Country Roads and Summer Nights Edition Part 2

Summary

Hit Parade | Country Roads and Summer Nights Edition, Part 2

Host: Chris Molanfi
Release Date: February 27, 2026
Podcast: Hit Parade by Slate Podcasts

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Overview of the Episode

This engaging episode, hosted by veteran chart analyst Chris Molanfi, continues the chronicle of two iconic '70s pop-to-country crossover stars: John Denver and Olivia Newton-John. Picking up in 1975, Molanfi traces both artists at career peaks, follows their unusual forays into film, examines their artistic pivots and commercial challenges in the disco- and MTV-driven late '70s and '80s, and ultimately celebrates their enduring impact and advocacy. The narrative weaves chart trivia, cultural context, and personal reinventions in Molanfi’s trademark storytelling style.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The “Imperial Phase” of John Denver and Olivia Newton-John (00:33–12:00)

• Olivia Newton-John’s 1975 Smash:
  • Have You Never Been Mellow swiftly topped both pop and country charts, marking Newton-John as “commercially bulletproof.”
  • Please Mr. Please followed, capturing true country themes: “Please Mr. Please, don’t play B-17. It was our song…” (03:41).
• John Denver’s Dominance:
  • Denver scored a rare number one with a live single, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” his only top hit he hadn’t penned himself.
  • Molanfi points out the difference four years can make: “In 1971, ‘Country Roads’ took nearly five months to climb to number two... but in 1975, ‘Country Boy’ shot to number one on both charts in just a couple of months.” (04:29)
• Collaboration & Career Highs:
  • Highlights Newton-John’s uncredited but pivotal vocal on Denver’s “Fly Away.”
  • Denver’s push for his friends, who (as the Starland Vocal Band) scored with “Afternoon Delight” (12:06).

2. The Waning of Crossover Country Success (12:09–17:00)

• Olivia Hits a Ceiling:
  • By 1976, country singles like “Let It Shine” were faltering on the pop charts, presaging her pivot from country.
• Denver’s Warning Signs:
  • Denver, still strong as of 1976, had little warning of pop irrelevance looming.

3. The Film Gambit: “Oh God!” and “Grease” (17:00–21:42)

• John Denver’s Acting Turn:
  • Shined as a supermarket manager chosen by God (George Burns) in Oh God!
  • Notably, Denver contributed no music: “John Denver took the role solely as an actor… as admirable as Denver’s work on the film was, it did more for his public persona than his pop stardom.” (17:12)
• Olivia’s Turn in “Grease”:
  • Scored the coveted Sandy role, integrating her accent and vocal style.
  • “The film adaptation of Grease wasn’t just a hit, it was a blockbuster... The soundtrack was also a blockbuster packed with hits, most sung or co-sung by Newton-John…” (18:25)
  • Hopelessly Devoted to You reached #3 pop and even hit #20 country.
  • The iconic transformation scene: “The word iconic is overused these days, but truly, Sandy’s emergence… made Olivia Newton-John a pop culture icon.” (21:42)

4. Olivia’s Pop Reinvention: The “Totally Hot” Era (24:36–28:12)

• Shedding Country for Rock/Pop:
  • Post-Grease, Olivia’s Totally Hot album announced a confident, sultry new image: “The album’s title made Olivia’s intentions plain: she called it ‘Totally Hot’.” (24:36)
  • A Little More Love (hot #3) and Deeper Than the Night (“even leaned towards new wave rock”).
  • Newton-John gave country fans a last gift with “Dancin’ ‘Round and ‘Round”—her final country top 40.

5. John Denver Facing Changing Tides (28:12–31:20)

• Struggling Against Disco & New Wave:
  • I Want to Live underperformed, and Denver’s sound appeared “ill suited to the late 70s.”
  • His final pop top 40s for years: “My Sweet Lady” peaked at #32.
• Pivot to TV and Advocacy:
  • Became a Grammy staple host (six times) and found success with The Muppets on A Christmas Together—a major holiday TV and soundtrack hit.

