Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia · Slate Podcasts

Country Roads and Summer Nights Edition Part 2

·55 min·5 clips

John Denver's only number one hit he didn't write became a live sensation after his band member crafted it on a drive from Aspen to LA.

This episode continues chart analyst Chris Molanphy's comparison of John Denver and Olivia Newton-John's parallel careers in the 1970s and their diverging paths into the 1980s. Molanphy examines how both singers, after achieving massive success in country-pop, faced pivotal career decisions that determined their longevity. The narrative picks up in 1975, as both artists entered an "imperial phase" of commercial dominance. Olivia Newton-John's 1975 single "Have You Never Been Mellow" topped the Hot 100 and reached No. 3 on the country chart despite its lack of twang. John Denver's live version of "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" became a No. 1 hit on both the pop and country charts that same year. Denver's imperial peak included the album *Windsong*, which generated the hit "I'm Sorry," a song critic Tom Breihan calls Denver's "least memorable number-one." The two stars collaborated on Denver's 1975 single "Fly Away" and performed together on his TV special *Rocky Mountain Christmas*. Denver's vanity label, Windsong, launched the Starland Vocal Band, who scored a No. 1 hit with "Afternoon Delight" in 1976. By 1976, Newton-John's country singles began to stall on the charts, with "Let It Shine" barely scraping the pop top 30. Both artists turned to film in 1977 to reinvigorate their careers. John Denver co-starred with George Burns in the comedy *Oh, God!*, which was a box office smash but did not feature his music. Olivia Newton-John starred as Sandy in the 1978 film adaptation of *Grease*, which became the top-grossing movie of the year. The *Grease* soundtrack, featuring Newton-John on hits like "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "You're the One That I Want," spent 12 weeks at No. 1. Newton-John's transformation in *Grease* directly inspired her 1978 album *Totally Hot*, which presented a leather-clad, rock-oriented image and yielded the hit "A Little More Love." John Denver's 1977 album *I Want to Live* underperformed, and his 1977 single "My Sweet Lady" became his last top 40 pop hit for over four years. Denver maintained visibility by hosting the Grammy Awards six times and starring in a popular 1979 TV special with The Muppets. Newton-John survived the 1980 box-office flop *Xanadu* because its soundtrack produced the No. 1 hit "Magic." In 1981, Olivia Newton-John released "Physical," which spent 10 weeks at No. 1, tying a rock-era record. John Denver experienced a minor comeback in 1981 with "Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)," later revealed by songwriter Dick Feller to be a secret LGBTQ anthem about gender identity. Denver delivered eloquent testimony alongside Frank Zappa at the 1985 PMRC hearings, arguing against music censorship. Olivia Newton-John's hit streak waned after 1985's *Soul Kiss* album, and she later focused on children's music and advocacy. John Denver died in a plane crash in 1997 at age 53; posthumously, "Rocky Mountain High" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" were adopted as official state songs. Olivia Newton-John, who died in 2022, became a breast cancer research advocate and performed Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in her sets until the end of her touring career. The episode is presented in a detailed, educational style rich with chart data and cultural context. Listeners who enjoy deep dives into music industry mechanics and the evolution of pop stardom will find this episode compelling, while those seeking lighter entertainment or musical clips might find the analytical focus less engaging.

As heard by us

Country-pop crossover success meets the backlash that comes with winning both Nashville and pop.

Hit Parade turns John Denver and Olivia Newton-John's country crossover into a clean story of success meeting pushback. It tracks how both artists dominated the field, won major country prizes, and still drew rebellion from Nashville veterans, even as the hits kept coming.

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Why you'd press play

You get a country-pop split screen: Olivia goes leather while John starts sliding.

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