I Need a Lover
Encyclopedia
"I Need a Lover" is a rock
song written and performed by John Mellencamp
under the stage name John Cougar. It first appeared on his 1978 album A Biography
, which was not released in the United States
.
It was also included in his 1979 follow-up album John Cougar
and released as a single, which became his first Top 40 hit in the US, reaching number 28 on the Billboard
Billboard Hot 100
in late 1979.
Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine has described it as Mellencamp's "first good song."
The song also became an album-oriented rock
radio hit for singer Pat Benatar
,
appearing on her 1979 debut album In the Heat of the Night.
The song is notable for its atypical long introduction of two and a half minutes.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
song written and performed by John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
under the stage name John Cougar. It first appeared on his 1978 album A Biography
A Biography
- Personnel :* Johnny Cougar – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals* Brian BecVar – keyboards, background vocals* Larry Crane– guitars, background vocals* Robert "Ferd" Frank – bass, background vocals...
, which was not released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It was also included in his 1979 follow-up album John Cougar
John Cougar (album)
John Cougar is the fourth album by John Cougar. Released in 1979, following the Australian success of "I Need a Lover" from the previous year's A Biography , the album included the aforementioned track for U.S...
and released as a single, which became his first Top 40 hit in the US, reaching number 28 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in late 1979.
Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine has described it as Mellencamp's "first good song."
The song also became an album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
radio hit for singer Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
,
appearing on her 1979 debut album In the Heat of the Night.
The song is notable for its atypical long introduction of two and a half minutes.