<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> "Jack & Diane" on YouTube </Td> </Tr> <P> "Jack & Diane" is a 1982 hit rock song written and performed by American singer - songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing as "John Cougar ." It appears on Mellencamp's album American Fool . It was chosen by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as one of the Songs of the Century . The single spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, and is Mellencamp's most successful hit single . </P> <P> According to Mellencamp, "Jack & Diane" was based on the 1962 Tennessee Williams film Sweet Bird of Youth . He said of recording the song: "' Jack & Diane' was a terrible record to make . When I play it on guitar by myself, it sounds great; but I could never get the band to play along with me . That's why the arrangement's so weird . Stopping and starting, it's not very musical ." Mellencamp has also stated that the clapping wasn't supposed to be included in the finished song . It was recorded with the clapping in order to help keep tempo and then it was to be removed . However, he realized the song did not work without it . </P> <P> The song was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, was produced by Mellencamp and Don Gehman (with Gehman also engineering), and backing Mellencamp were guitarists / backing vocalists Mick Ronson, Mike Wanchic, Larry Crane, drummer Kenny Aronoff, bassist / backing vocalist Robert Frank, and keyboardist Eric Rosser . </P>

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