"Jack & Diane" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing as "John Cougar." Described by critics as a "love ballad,"[4][5][6][7] this song was released as the second single from Mellencamp's 1982 album American Fool, and was chosen by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as one of the Songs of the Century. It spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982 and is Mellencamp's most successful hit single. American singer-songwriter Jessica Simpson inserted a sample in her song "I Think I'm in Love with You," taken from the album Sweet Kisses. In 2018 country singer Jake Owen sampled this and as a tribute song titled I Was Jack (You Were Diane).