Label: Mercury / UME

Reissued 2018, Originally released 1997

The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 is the first greatest hits compilation album by singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, released by Mercury Records in 1997. It compiles Mellencamp's most popular material recorded during his first decade with Riva and Mercury Records, beginning with 1978's A Biography, up through 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, with a new recording of Terry Reid's "Without Expression". Mellencamp picked the songs for the album and also came up with the title for the album. The album reached #33 on the Billboard 200. This album and Rough Harvest came about because, after leaving Mercury Records for Columbia Records, Mellencamp still owed the label two more albums.

Track listing:

1. I Need A Lover
   
2. Ain't Even Done With The Night
   
3. Hurts So Good
   
4. Jack And Diane
   
5. Crumblin' Down
   
6. Pink Houses
   
7. Authority Song
8. Lonely Ol' Night
9. Small Town
   
10. R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.
    
11. Paper In Fire
12. Cherry Bomb
13. Check It Out
    
14. Without Expression