6. The Roller-Disco Gamble: “Xanadu” (31:20–36:02)

• Xanadu—Flop Movie, Blockbuster Soundtrack:

  • Film failed at the box office, but singles like “Magic” soared:
    • “Magic, Newton-John’s bewitching lead single from Xanadu, topped the Hot 100 for four weeks…” (33:12)
  • The music’s synth-pop bent foreshadowed Olivia’s 1980s sound.

• “Physical”—A Second Imperial Phase:

  • “Physical” (1981) became her biggest hit, and longest #1 by a solo female on Hot 100 at the time:
    • “Physical commanded the Hot 100 for months… for the tenth consecutive week, the most popular song in the land is Physical by Olivia Newton John.” (38:32)
    • Not just about aerobics, as Molanfi notes: “Of course, ‘Physical’ was about more than aerobics. Co-written… the lyrics were filled with innuendo.” (36:02)

7. John Denver’s Final Hits & Public Image Shift (40:31–46:05)

• Late Top 40s, Changing Image:
  • Some Days Are Diamonds (secret LGBTQ anthem) and “Shanghai Breezes” mark his final chart appearances.
  • Denver ditches the signature look but resists musical reinvention (unlike Olivia’s MTV turn).
• Advocacy and the PMRC Hearings:
  • Testified against music censorship, drawing on his own experience:
    • “My song ‘Rocky Mountain High’ was banned from many radio stations as a drug-related song… what assurance have I that any national panel to review my music would make any better judgment?” (45:35)

8. Olivia in the ‘80s: Riding Trends to the Edge (46:05–55:00)

• Attempts to Extend the Streak:
  • Soundtrack for Two of a Kind went platinum despite a flop film, led by “Twist of Fate” (#5 pop).
  • Soul Kiss (1985) and The Rumor (1988) failed to spark, marking Olivia’s retreat from the charts.
  • Shifted focus to family and children’s music with Warm and Tender and a brief late ‘90s country comeback.

9. Their Legacies: Advocacy and Final Years (49:46–57:00)

• Activism:
  • Denver championed environmental and LGBTQ causes and toured in Russia and China.
  • Newton-John became a prominent breast cancer activist and continued to make occasional chart appearances.
• Their Passing and Posthumous Honors:
  • Denver died in a plane crash (1997), later honored with two state songs: Colorado (“Rocky Mountain High”) and West Virginia (“Take Me Home, Country Roads”).
  • Olivia survived cancer for decades, passing away in 2022; her latter-day obituaries highlighted her '70s and '80s pop legacy.
  • Touchingly, “she was still performing her friend John Denver’s most cherished hit song” in her final years. (55:00)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “For the moment, Newton John was commercially bulletproof.” – Chris Molanfi (02:46)
• “Thank God I’m a Country Boy was John Denver’s only number one hit he didn’t write himself…” – Chris Molanfi (04:29)
• “Afternoon Delight… that cheesy song… is an extension of the John Denver, mid-70s musical universe—kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?” – Chris Molanfi (12:09)
• “The word ‘iconic’ is overused these days, but truly, Sandy’s emergence… made Olivia Newton John a pop culture icon.” – Chris Molanfi (21:42)
• “Physical commanded the Hot 100 for months… for the tenth consecutive week, the most popular song in the land is Physical by Olivia Newton John.” – Chris Molanfi (38:32)
• “My song Rocky Mountain High was banned from many radio stations as a drug-related song… what assurance have I that any national panel to review my music would make any better judgment?” – John Denver testifying before Congress (45:35)

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Important Timestamps

• Olivia’s “Have You Never Been Mellow” hits big: 01:26–02:46
• “Please Mr. Please” single breakdown: 03:41
• Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” live and chart impact: 04:20–06:25
• The star collaboration—Fly Away & Rocky Mountain Christmas: 09:00–11:20
• “Afternoon Delight” background: 12:06
• Olivia’s pop reinvention with “Totally Hot”: 24:36
• Denver and The Muppets holiday special: 30:50–31:20
• Olivia’s career-defining “Physical”: 35:40–38:32
• Denver testifies before Congress on censorship: 45:35–46:05
• Legacy and conclusions: 49:46–57:00

