Jack & Diane Jack & Diane "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. 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'
Jack & Diane or five weeks. All of a sudden, for 'Jack & Diane,' Mick said 'Johnny, you should put baby rattles on there.' I thought, 'What the fuck does put baby rattles on the record mean?' So he put the percussion on there and then he sang the part 'let it rock, let it roll' as a choir-ish-type thing, which had never occurred to me. And that is the part everybody remembers on the song. It was Ronson's idea. The opening guitar riff and drum beat of "Jack & Diane" were sampled as a hook on Jessica Simpson's single "I Think I'm