Rumbleseat (John Mellencamp song)

"Rumbleseat"
Single by John Cougar Mellencamp
from the album Scarecrow
B-side	"Cold Sweat"
Released	June 1986
Recorded	1985
Studio	Belmont Mall Studio (Belmont, Indiana)
Genre	Heartland rock, rockabilly
Length	2:59
Label	Riva
Songwriter	John Mellencamp
Producers	John Mellencamp, Don Gehman
John Cougar Mellencamp singles chronology
"Rain on the Scarecrow" (1986) "Rumbleseat" (1986) "Paper in Fire" (1987)

"Rumbleseat" is a song by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. It was released in June 1986 as the fifth single from his eighth studio album, Scarecrow (1985). The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.

Background and release

"Rumbleseat" was issued as a 7-inch single. Its B-side was a cover of "Cold Sweat" by James Brown. ^[1]

Critical reception

Cash Box said that "the distinctive, rocking style of Mellencamp is put to great effect." ^[2] Billboard described it as "stripped down rockabilly with a moral to it." ^[3]

Music video

The music video for "Rumbleseat", it was directed by Mellencamp himself and was aired on MTV. ^[4]

Charts

Chart (1986)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100 [5]	28
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [6]	4

Track listing

7-inch single

• A-side: "Rumbleseat" – 2:59
• B-side: "Cold Sweat" – 3:23

Personnel

• John Mellencamp – vocals, acoustic guitar
• Kenny Aronoff – drums
• Larry Crane – guitar
• Mike Wanchic – guitar
• Toby Myers – bass
• John Cascella – keyboards

See also

• Heartland rock

References

1. "John Cougar Mellencamp – Rumbleseat (1986, Vinyl)". Discogs. 21 August 1986. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
2. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. June 28, 1986. p. 9. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
3. "Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. June 28, 1986. p. 79. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
4. "Rumbleseat by John Mellencamp". IMVDb. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
5. "John Mellencamp Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
6. "John Mellencamp Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.

External links

• Discogs entry for "Rumbleseat" (1986)
• Official music video on YouTube