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Conclusion: Impact, Reinvention, and Resilience

Chris Molanfi wraps the episode by reflecting on the unique parallel careers of John Denver and Olivia Newton-John: both began as pop outsiders in country, dominated the airwaves through talent and timing, then adapted—or struggled to adapt—to rapidly changing industry and cultural expectations. Both transitioned to meaningful advocacy in later years, with signature songs that remain deeply woven into American pop memory. As Molanfi notes, Olivia’s enduring cover of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” serves as a fitting coda for two artists who, at their commercial zenith, truly brought the “country roads and summer nights” of the episode’s title to millions.

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Produced by Kevin Bendis. Hosted and written by Chris Molanfi.

Transcript

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[Chris Melanfi]

A quick note to my loyal listenership. Your Hit Parade host is fighting a cold, so please pardon my voice quality in part two of this Hit Parade episode. Welcome back to Hit Parade, a podcast of pop chart history from Slate Magazine about the hits from coast to coast. I'm Chris Melanfy, chart analyst, pop critic and writer of Slate's why Is this Song Number One? Series. On our last episode, we compared the parallel 70s careers of John Denver and Olivia Newton John, pop singers who stumbled their way into country music and for a couple of years dominated the field. Their success wasn't without controversy as they won major country prizes only to find Nashville veterans rebelling against them. But by that point, their hits were too big on the pop and country charts to be stopped. We're now at 1975. John and Olivia are at the cusp of an imperial phase and about to collaborate, but the choices they make from here will determine if their stardom remains intact heading into the 1980s. In early 75, as John Denver was winding up the singles from his Back Home Again album, Olivia Newton John dropped her next lp, have you never been Mellow. It was another near instant smash, topping both the pop and country album charts in under a month.

[Singer/Performer]

Been let alone have you never tried to find a comfort from inside?

[Chris Melanfi]

As we discussed in our imperial phases episode of Hit Parade, one of the surest signs of a superstar's imperiality is a hit that would not normally chart as well as it did. That was the case with Olivia's exceedingly laid back have you never been mellow single. The breezy track not only topped the Hot 100 on the country singles chart, despite containing very little twang, it made it all the way up to number three. For the moment, Newton John was commercially bulletproof. A follow up single, Please Mr. Please shot to number three, pop number five country with lyrics about roadhouse, jukeboxes and cowboys. Please Mr. Please at least resembles country music.

[Singer/Performer]

Please Mr. Please don't play Please 17 it was our song, it was his song, but it's over.

[Chris Melanfi]

Meanwhile, John Denver's most Imperial Year kicked off with a concert album, An Evening With John Denver, and even that LP generated a number one single, a relative rarity. Only a handful of live songs have ever topped the Hot 100 again. At this time, Denver was defying Gravity

[John Denver]

Well, I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle when the sun's coming up I got cakes on a riddle Life ain't nothing but a

[Singer/Performer]

funny money riddle thank God I'm a

[Chris Melanfi]

Country 4 thank God I'm a Country Boy was John Denver's only number one hit he didn't write himself. John Martin Summers, a multi instrumentalist in Denver's backing band, wrote it on a drive from Aspen to Los Angeles. Denver saw Summers play it in a club one night and asked to record the song himself. The studio version of the song was a deep cut on Denver's Back Home Again lp, With its clapping beat, hoedown cadence and keening fiddle. The lyrics even talk about playing the fiddle. Thank God I'm A Country Boy was Denver's most shameless pander to country audiences. It was also wickedly catchy and a rousing live track. So when the live album came out, it was a natural for single release. It was Denver's second hit to feature the word country in the title, after Take Me Home, Country Roads. But What a difference four years made. In 1971, country roads took nearly five months to climb to number two on the HOT 100, and on the country chart it peaked at a lowly number 50, whereas in 1975, Country Boy shot to number one on both charts in just a couple of months.

[John Denver]

Thank God I'm A country boy.

