The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 is the first greatest hits compilation album by John Mellencamp, released in 1997. It compiles Mellencamp's most popular material recorded during his first decade, beginning with 1978's A Biography, up through 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, with a new recording of Terry Reid's "Without expression." Mellencamp picked the songs for the album and also came up with the title. The album reached No. 33 on the Billboard 200. Pressed on vinyl (2LP) for the first time.