The original was delivered on John Denver’s 1974 album Back Home Again… the live version on his 1975 album An Evening with John Denver–released as a single and went to No. 1 on both the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts… topped both charts for one week each, first the country chart (on May 31), and the Hot 100 chart a week later… one of six songs released in 1975 that topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot Country Singles charts.
[digressive shout out to hardcore parodist and Italian guitar banger Il Magico Mitico Ale who churned out a couple dozen parodeus-es to–mostly Italian aria–songs in ’16. Many are unintelligible and forced, but his whimsical take on “Take Me Home, Country Roads” the ’71 Denver #2 hit stands out.]
Now make room for Jolly Joel Kopishke to show you a true Santa believer in “Thank God I’m a Santa Boy.”