[Singer/Performer]

Yes,

[Chris Melanfi]

Denver's Imperial Peak came later in 1975, when he dropped his ninth studio album, Windsong, the most John Denver album title ever. What was most imperial about it wasn't that it topped both the pop and country LPs charts in just three weeks. It's that the album generated Denver's least remembered number one song, Sorry for the

[John Denver]

Way Things Are in China. I'm Sorry Things Ain't what they Used To Be.

[Chris Melanfi]

I'm Sorry was a pleasant, serviceable John Denver ballad about the end of a relationship. It flew to number one on the Hot 100 in just seven weeks. Six weeks after that, it topped the country chart, too, driven entirely by Denver's own career momentum. Stereo Gum Number One's columnist Tom Bryan calls I'm Sorry quote his least memorable number one single and also the most wispily generic, unquote. Even in 1975, I'm sorry was so underwhelming pop audiences dumped it while it was still on the charts in favor of its B side, which most Denver fans agree is a much better song

[John Denver]

to sail on a dream on a crystal clear ocean to ride on the crest of a wild raging storm.

[Chris Melanfi]

Calypso was a tribute to Denver's friend, undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, named after Cousteau's ship the Calypso. Two weeks after I'm Sorry fell from number one, Calypso was receiving so much more rad airplay, Billboard flipped the entry on their charts and listed Calypso as the A side. It's a much livelier song, Tom Bryan aptly calls it quote the show stopping musical number from a Disney cartoon that does not exist, unquote. On the euphoric chorus, Denver even yodels. As 1975 drew to a close, the two heroes of our story finally met both on record and on tv. Olivia Newton John backed up John Denver on his follow up hit from the Wind Song album, Fly Away. Though Olivia was not formally listed as a featured artist on Flyaway, as we discussed in our featured artists episode of Hit Parade, this was common practice at the time. Her vocals were hard to miss. Released as a single just before Christmas 1975, Fly Away topped the easy listening chart, unofficially making it Newton John's seventh number one on that chart and officially Denver's sixth, and it peaked just outside the top 10 on both the pop and country charts. Also during that holiday season, John Denver made good on his long ago promise to Olivia Newton John by inviting citing her on his TV special John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas. The stage set portrayed Denver and Newton John singing in a forest inside of a snow globe. The special was predictably a TV ratings blockbuster. Denver's golden touch extended to his new vanity record label, also called Windsong. The first act Denver signed to his label were his old friends from Fat City who'd co written his hit Take Me Home, Country Roads, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. Remember them? They had since formed a co ed group with another romantic couple, a foursome that they dubbed the Starland Vocal Band. Powered by Denver's label and his promotional prowess, the Starland Vocal Band scored a number one hit of their own in the summer of 76. If you were alive then, or if you've seen the movie Anchorman or the TV show Arrested Development, you know this song Afternoon Delight.

[Singer/Performer]

Afternoon Delight.

[Chris Melanfi]

Yep, that's right. That cheesy song about square adults having sex in the middle of the afternoon is an extension of the John Denver, mid-70s musical universe kind of makes sense, doesn't it? Anyway, that's the privileged place John Denver found himself by 1976. Olivia Newton John, however, was at more of a Crossroads. In 76, her country flavored singles were starting to hit a ceiling. This single, Let It Shine, made the country top five, but barely scraped the top three 30. On the pop side, Newton John's effort to become a core country artist was starting to pigeonhole her. And that was before the country hits started slipping too. After seven top 10 country hits between 1973 and 76, Olivia's single like this one, Don't Stop Believin', no relation to the later Journey hit, were falling short of the country top 10. Then when 1977's making a good Thing Better, fell short everywhere, Reaching number 87 pop and not touching the country chart at all, Team Olivia knew something had to change. With hindsight, Newton John's momentary fall off in 1976 and 77 was a blessing in disguise, giving her the signal it was time to pivot. John Denver, by comparison, was still so successful in 1976, he had little warning his chart was. Fortunes were about to change. So what have countless pop stars at a career inflection point, from Elvis Presley to Whitney Houston to Ariana Grande done to shake things up? Why movies, of course. In 1977, both John Denver and Olivia Newton John took on their first major film roles since becoming stars. Both had dabbled in film previously. You will recall Newton John's appearance in the disastrous sci fi musical tomorrow in 1970. And even Denver had acted in a couple of TV series. But these new movies would feature them in co star starring roles, albeit alongside more experienced actors. For Denver, that meant alongside George burns in the 1977 comic fantasy oh God.

