It was ironic that John Denver chose to release John Denver’s Greatest Hits in 1973. At the time, he’d only had three songs hit the Top Ten in the U.S. On the other hand, maybe he was just manifesting, because Back Home Again gave him two No. 1 hits.
Released on June 15, 1974, Back Home Again contained Denver’s usual mix of covers and originals. The lead single was the first tune on Side 2: “Annie’s Song.” Written by Denver for then-wife Annie Martell Denver, it became a signature song, topping the charts in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Critic Shawn M. Haney hailed it as “one of Denver’s finest achievements.”
The other chart-topper had to wait a bit. Two months after the album was released, Denver’s performance of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” was recorded for the live album An Evening with John Denver. The live take reached the top in 1975.
This article is featured in the May/June 2024 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.
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Comments
And he proved himself as a capable actor playing beside the lovable George Burns in.
It’s always relaxing and rewarding to this day to hear one of John’s songs. Gone too soon, like so many. The Post did a great feature on him in that era, and I appreciate the appreciation in the current issue.