‘Small Town’ celebration: John Mellencamp’s ‘Scarecrow’ turns 40

It was 40 years ago that John Mellencamp, then known as John Cougar Mellencamp, released his critically acclaimed eighth studio album, Scarecrow, which was filled with songs about the fading American dream, thanks to the greed of corporate America.

Recorded in his studio in Indiana, Scarecrow was filled with songs speaking to the people of the heartland, like “Rain on the Scarecrow,” which addressed the plight of small family-owned farms during the 1980s, as well as “Small Town,” in which Mellencamp sang about his experiences growing up in Indiana.

The two were among the five singles released from the record, with three of them hitting the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100: “Small Town” and “Lonely Ol’ Night,” which both peaked at #6, and “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” which went to #2. “Rain on the Scarecrow” peaked at #21, while the fifth single, “Rumbleseat,” hit #28.

Scarecrow wound up being a commercial success for Mellencamp. It landed at #2 on the Billboard 200 and has gone on to be certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

Mellencamp’s interest in the plight of the American farmer didn’t end with Scarecrow. The same year as the album’s release, he, Willie Nelson and Neil Young organized the benefit concert Farm Aid to raise money to help U.S. farmers.

The first concert was held on Sept. 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, and the Farm Aid organization has raised nearly $80 million since then. The 40th anniversary concert will be held Sept. 20 in Minneapolis. Mellencamp, Young and Nelson, who are all part of the Farm Aid board, are headlining, along with Dave Matthews and Margo Price, who joined the board in 2001 and 2021, respectively.

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