[John Denver]

Oh God. I thought you didn't believe in me. That's just an expression.

[Ben Arthur]

I'm more than that. And I want you to spread the word.

[Chris Melanfi]

Me?

[John Denver]

Spread what word?

[Ben Arthur]

That I am, I exist.

[Chris Melanfi]

That we've spoken.

[John Denver]

You want me to tell people that I've spoken with God?

[Ben Arthur]

Yes.

[John Denver]

They'll put me away.

[Chris Melanfi]

Directed by comedy legend Carl Reiner and written by veteran screenwriter Larry Gelbart, oh God. Offered a shticky yet inspirational take on what would happen if the Almighty, played by the 81 year old George Burns, picked as his modern day messenger, an ordinary supermarket manager played by 33 year old John Denver. Their oddball chemistry made it work. And while Burns was obviously the bigger draw, the public Persona Denver had established through his music, a kind hearted, earnest, decent Middle American gave moviegoers a rooting interest.

[John Denver]

I wouldn't want anybody hurt. I was just thinking maybe. What about a little rain?

[Chris Melanfi]

Little rain?

[John Denver]

Yeah, a small shower.

[Chris Melanfi]

One small shower.

[Ben Arthur]

You got it.

[Chris Melanfi]

Hey.

[Singer/Performer]

Hey.

[John Denver]

It's raining. You made it rain. You didn't even bad, Am I?

[Chris Melanfi]

You have to lift a finger.

[Ben Arthur]

Rain's not that hot.

[Chris Melanfi]

Oh, God was a pretty big hit. Acclaimed by critics including both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and a box office smash. The ninth highest grossing film of 1977, the Year of Star wars, by the way. However, you'll notice in the scenes we're playing for you, there's no music. John Denver took the role solely as an actor. Not only was oh God, not a musical, it didn't even have a soundtrack. As admirable as Denver's work on the film was, it did more for his public Persona than it did for his pop stardom. That was not the case with the film Olivia Newton John, shot in 1977, a musical packed with show tunes and released in the summer of 78. You probably know this one.

[Singer/Performer]

It was really romantic.

[John Denver]

You don't want to hear all the horny details.

[Chris Melanfi]

The film adaptation of the Broadway musical Grease wasn't just a hit, it was a blockbuster. The top grossing movie of 1978, it made $132 million in 1978 money, a staggering amount. Legend has it John Travolta himself lobbied for Olivia Newton John to get the role of Sandy, the summer romance who surprises Travolta's Danny Zuko by enrolling in his high school. They even rewrote the backstory of Sandy to make her an Australian exchange student so Newton John could speak with her natural accent. Of course, Newton John, this was crucial. Also did all her own singing.

[Singer/Performer]

You

[Chris Melanfi]

like the movie. The soundtrack was also a blockbuster packed with hits, most sung or co sung by Newton John, including Hopelessly Devoted to you, a new song not in the original Broadway show, written by Olivia's longtime collaborator John Farrar as a showcase for her. It reached number three on the Hot 100 and even cracked the country chart, reaching number 20. And that wasn't all. The aforementioned Summer Nights, a duet between Travolta and Newton John, reached number five on the Hot 100. And the movie's closing duet between Travolta and Newton John, you're the one that I want, also newly written by John Farrar, went all the way to number one on the Hot 100. In all, the double LP soundtrack spent 12 weeks on top of the album chart, making it 1978's second best seller behind only the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. Yeah, John Travolta was having a legendary year. This ultimately is why Grease successfully rebooted Olivia Newton John's career. The music showcased her greatest strength, and while her acting didn't make her a top tier actress, the part of Sandy fused with her Persona to reinvent her in the public's mind. Most especially the scene near the end of the movie that leads into you're the one that I want Sandy.

