{{about|the John Mellencamp song}} {{Infobox song | name = Small Town | cover = JCM - Small Town.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = John Cougar Mellencamp | album = Scarecrow | B-side = "Small Town" (acoustic version) | released = November 2, 1985 | recorded = April 17, 1985 | studio = Belmont Mall Studio (Belmont, Indiana) | venue = | genre = {{hlist|Heartland rock<ref name= "Marsh 1989">{{cite book|first=Dave|last=Marsh|title=The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5t5DYDniSHEC|date=1989|publisher=Plume|isbn=0-452-26305-0|page=189}}</ref>|folk rock<ref name= "Marsh 1989"/>}} | length = 3:42 | label = Riva Records | writer = John Mellencamp | producer = {{hlist|John Mellencamp|Don Gehman}} | prev_title = Lonely Ol' Night | prev_year = 1985 | next_title = R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. | next_year = 1986 }} "'''Small Town'''" is a 1985 song written and recorded by John Mellencamp and released on his eighth album ''Scarecrow''. The song reached number 6 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12911/charts-awards/billboard-single}}</ref> and number 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
==Content== John Cougar Mellencamp wrote the song about his experiences growing up in a small town in Indiana, having been born in Seymour, Indiana, and living in Bloomington, Indiana, which, at the time of the release of the song, was larger. The music video has references to both towns. The song highlights the strong sense of community and shared values that can characterize a small town.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Olson |first=Emily |date=2023-07-20 |title=How Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' became a political controversy |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/07/20/1188966935/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-song-video |access-date=2025-06-10 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref>
==Backstory== "I wrote that song in the laundry room of my old house," Mellencamp told ''American Songwriter'' magazine in 2004. "We had company, and I had to go write the song. And the people upstairs could hear me writing and they were all laughing when I came up. They said, 'You've got to be kidding.' What else can you say about it?"<ref name="American Songwriter">{{cite news|url=http://americansongwriter.com/2005/01/john-mellencamp/|title=John Mellencamp Interview|last=Zollo|first=Paul|date=January 1, 2005|work=American Songwriter|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> Mellencamp later told ''The Wall Street Journal'' that he had written the lyrics using an electronic typewriter that beeped whenever he misspelled a word, which had amused the people listening upstairs; however, they were silenced when he played the song to them.<ref name="Wall Street Journal June 2016">{{cite web | title= Born in a 'Small Town': How John Mellencamp Wrote the Song |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/born-in-a-small-town-how-john-mellencamp-wrote-the-song-1466605133| last= Myers| first= Marc| author-link= Marc Myers |date= 22 June 2016| website= The Wall Street Journal |publisher= News Corp| accessdate= 20 June 2018 }}</ref> In 2013, Mellencamp told ''Rolling Stone'', "I wanted to write a song that said, 'You don't have to live in New York or Los Angeles to live a full life or enjoy your life.' I was never one of those guys that grew up and thought, 'I need to get out of here.' It never dawned on me. I just valued having a family and staying close to friends."<ref name="Rolling Stone 2013">{{cite magazine | title= John Mellencamp: My Life in 15 Songs |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/john-mellencamp-my-life-in-15-songs-20131223/small-town-0741366| author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date= 23 December 2013| magazine= Rolling Stone | accessdate= 20 June 2018 }}</ref>
==Reception== ''Cash Box'' called it "a rocking homage to the small town of the artist’s life and the small towns of America," saying that it is "infectious, meaningful and especially topical."<ref name=cb>{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Cash Box|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1985/CB-1985-11-02.pdf|date=November 2, 1985|accessdate=2022-08-02|page=15}}</ref>
==Charts== ===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable" ! Chart (1985–1986) !Peak<br />position |- |Australia (Australian Music Report)<ref name="Australian Chart Book 1970–1992">{{cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W |year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|80 |- |Canada (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0658&type=2&interval=50&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=www.collectionscanada.gc.ca |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020092833/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0658&type=2&interval=50&PHPSESSID=m89iq841abagb37ld9c0fdc1f3 |archive-date=2012-10-20}} </ref> |align="center"|13 |- |United Kingdom (Top 100)<ref>[https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/Say%20La%20La Official Charts Company]</ref> |align="center"|53 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref> |align="center"|6 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' Top Rock Tracks |align="center"|2 |- |U.S. ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary<ref>{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=161}}</ref> |align="center"|13 |- |New Zealand (Top 50)<ref>[https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=John+Cougar+Mellencamp&titel=R%2EO%2EC%2EK%2E+In+The+U%2ES%2EA%2E&cat=s Charts.nz]</ref> |align="center"|40 |- |}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (1986) !! Rank |- |US Top Pop Singles (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 27, 1986 |title=1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles |page=Y-21 |magazine=Billboard |volume=98 |issue=52 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|72 |}
==In popular culture== In February 2020, the Michael Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign released a campaign advertisement pitched at small American towns with declining economies, backed by Mellencamp singing "Small Town".<ref name="epsta">{{cite news |last1=Pompei |first1=Elizabeth |title=John Mellencamp supports Mike Bloomberg in ad about 'Small Town' America |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/02/05/mike-bloomberg-ad-features-indiana-born-john-mellencamps-small-town/4668425002/ |accessdate=6 February 2020 |publisher=Indianapolis Star |date=5 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="hmnsta">{{cite magazine |last1=Mamo |first1=Hernan |title=John Mellencamp Endorses Mike Bloomberg For President With New 'Small Town' Ad |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/politics/8550216/john-mellencamp-mike-bloomberg-endorsement |accessdate=6 February 2020 |magazine=Billboard |date=5 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="jkdtt">{{cite news |last1=Kurtz |first1=Judy |title=John Mellencamp cuts ad for Bloomberg: He'll 'take the fight directly to Trump' |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/481606-john-mellencamp-cuts-ad-for-bloomberg-hell-take-the-fight |accessdate=6 February 2020 |work=The Hill |date=5 February 2020}}</ref>
Minnesota governor and 2024 vice presidential candidate Tim Walz used the song as his walk-on theme for rallies during the 2024 election, as a reference to his roots in small-town Nebraska.<ref>https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/tim-walz-visits-southern-california-for-first-time-as-kamala-harris-running-mate/3487559/</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{John Mellencamp}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1985 singles Category:1985 songs Category:Jackson County, Indiana Category:John Mellencamp songs Category:Riva Records singles Category:Songs about the United States Category:Songs written by John Mellencamp Category:Song recordings produced by Don Gehman