp ever regarded as the best artist in rock music? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that John Mellencamp was the best artist in rock music?
Mellencamp was never "The Top Guy." He probably would have made a lot of Top 10 artist lists in the 80s, behind Springsteen in particular, but was never a clearly cut #1 during his peak years.
2. Was John Mellencamp ever the best artist in rock music in his genre?
This depends on Mellencamp's genre. However, unless you super-tightly circumscribe the genre to "Midwestern Roots rock,"Mellencamp and Springsteen wind up in the same genre, a fight that Mellencamp invariably loses.
3. Was John Mellencamp ever considered the best at his instrument/role?
No. No particularly special guitar talent, solid, but unspectacular songwriting in the narrative tradition, and a series of sidemen.
4. Did John Mellencamp have an impact on a number of other bands?
Yes. From Wikipedia: "Mellencamp's sound is cited as a major influence by fellow midwesterns Sheryl Crow, Garth Brooks, Joan Osborne, Big and Rich, Kid Rock & Aussie Keith Urban." At least one of those (Crow) is at least a potential Hall of Famer herself.
5. Was John Mellencamp good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime?
Mellencamp has continued to tour and put out albums since his mid-80s peak. He had two top 20 hits in the mid-90s ("Key West Intermezzo (I Saw Her First)" and "Wild Night"). I believe that makes this a "yes."
6. Is John Mellencamp the very best artist in history that is not in the Hall of Fame?
I think not. At minimum, Bob has made a compelling case for Patti Smith being above him on the list.
7. Are most bands who have a comparable recording history and impact in the Hall of Fame?
There's a good argument that Mellencamp is to the Midwest/Indiana what Springsteen is to New Jersey, and that "Scarecrow":Mellencamp::"Nebraska":Springsteen. I think this would mean the answer to this is "yes." In the "roots rock" genre of the 80s, Mellencamp was pretty clearly Springsteen's #2.
8. Is there any evidence to suggest that John Mellencamp was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistical records?
Not particularly. If anything, the record sales and airplay numbers below overstate the quality of Mellencamp's albums (which often have 1-2 great singles and a lot of filler), but understate the quality of the singles.
9. Is John Mellencamp the best artist in his genre who is eligible for the Hall of Fame?
Again, this raises the question of Mellencamp's "genre." If he is placed in the broad "rock" genre, probably not. If placed in the narrower "midwestern roots rock" category, he probably has it to himself. In "roots rock," the answer is probably "yes" as well, as Springsteen, CCR, and the Allmans are already in.
10. How many #1 singles/gold records did John Mellencamp have? Did John Mellencamp ever win a Grammy award? If not, how many times was John Mellencamp nominated?
1 #1 Single ("Jack and Diane"), 7 additional singles hit #1 on the "Mainsteam Rock" chart. 11 Platinum Albums (American Fool, Uh-Huh, Scarecrow, Lonesome Jubilee, Big Daddy, Whenever We Wanted, Dance Naked, Nothin' Matters and What If It Did?, Mr. Happy Go Lucky, The Best That I Could Do, Words and Music), 3 Gold Albums (John Cougar, John Mellencamp, Cuttin' Heads). 1 Grammy (Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, for "Hurts So Good"), 9 other nominations. Weak on the #1 singles (somewhat surprisingly), but very strong on the album sales, especially over time, though it should be noted that two of those platinum albums are slightly different "Greatest Hits" collections with a lot of overlap.
11. How many Grammy-level songs/albums did John Mellencamp have? For how long of a period did John Mellencamp dominate the music scene? How many Rolling Stone covers did John Mellencamp appear on? Did most of the bands with this sort of impact go into the Hall of Fame?
OK--"Hurts So Good," "Pink Houses," "Authority Song," "Small Town," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.," "Human Wheels," "Wild Night," "Key West Intermezzo," "Just Another Day," "Your Life Is Now," and "I'm Not Running Anymore" are all solid singles. While Mellencamp was never the biggest artist in the world, he's been a force in both roots rock and as an "adult rock" artist since the mid-80s, with a continuing career.
12. If John Mellencamp was the best band at a concert, would it be likely that the concert would rock?
In a relatively low-key, rootsy way, I expect it would.
13. What impact did John Mellencamp have on rock history? Was he responsible for any stylistic changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change history in any way?
Not particularly, though the list of followers is impressive and diverse, and some of his video work (particularly "Jack and Diane") was somewhat groundbreaking.
14. Did the band uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?
Mellencamp's charitable and political work is well-chronicled and substantial. Depending on how this metric weighs, the fact that Mellencamp lives a "normal life" in Bloomington, IN (albeit being married to a former supermodel), rather than (for example) snorting blow off a hooker's abs in L.A. may be deemed a positive or a negative.
Conclusion
Mellencamp is the paradigm of a "bubble" artist. A decent, if unspectacular, statistical case, solid longevity. He's the equivalent of a guy who had an extraordinarily long career with a solid (if not spectacular) batting average and a well-regarded "regular guy" personality. In addition, he faces the difficulty of being a fairly distant #2 in his time period and genre to an unquestioned legend who was inducted in his first year of eligibility. The charitable work and longevity probably tip the scale in favor of "induct." At a minimum, he's worthy of making the short list for consideration, and I wonder why he hasn't.
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