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. Pressed on vinyl for the first time.