"Someday" by John Mellencamp

Hailing from southern Indiana, rock artist John Mellencamp started his career as John or Johnny Cougar, a name given to him by David Bowie's manager, thinking it would help him mass an audience. Mellencamp was likely destined for superstardom no matter what because he had songs. The prolific singer and songwriter has amassed 22 top 40 hits: 10 reaching the top ten, and one reaching #1 ("Jack & Diane"). He was the 9th most successful artist in the 80s and won a Grammy for "Hurts So Good," which reached #2 in 1982.

Mellencamp stayed true to his midwestern sound throughout the 90s, but what brought him continued success was his fearlessness to experiment. He fused some reggae, rap, and electronic beats into some of his tunes, keeping critics interested and audiences entertained. He's also performed some high-profile duets, the most successful being a cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" with Me'Shell Ndegeocello, which hit #3 in 1994. The brilliant "Peaceful World" from 2001 was recorded with India.Arie but it bubbled under.

Mellencamp hasn't seen the top 100 since 2006, when "Our Country" stalled at #88. The single comes from the album "Freedom's Road," an underrated effort in his catalogue that seemed poised to be a major comeback. "Someday" is another terrific cut from this record that should have restored him to top 40 glory.