Whenever We Wanted

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Whenever We Wanted

| type = studio

| artist = John Mellencamp

| cover = Whenever_We_Wanted.jpg

| alt =

| released = October 8, 1991

| recorded = April–June 1991

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Rock

| length = 38:45

| label = Mercury

| producer = John Mellencamp

| prev_title = Big Daddy

| prev_year = 1989

| next_title = Human Wheels

| next_year = 1993

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Whenever We Wanted

| type = studio

| single1 = Get a Leg Up

| single1date = October 1991

| single2 = Love And Happiness

| single2date = November 1991

| single3 = Again Tonight

| single3date = January 1992

| single4 = Now More Than Ever

| single4date = April 1992

| single5 = Last Chance

| single5date = July 1992

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12914|pure_url=yes}} link]

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score = B{{cite magazine |last=Arnold |first=Gina |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315936,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523010110/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,315936,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 23, 2007 |title=Whenever We Wanted Review |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=October 2, 1991|accessdate=November 5, 2012}}

| rev3 = Robert Christgau

| rev3score = {{Rating-Christgau|cut}}{{cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist2.php?id=2278 |title=CG: John Mellencamp |publisher=Robert Christgau |date= |accessdate= }}

| rev4 = Rolling Stone

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}} [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/whenever-we-wanted-19911031 link]

| noprose = yes

}}

Whenever We Wanted is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp, and the first of his to be credited simply to Mellencamp's given name (i.e., without "Cougar" in the name).

The album reached the top 20 and went platinum.{{Cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-mellencamp-whenever-we-wanted-album/|title=Why John Mellencamp Got Frisky on 'Whenever We Wanted'|first=Nick|last=DeRiso|date=October 8, 2016|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}} It includes the hits "Get A Leg Up" (#1 for three weeks on the Album Rock Tracks chart), "Now More Than Ever" (#3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart), "Last Chance" (#12 on the Album Rock Tracks chart), and "Again Tonight" (#1 for two weeks on the Album Rock Tracks chart). "Get A Leg Up" (#14) and "Again Tonight" (#36) also cracked the Billboard Hot 100.

Entertainment Weekly gave the album a positive review, stating: "To Mellencamp's credit, even though 'Whenever We Wanted' delivers his signature rock & roll punch, he doesn't try to. That Mellencamp still has the courage to make depressing assessments in a pop context is a victory that outweighs the record's other shortcomings."

Mellencamp later said the album was an attempt to "write American Fool with better lyrics" after a fan mentioned the previous two albums "had nothing about sex on them." This inspired him to write less about problems in the heartland and "get back to the basics."