[Singer/Performer]

Tell me about it. Stir.

[Chris Melanfi]

The word iconic is overused these days, but truly, Sandy's emergence in skin tight pants and a bouncy perm. Owning her sexuality for the first time quite literally made Olivia Newton John a pop culture icon. And it mirrored what the musician herself was going to do to pivot her career. Her glow up in Greece was about to turn from subtext into text. We'll be back momentarily. A well built wardrobe is about pieces that work together and hold up over time. That's what Quince does best. Premium materials, thoughtful design and everyday staples that feel easy to wear and easy to rely on. Quince has the everyday essentials I love with quality that lasts. Organic cotton sweaters, polos for every occasion. Lighter jackets that keep you warm in the changing seasons. I've ordered several essentials from Quints, Jeans, sweats and I just ordered a new blue stretch pique long sleeve button down shirt. I can't wait for it to get here. Refresh your wardrobe with quince. Go to quince.com hit parade for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com hit parade free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com hitparade.

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[Ben Arthur]

Imagine if this American life had a baby with Song Exploder. That's Songwriter, the podcast that turns stories into songs. Each episode features an author telling a story and a musician performing a brand new song written in response. Artists include Questlove, Joyce Carol Oates, David Gilmore of Pink Floyd Steve Earle and Susan Orlean. I'm the host, Ben Arthur. You can search for my name wherever you get podcasts or go to songwriterpodcast.com

[Chris Melanfi]

the reboot of Olivia Newton John kicked into gear before 1978 was even over. Less than five months after Grease opened in theaters, she was back with a new album offering a new look. Dressed on the LP cover in head to toe leather, not unlike Sandy's final scene from Grease and a new sound. The album's title made Olivia's intentions plain. She called it Totally Hot. The first single from Totally Hot, A Little More Love set the tone. Written by her usual collaborator John Farrar, it channeled Newton John's new, more confident image and sounded unlike any of her prior hits. Rock oriented with sultry disco overtones. Quote no is a word I can't say, olivia sang. Where did my innocence go? It wasn't subtle, But it was a hit. Both the single and the LP were major pop chart comebacks for Newton John. The former climbed to number three on the Hot 100 by February 1979 and the latter rose to number seven on the album chart and became her first first platinum certified lp. The follow up single, Deeper Than the night, a number 11 hit, even leaned a bit toward new wave rock. Olivia's longtime country audience was still loyal. Totally Hot made the top 10 on the country albums chart too. Newton John threw that audience a parting gift with one last twangy single, much the way Taylor Swift would. Three decades later on her transitional country to pop album Red, Olivia's Dancin Round and Round reached number 29 on the Hot country singles chart.

[Singer/Performer]

Bobby Dancing Round and Round.

[Chris Melanfi]

It would be the last top 40 country hit of Olivia Newton John's career. Like Taylor in the 2010s, Olivia's younger fans in the 1980s and beyond would never register. She was ever a country star. Meanwhile, John Denver was trying to follow up his successful acting foray, but the disco and new wave era was leaving him behind. His first post oh God LP in 1977, I want to Live was a case in point. The LP coincided with President Jimmy Carter appointing Denver to the President's Commission on World Hunger. Denver offered the I Want to Live title track as the commission's theme song.

[John Denver]

I wanna grow, I wanna see, I wanna know I wanna share what I can give I wanna be, I wanna live.

[Chris Melanfi]

Nonetheless, I Want to Live underperformed on the album charts and How Can I Leave you again missed the pop top 40 and only reached number 22. Country Denver's earnest balladry was on Brand for him, but now seemed ill suited to the late 70s.

[John Denver]

How can I leave you again? I must be clear out of my mind.

[Chris Melanfi]

Denver also tried issuing another greatest Hits album in 77 to match his prior bestseller. A re recorded single from The Greatest Hits Volume 2 LP called My Sweet lady did scrape the bottom rungs of the American top 40, so Casey Kasem counted it down.

