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John Mellencamp Was Inspired by Shel Silverstein To Write His First No. 1 Hit, Which He Wrote as a Joke
John Mellencamp wrote “Hurts So Good” in 1982, initially as a joke inspired by the songwriting style of Shel Silverstein. The track became his first No. 1 single on the Cash Box chart, helping establish his career after years of releases without a major hit.
A friend suggested the title, and Mellencamp says he wrote the song in about three minutes, scrawling its opening line on a shower door in soap. He later connected its subject to the crude behaviour he had seen while playing in bars. The song appeared on his album *American Fool* and earned him his only Grammy; the follow-up, “Jack & Diane”, was his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.
In short
- Mellencamp wrote “Hurts So Good” as a joke.
- It became his first Cash Box No. 1.
- “Jack & Diane” later topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Explained simply
John Mellencamp is an American singer and songwriter who had released records for several years before finding a large audience. Shel Silverstein was a songwriter and author whose work often used humour and playful language.
“Hurts So Good” appeared on Mellencamp’s 1982 album American Fool and became his first chart-topping single on Cash Box, a music publication that tracked record sales and radio play. Its success helped bring wider attention to his music; another song from the album, “Jack & Diane”, later reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
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