On This Day in 1974, One of Country’s Most Memorable Singer-Songwriters Hit No. 1 With an Album That Sold Over 3 Million Copies

December 23, 1974 was quite a day for folk and country singer-songwriter John Denver. 

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By the time Back Home Again was released in June, Denver had already made a name for himself. He made that name with the 1971 album Poems, Prayers & Promises, specifically through his ultra-memorable hit song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. 

But, unfortunately, Denver’s 1973 album Farewell Andromeda failed to hit Platinum status. It also didn’t really chart on the US country charts. He needed a hit album stat. And he managed to hit No. 1 almost across the board with his follow-up record, Back Home Again, on this very day in 1974.

Back Home Again would go on to sell approximately 3,166,000 copies, top the Billboard 200, and deliver a number of singles that remain some of Denver’s most beloved songs of the 1970s.

‘Back Home Again’ Is Still One of the Best Country Folk Albums of Its Era

Back Home Again was John Denver’s first No. 1 hit album on the Billboard 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. The record also hit the Top 10 in Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands.

So, what makes this release from John Denver so special? To start, it was packed with radio-friendly hits. Those hits appealed to both fans of country and folk music, as well as pop listeners. This was the album that featured “Annie’s Song”, one of Denver’s most enduring hits after “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. That song ended up being a No. 1 hit on both the pop and adult contemporary charts. The album also featured the very popular title track, which hit No. 1 on the country and adult contemporary charts and No. 5 on the pop charts. You might also remember songs like “Sweet Surrender” and “Thank God I’m A Country Boy”. Those tunes also debuted on Back Home Again.

This multi-Platinum record was also a gorgeous example of how good an album can be with the right personnel. Denver sang and played six and 12-string acoustic guitars on this record. However, he also employed some of the best session musicians to take on additional instrumentation. Elvis Presley collaborator Glen Hardin took on the piano, and Emmy Award-winning composer Lee Holdridge took on the orchestral arrangements of the album. Controversial former Derek And The Dominos drummer Jim Gordon can be heard on percussion.

Back Home Again remains a staple among just about every John Denver fan out there. And I don’t know about you, but I’m going to give this one a spin again ASAP.

Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns