In 1971, John Denver released “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and it didn’t take long for the song to become a beloved anthem of the ’70s.
In 2025, Forbes Magazine called Denver's tune one of the 30 Best Songs of the decade. "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was called his "greatest and most memorable work," reported the outlet.
Additionally, Forbes called Denver "one of America’s most important folk songwriters." They cited his "social and environmental activism" as "essential" to his songwriting.
The song ranked at No. 20 on the list. Other artists represented were Queen, Led Zeppelin, Bee Gees, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Eagles, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dolly Parton, Bob Marley, and Elton John, to name a few.
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The song, an ode to West Virginia, has an ironic twist. Neither Denver nor his co-writers, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, had ever set foot in the state, as reported by Country Living.
RELATED: John Denver Called This 1975 Classic ‘One of the Best Songs’ He Ever WroteDanoff and Nivert were on their way to a function in the state of Maryland when he began playing his guitar in the passenger seat of their car as "Country Roads" took shape. However, instead of West Virginia, the state intended to be represented in the song was Massachusetts, a nod to Danoff's origins.
At a later date, Denver met up with Danoff and Nivert after asking them to be his opening act at a Washington, D.C. club. He visited them at their apartment, and the trio finished "Country Roads" before the performance.
"John played a 12-string, Bill Danoff played a six-string, John had a lead guitar player, and a stand-up bass player," Jaffe told the Country Living. "It was a five-minute standing ovation. The walls were vibrating. I thought the club was going to implode."
RELATED: 1975 Country Apology Ballad Turned Heartbreak Into a No. 1 HitDenver spoke about "Country Roads" to Rolling Stone in 1975. “I had a record on the charts, and all of a sudden, it’s not John Denver, the writer of 'Leaving on a Jet Plane,' but it’s John Denver who sings the song that you hear on the radio. So a whole thing changed."
According to a 2011 story published by NPR, Danoff would continue to work with Denver throughout his career, penning over a dozen songs for the singer/songwriter. Danoff would later form "Afternoon Delight" hitmakers, the Starland Vocal Band.
John Denver died on October 12, 1997. He was 53.
MORE: John Denver’s Most Misleading Song and The Hidden Story Behind It
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