American Fool

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title: "American Fool" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["john-mellencamp-albums", "1982-albums", "albums-produced-by-don-gehman", "riva-records-albums"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Fool" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	American Fool
type	studio
artist	John Cougar
cover	JC_American_Fool.jpg
released
genre
length	34:26
label	Riva
producer
prev_title	Nothin' Matters and What If It Did
prev_year	1980
next_title	The Kid Inside
next_year	1983
misc	{{Singles
name	American Fool
type	studio
single1	Hurts So Good
single1date	April 1982
single2	Jack & Diane
single2date	July 1982
single3	Hand to Hold Onto
single3date	October 1982
::

| name = American Fool | type = studio | artist = John Cougar | cover = JC_American_Fool.jpg | alt = | released = | recorded = | venue = | studio =

• Cherokee (Hollywood)
• Criteria (Miami) | genre = | length = 34:26 | label = Riva | producer = | prev_title = Nothin' Matters and What If It Did | prev_year = 1980 | next_title = The Kid Inside | next_year = 1983 | misc = {{Singles | name = American Fool | type = studio | single1 = Hurts So Good | single1date = April 1982 | single2 = Jack & Diane | single2date = July 1982 | single3 = Hand to Hold Onto | single3date = October 1982 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = | rev2 = Robert Christgau | rev2Score = B | rev3 = Rolling Stone | rev3Score = American Fool is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp (credited as John Cougar), released on April 12, 1982. The album was his commercial breakthrough, holding the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 album chart for nine consecutive weeks. A remastered version of American Fool was released on Mercury/Island/UMe on March 29, 2005; it includes one bonus track, the previously unreleased title track.

Production

Producer Don Gehman stated in a 2011 interview that American Fool was fraught with layers of problems. "We had 20 or so songs, we had a record company that was hoping we were making a Neil Diamond‑type album, and after we spent two or three months in the studio recording these songs and mixing them to the best of our ability, I can remember an A&R guy in a pink shirt coming in to listen to them and basically thinking we had nothing. At that point, they put a stop to the project. We had ‘Jack & Diane,’ we had ‘Hand to Hold On To,’ we had ‘Weakest Moments’ — we had some good songs — and while I don’t know the precise nature of the discussions that took place, Riva went from wanting to get a new producer to not even wanting John on the label anymore. Finally, they came around to letting us finish it but wanting to hear the new songs we were going to cut."

According to a 1983 article in the Toledo Blade, the song "Danger List" originated when John Mellencamp heard his guitarist Larry Crane playing some chords in a basement rehearsal room. "I turned on the tape recorder and sang 30 verses,” Mellencamp explained. "I just made them up. Then I went and weeded out the ones I didn't like."

Track listing

All songs written by John Mellencamp, except where noted.

1. "Hurts So Good" (Mellencamp, George M. Green) – 3:42
2. "Jack & Diane" – 4:16
3. "Hand to Hold On To" – 3:25
4. "Danger List" (Mellencamp, Larry Crane) – 4:28
5. "Can You Take It" – 3:35
6. "Thundering Hearts" (Mellencamp, Green) – 3:40
7. "China Girl" (Joe New, Jeff Silbar) – 3:34
8. "Close Enough" – 3:38
9. "Weakest Moments" – 4:07
10. "American Fool" (2005 re-issue bonus track) – 3:46

Personnel

Sources:

• John Mellencamp – lead vocals, guitar, tambourine
• Larry Crane – guitar, background vocals
• Mike Wanchic – guitar, background vocals
• Kenny Aronoff – drums, LinnDrum on "Jack & Diane"
• George "Chocolate" Perry – bass
• Mick Ronson – guitar, background vocals, percussion on "Jack & Diane"
• Robert "Ferd" Frank – bass, background vocals
• Eric Rosser – keyboards
• Dave Parman – background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1982) | Peak position | Australian (Kent Music Report) | |---|---|---| | 18 | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1982)	Position	Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)	US Billboard 200	Chart (1983)	Position	US Billboard 200
3
4
32
::

Certifications

Notes

References

1. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "''American Fool''".
2. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Artist 688". RobertChristgau.com.
3. Emerson, Ken. (September 2, 1982). "American Fool".
4. "John Mellencamp - Official Website :: Discography".
5. (1982). "American Fool".
6. ''[[The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988]]'' liner notes (1997)
7. (September 2011). "Classic Tracks; John Cougar 'Jack & Diane'".
8. Kent, David. (1993). "Australian Chart Book 1970–1992". Australian Chart Book.
9. "RPM Top 100 Albums of '82". [[Library and Archives Canada]].
10. "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1982".
11. "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1983".

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