[Ben Arthur]

Well, here now is the first debut record at number 39. This is the song John Denver wrote originally for the TV movie Sunshine. It was a hit by Cliff DeYoung, the actor and singer. In 74, it's a hit again.

[John Denver]

Lady, are you crying? Do the tears.

[Chris Melanfi]

But after My Sweet lady topped out at number 32 on the Hot 100, it would be John Denver's last top 40 pop hit for over four years. Mind you, Denver kept busy during those years, maintaining his celebrity as a kind of hitmaker emeritus, in addition to his political advocacy on the hunger campaign and various environmental causes. Starting in 1978, Denver was tapped to host the Grammy Awards, and he proved an affable, broadly agreeable master of ceremony. John Denver wound up hosting the Grammys six times between 1978 and 85. That ties him, by the way, with Trevor Noah among Grammy hosts all time behind only Andy Williams, who hosted seven times. But maybe Denver's most beloved career pivot came in 1979, when he teamed up with Jim Henson's Muppets. Their first television special, A Christmas Together, was not only a hit TV show, its platinum soundtrack album sold better than Denver's own previous two LPs.

[John Denver]

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me A partridge in a pear tree on the second

[Chris Melanfi]

day of Christmas my true love gave

[John Denver]

to me Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

[Chris Melanfi]

While John Denver was doubling down on his friendly, resolutely square image, Olivia Newton John was reinventing herself to get ahead of pop trends. Her renewed goodwill would pay off for her in 1980, when she survived what could have been a career disaster. She starred in a flop movie but made the soundtrack a hit anyway. The movie? Xanadu. A last vestige of the roller disco 70s, Xanadu was a musical fantasy starring Olivia Newton John as Kira, a magical spirit who entrances a struggling illustrator named Sunny. Incidentally, the movie was also legendary dancer Jean Kelly's final film. Olivia even got to dance and sing with Kelly. Wherever you go. Xanadu had elaborate sets, special effects, dozens of extras on roller skates. What it didn't have was a comprehensible plot Opening in the late summer of 1980, Xanadu barely made back its production budget at the box office, failed to turn a profit and was critically reviled. However, the music that was another story.

[Singer/Performer]

You have to believe we are magic. Nothing can stand in our way.

[Chris Melanfi]

Magic Newton John's bewitching lead single from Xanadu topped the Hot 100 for four weeks in August 19, 1980. It maintained Olivia's sultry post grease image and according to Billboard, Magic wound up the third biggest hit of the year. Thanks to the soundtrack. None of Xana Xanadu's stink stuck to Olivia Newton John. The Xanadu soundtrack reached number four on the album chart and went double platinum, featuring hits from both Newton John and the progressive pop band Electric light Orchestra. Among ELO's hits was Xanadu, the song fronted by Olivia that reached number eight on the Hot 100, And Newton John also scored with a tender duet with her old friend Cliff Richard. Their disco ballad suddenly reached number. One. Other beneficial side effect of Xanadu was how it transitioned Newton John into the sound of 80s synth pop. That paid off double in 1981 when Olivia returned with her first solo studio album of the decade, led by what would turn out to be her biggest hit of all. Physical was more than a hit song, it was a pop culture phenomenon. As we've discussed in several prior episodes of Hit Parade, Physical latched onto the fitness craze that was Sweeping America in 1981, the year of Jane Fonda's hit book and later home video workout.

[Singer/Performer]

Feel the stretch and flex, 2, 3, 4, reach, 6, 7, 7, 8, stretch up.

[Chris Melanfi]

But of course, Physical was about more than aerobics. Co written by Newton John's longtime friend, journeyman songwriter Steve Kipner, Physical was conceived for a male rock singer, somebody like Rod Stewart, so the lyrics were filled with innuendos and sly double entendres. When the song found its way to Newton John, she kept the lyrics intact but then had second thoughts, worried that it was too risque even for the new sexy Olivia Newton John. But by then the single had gone out to radio DJs who were already power rotating it. Physical commanded the Hot 100 for months across chart history. Through 1981, only two rock era singles had ever spent 10 weeks or more at number one. Elvis Presley's two sided hit Hound Dog and Don't Be Cruel, which was number one for 11 weeks in 1956 before Billboard even launched the Hot 100, And Debbie Boone's power ballad you light up my life, which spent 10 weeks at number one in 1977. And then in January 1982, this happened.

