Take Me Home Country Roads: John Denver's 1971 Hit
Take Me Home Country Roads is the song most people can sing before they know who wrote it.
Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver finished it on the morning of December 30, 1970.
By August 1971 it sat at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
Below are the writing story, the chart run, the West Virginia connection and the covers that kept it moving.
John Denver in a 1974 RCA Records publicity photo.
Image credit: RCA Records, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Take Me Home Country Roads: How Three Writers Finished It
A Drive on Clopper Road
According to Wikipedia, the title idea came to Taffy Nivert while she drove along Clopper Road in Montgomery County, Maryland.
She was heading toward a family gathering in Gaithersburg.
Her husband Bill Danoff turned the idea into a song with her.
Denver heard the unfinished tune and joined in.
The three of them finished it on the morning of December 30, 1970.
That night Denver premiered it at The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C.
Recording and Release
The song was recorded in New York City in January 1971.
RCA released it as a single on April 12, 1971, from the album Poems, Prayers & Promises.
Original pressings credited "John Denver with Fat City."
You can read how the song fits his whole run in our list of John Denver songs.
The Record at a Glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Writers | Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver |
| Performer | John Denver |
| Producers | Milt Okun and Susan Ruskin |
| Label | RCA |
| Album | Poems, Prayers & Promises |
| Released | April 12, 1971 |
| Length | 3:10 |
| B-side | Poems, Prayers and Promises |
| Genre | Country and folk |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Hear Take Me Home Country Roads
Press play and listen for the open acoustic strum and the group singalong on the chorus.
You can also hear Take Me Home, Country Roads on our Listen Now jukebox.
On the Charts: A Number Two Hit That Still Won Number One
Stuck Behind the Bee Gees
Wikipedia says the single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 28, 1971.
The Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" was ahead of it.
This site's weekly Hot 100 data lists that Bee Gees song at number one for four straight chart weeks in August 1971.
We tell that story in our post on How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.
So the Denver single never held the top spot on the Hot 100 itself.
Number One Elsewhere
Wikipedia also lists it at number one on the Record World pop singles chart and on the Cash Box Top 100.
Those trade charts counted sales and airplay in their own way, which is why they could disagree with Billboard.
Here are the peaks Wikipedia lists for 1971:
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Record World Pop Singles | No. 1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | No. 1 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | No. 2 |
| Canada Top Singles | No. 3 |
| US Adult Contemporary | No. 3 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary | No. 5 |
| New Zealand | No. 5 |
| Canada Country | No. 17 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | No. 24 |
| US Hot Country Singles | No. 50 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
A 1971 Year-End Rank
This site's Billboard year-end Hot 100 for 1971 ranks the song at number 8.
Wikipedia agrees on that rank and also lists it at number 40 on the Canada Top Singles year-end chart.
For the rest of that list, see our top songs of 1971.
President Gerald R. Ford shaking hands with John Denver in the Oval Office on April 14, 1975.
Image credit: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
West Virginia, Honors and Certifications
One of Four State Songs
On March 7, 2014, the West Virginia legislature approved a resolution naming the song one of four official state songs, according to Wikipedia.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed it the next day.
That is a long road from a drive in Maryland to a statehouse vote.
Hall of Fame and Registry
Wikipedia lists two honors for the recording:
- Grammy Hall of Fame: 1998.
- Library of Congress National Recording Registry: 2023.
Gold, Platinum and Beyond
The RIAA certified the single gold on August 18, 1971, and platinum on April 10, 2017.
Wikipedia lists these certifications:
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 2x Platinum |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 5x Platinum |
| Italy (FIMI) | Platinum |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold |
| Denmark (IFPI) | Gold |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Gold |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Covers and Revivals
Olivia Newton-John, Toots and the Hermes House Band
Wikipedia lists three notable covers, each with its own approach:
- Olivia Newton-John, January 1973: a version that reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 in Ireland.
- Toots and the Maytals, 1974: a reggae reading included on the album In the Dark.
- Hermes House Band, 2001: a dance-pop version that reached number 7 in the UK and number 2 in Germany.
| Version | Year | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| John Denver (original), US Hot 100 | 1971 | No. 2 |
| Olivia Newton-John, UK Singles | 1973 | No. 15 |
| Hermes House Band, UK Singles | 2001 | No. 7 |
| Hermes House Band, Germany | 2001 | No. 2 |
| Hermes House Band, Austria | 2001 | No. 4 |
Source: Wikipedia article on the song, checked October 19, 2026.
Newer Lives for an Old Song
A version used in the video game Fallout 76 reached number one on the iTunes singles chart after its July 4, 2018 release, according to Wikipedia.
In 2024, Machine Gun Kelly and Jelly Roll's "Lonely Road," which interpolates the song, reached number 33 on the Hot 100.
If a mellow country-folk mood is what you want, the Mood Song Matcher can find more songs like it.
For another random pick from the decade, try the Random 70s Song Generator.
The song is one more reason John Denver sits near the center of Music of the 70s.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Take Me Home Country Roads?
Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver wrote Take Me Home Country Roads, according to Wikipedia.
The trio finished it on the morning of December 30, 1970.
Denver premiered it that night at The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C.
RCA released it as a single on April 12, 1971.
Did Take Me Home Country Roads reach number one?
Take Me Home Country Roads peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia.
It was held back by the Bee Gees' How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.
It did reach number one on the Record World pop singles chart and the Cash Box Top 100.
Is Take Me Home Country Roads a West Virginia state song?
Take Me Home Country Roads is one of four official West Virginia state songs.
The state legislature approved a resolution making it so on March 7, 2014, according to Wikipedia.
Governor Earl Ray Tomblin signed it the next day.
It shares that status with three other songs.
Where did the title Take Me Home Country Roads come from?
The title idea came to Taffy Nivert while she drove along Clopper Road in Montgomery County, Maryland, toward a family gathering in Gaithersburg, according to Wikipedia.
Bill Danoff and Nivert then worked it into a song with John Denver, finishing it on December 30, 1970.
Who covered Take Me Home Country Roads?
Olivia Newton-John took Take Me Home Country Roads to number 15 on the UK Singles Chart in 1973, according to Wikipedia.
Toots and the Maytals recorded it in 1974.
The Hermes House Band reached number seven in the UK and number two in Germany in 2001.
Sources
- Take Me Home, Country Roads, Wikipedia, for the writers, release, chart peaks, year-end ranks, certifications, state song status, honors, covers and revivals.
- Poems, Prayers & Promises, Wikipedia, for the album the song appears on.
- John Denver, Wikipedia, for background on the artist.
- This site's weekly Hot 100 data, for the Bee Gees' August 1971 run at number one, and its Billboard year-end Hot 100 data, for the 1971 rank of 8.
