With multiple Grammy nominations, decades of famous music, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by his good friend and fellow musician Billy Joel, John Mellencamp is nothing short of legendary. This singer-songwriter has been called the father of Americana — his innovative Appalachian folk-rock sound spurred on the explosion of heartland rock in the nation during the last quarter-century.
Mellencamp's latest and 21st official studio release, No Better Than This, came out this past August. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the album is (as you might expect) raw and powerful. Mellencamp traveled across the country, recording the album in several historic locations. The end result is what he rightfully describes "as American folk as I've ever seen."
Check out the playlist below:
| Elton John | Ballad of a Well-Known Gun | Tumbleweed Connection |
| Erland & the Carnival | Trouble in Mind | Trouble in Mind EP |
| Stornoway | I Saw You Blink | Beachcomber's Windowsill |
| Mumford & Sons | The Cave | Sigh No More |
| John Mellencamp | Save Some Time to Dream | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| John Mellencamp | The West End | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| John Mellencamp | Small Town | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| John Mellencamp | Longest Days | Recorded Live for the World Cafe |
| Loreena McKennitt | All Soul's Night | The Visit |
| Paul Simon | Getting Ready for Christmas Day | So Beautiful or So What |
| RL Burnside | It's Bad You Know | Come On In |
| Janelle Monae | Shape of Things to Come | Shape of Things to Come Single |
| Jefferson Airplane | 3/5 of a Mile | Surrealistic Pillow |
| Free Energy | Dream City | Stuck on Nothing |
| The Shins | New Slang | Garden State Soundtrack |
| Bryan Ferry | You Can Dance | Olympia |
| Belle & Sebastian | I Want the World to Stop | Write About Love |
| The Swell Season | Low Rising | Strict Joy |
| G. Love | Fixin' to Die | Fixin' to Die |
| The Band | The Shape I'm In | To Kingdom Come |
| Old 97's | Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You) | The Grand Theatre Vol. 1 |
| Glossary | Save Your Money for the Weekend | Feral Fire |