Crumblin' Down

Last updated
"Crumblin' Down"
Crumblin' Down Mellencamp.jpg
Single by John Cougar Mellencamp
from the album Uh-Huh
B-side "Golden Gates"
ReleasedOctober 1983
Genre Rock
Length3:33
Label Riva
Songwriter(s) John Mellencamp, George Green
Producer(s) John Mellencamp, Don Gehman
John Cougar Mellencamp singles chronology
"Hand to Hold on To"
(1982)
"Crumblin' Down"
(1983)
"Pink Houses"
(1983)

"Crumblin' Down" is a rock song co-written and performed by John Mellencamp, released as the lead single from his 1983 album Uh-Huh . It was a top-ten hit on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canadian pop charts, and it reached #2 on the US Mainstream Rock charts.

Contents

Background

"Crumblin' Down" was written by Mellencamp and longtime writing partner George Green. It was the last song recorded for Uh-Huh; after listening to the masters for the other tracks recorded, Mellencamp decided that the album needed a song that would work as the album's lead single. He contacted Green, with whom he had previously written "Hurts So Good," to solicit ideas. Green had begun a song with lines about walls crumbling down; he and Mellencamp then built the song by trading lines, attempting to top one another. [1] :64

According to Green, the song attempts to answer the question of what to do when success eventually fades, and "the big-time deal falls through." [1] :64 The song touches on Mellencamp's fame as well as the frustrations of losing one's livelihood: the lyrics were inspired, in part, by Mellencamp's cousin losing his job as an electrical engineer. [1] :65

In a 2016 Mellencamp-dedicated exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a display was emblazoned with the following quote from Mellencamp: "Crumblin' Down is a very political song that I wrote with my childhood friend George Green. Reagan was president - he was deregulating everything and the walls were crumbling down on the poor. The song was the last one recorded and the first single. It was a hit immediately. I felt like I was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes."

The video for "Crumblin' Down" received heavy play on MTV. It featured a chain-smoking Mellencamp in intentionally ripped denim jeans, dancing and kicking over chairs. [1] :65 "Crumblin' Down" was the first single released by Mellencamp to include his real last name: previous releases were credited to "John Cougar." [2]

"Crumblin' Down" was the lead single from Uh-Huh, [1] :65 following his previous hit single "Hand to Hold on To" (from 1982's American Fool ) to the Billboard Top 40, where it debuted October 22, 1983. [2] It peaked at number 9 on that chart and at number 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart. [3]

"Crumblin' Down" is also included on Mellencamp's greatest hits compilations The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 and Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits . [4]

Charts

Chart (1983–1984)Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles9
US Billboard Hot 100 [5] 9
US "Billboard" Mainstream Rock2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mellencamp</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1951)

John J. Mellencamp, previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)</span> 1965 single by the Four Tops

"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.

<i>The Blind Leading the Naked</i> 1986 studio album by Violent Femmes

The Blind Leading the Naked is the third album by Violent Femmes. It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and released in 1986. The title is a play on the figure of speech "the blind leading the blind."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What I Like About You (The Romantics song)</span> 1980 single by The Romantics

"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band the Romantics. Written by band members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos in 1979, the song is included on the band's self-titled debut album (1980), and was also released as a single in late 1979. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on the song. The band filmed a music video for the song that appeared frequently on MTV during the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heat of the Moment (Asia song)</span> 1982 single by Asia

"Heat of the Moment" is the first single released by English progressive rock supergroup Asia from their 1982 eponymous debut album. It was written by singer and bass guitarist John Wetton and keyboardist Geoff Downes. It was named by Lee Zimmerman of Paste as Asia's signature song.

<i>Uh-huh</i> 1983 studio album by John Cougar Mellencamp

Uh-Huh is a 1983 album by John Cougar Mellencamp, a stage name for John Mellencamp and a transition from his early work under the name John Cougar. It was Mellencamp's seventh studio album and the first in which he used his real last name. It charted at #9 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Words & Music: John Mellencamps Greatest Hits</i> 2004 greatest hits album by John Mellencamp

Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll artist John Mellencamp. This two-disc set was released October 19, 2004 on the Island and UTV Records labels. It is a retrospective of Mellencamp's career at the time of its release, and features at least one song from each of his studio albums released between 1978's A Biography and 2003's Trouble No More. Two songs, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You", were recorded exclusively for this album. No songs from Mellencamp's 1976 debut album Chestnut Street Incident or 1977's The Kid Inside are represented. Also omitted is Mellencamp's cover of "Without Expression", which was released on his previous compilation album The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurts So Good</span> 1982 single by John Cougar

"Hurts So Good" is a song by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing under the stage name "John Cougar". The song was a number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for the singer/songwriter. It was the first of three major hit singles from his 1982 album American Fool. The others were "Jack & Diane" and "Hand to Hold On To," which were all released in 1982. The song was also a critical success with Mellencamp, winning the Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male at the 25th Grammy Awards on February 23, 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Under the Boardwalk</span> 1964 single by the Drifters

"Under the Boardwalk" is a pop song written by Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick and recorded by the Drifters in 1964. It charted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 22, 1964. The song has since been covered by many other artists, with versions by Bette Midler, Sam & Dave, the Tom Tom Club, the Rolling Stones, Billy Joe Royal, The Beach Boys, Bruce Willis, Bad Boys Blue, John Mellencamp and Lynn Anderson all charting in the United States or overseas. The song ranked number 487 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004 and number 489 in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink Houses</span> 1983 single by John Cougar Mellencamp

"Pink Houses" is a song written and performed by John Cougar Mellencamp. It was released on 23 October 1983 album Uh-Huh on Riva Records. It reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984 and No. 15 in Canada. "Pink Houses" was ranked No. 447 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Voice (The Moody Blues song)</span> 1981 single by The Moody Blues

"The Voice" is the second single released from the Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. The song continued the success of previous single "Gemini Dream", becoming a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 15 in October 1981. The song had previously topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for four weeks during June–July 1981. The song also reached No. 9 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Need a Lover</span> 1978 single by Johnny Cougar

"I Need a Lover" is the debut single by John Mellencamp, first released in 1978 under the stage name "Johnny Cougar".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonely Ol' Night</span> 1985 single by John Cougar Mellencamp

"Lonely Ol' Night" is a rock song written and performed by singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. It appeared on his 1985 album Scarecrow and was released as the album's lead single, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number 1 on the Top Rock Tracks chart, staying at the top spot for five weeks.

George Michael Green was an American songwriter. His collaborations with his childhood friend John Mellencamp include the Top 10 Billboard hits "Crumblin' Down" and "Hurts So Good", as well as "Key West Intermezzo ", a #1 hit in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.</span> 1986 single by John Cougar Mellencamp

"R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.", subtitled "A Salute to 60's Rock", is a rock song written and performed by John Mellencamp. It was the third single from his 1985 album Scarecrow and a top-ten hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Top Rock Tracks charts, peaking at number 2 and number 6 respectively. In Australia, the single effectively became a double-A side when the B-side "Under the Boardwalk" received significant airplay and both tracks were listed together on the singles chart, reaching #18.

"Other Arms" is a rock song performed by English rock singer Robert Plant, the first track from his 1983 album The Principle of Moments. It was Plant's first number-one hit on the Billboard Top Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper in Fire</span> 1987 single by John Cougar Mellencamp

"Paper in Fire" is a song by American rock singer John Mellencamp, released on August 15, 1987 as the first single from his ninth studio album The Lonesome Jubilee.

Larry Crane is an American rock musician and songwriter from Seymour, Indiana. From 1976 until 1991, he appeared alongside John Mellencamp as guitarist and contributor to the arrangements and production of the Mellencamp sound

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry Bomb (John Mellencamp song)</span> 1987 single by John Mellencamp

"Cherry Bomb" is a song by American rock singer John Mellencamp. It was released as the second single from Mellencamp's ninth studio album, The Lonesome Jubilee (1987). "Cherry Bomb" is a nostalgic song that reflects on Mellencamp's teenage years hanging out at the Last Exit Teen Club. The single was released in the United States in October 1987, backed with the B-side "Shama Lama Ding Dong".

<i>Promises, Promises</i> (Lynn Anderson album) 1967 studio album by Lynn Anderson

Promises, Promises is a studio album by American country music artist Lynn Anderson. It was released in December 1967 via Chart Records. It was co-produced by Lloyd Green and Slim Williamson. The album was Anderson's second studio album issued in her recording career and contained two singles that became top ten hits on the Billboard country chart. The album itself would also reach a high peaking positions on the Billboard country albums chart following its release.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnson, Heather (November 1, 2007). Born In A Small Town. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-8256-7336-8.
  2. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Billboard Books. p. 419. ISBN   0-8230-7499-4.
  3. "John Mellencamp: Billboard Singles". allmusic . Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  4. "John Mellencamp: Crumblin' Down". allmusic . Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  5. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X