[Ben Arthur]

Well, now we're up to a monster hit single, which this week ties a major chart record. In the history of the rock era, no other song has ever spent more weeks at number one than youn Light Up My Life by Debbie Boone. An incredible 10 weeks at number one. And this week another song joins the rock era record of most weeks spent at number one. For the tenth consecutive week, the most popular song in the land is Physical by Olivia Newton John.

[Chris Melanfi]

It was official. Olivia Newton John, a half decade after her mid-70s country pop crossover phase and a year after Xanadu, was now experiencing an improbable second imperial phase fueled by post disco synth pop. For another couple of years, Olivia kept riding this sound up the charts as Physical. The album went double platinum. It spun off a top five follow up hit, the irresistibly racy bop Make a Move On Me. And later in 1982, a new single Newton John recorded for a greatest hits album. The new wave bop Heart Attack climbed to number three. It would have been hard to imagine any of these hits when Olivia was riding the country charts in the mid-70s. She had transformed herself for the MTV era. We'll be right back.

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[Chris Melanfi]

John Denver had one last flurry of minor top 40 hits in 1981 and 82 as pop radio went through its post disco doldrums. At that time, there was a lot of crossover country and adult contemporary music on the charts, which actually worked in

[John Denver]

Denver's favorite Sometimes a Hard Time Won't Leave Me Alone.

[Chris Melanfi]

An interesting side note about Denver's 1981 comeback hit, some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Stone, which he did not write. It was a secret LGBTQ anthem. Songwriter Dina K. Rose, who came out as trans in the 2010s, revealed that she wrote the song about her struggles with gender identity. The images of diamonds and stone were metaphors for her feminine and masculine sides. Denver couldn't have known that in 1981 when he took Some Days Are Diamonds to number 36 on the hot 110 on the country chart. But he keyed into the song's compassion in lyrics like now the face that I see in my mirror more and more is a stranger to me.

[John Denver]

Now the face that I see in my mirror more and more is a stranger to me.

[Chris Melanfi]

Denver himself had undergone a more prosaic transformation by the early 80s, finally ditching his trademark wireframe glasses and floppy Page Boy haircut. His streamlined look didn't alter his sound that much. Unlike his friend Olivia Newton John, he didn't go fully MTV in the 80s, but his final top 40 hit did have a bit of a New Age vibe. Inspired by Denver's trip to China, 1982's Shanghai Breezes reached number 31 on the Hot 100 and for one week topped the adult contemporary chart. Now finally renamed from easy Listening, it was John Denver's last number one song on any Billboard chart. The mid-1980s was a time of highs and lows for Denver. He and his wife Annie, the titular subject of his 1974 chart topper Annie's Song, went through a bitter divorce in 1982. In 1984, Denver was asked to write a theme song for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. His anthemic offering the Gold and Beyond, got plenty of play on ABC's Olympics coverage but did not chart anywhere. One year later, in 1985, the organizers of US essay for Africa's We Are the World rejected Denver's offer to participate in the blockbuster charity recording. Despite his long standing commitment to charity work, some industry professionals felt that Denver's irrelevant gray beard image would hurt the song's credibility. And yet Dan Aykroyd was invited to sing on We Are the World. Go figure. Denver later said the snub broke his heart, especially at a time when he was still hosting the Grammys. Funnily enough, later in 1985, Denver earned back his cred and maybe even some coolness when he volunteered to testify before Congress as part of the Parents Music Resource center hearing hearings, the infamous music policing effort spearheaded by Senator Al Gore's wife, Tipper Gore. At the PMRC hearings, Denver sat alongside hipster rock God Frank Zappa and heavy metal frontman Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, and he delivered some eloquent testimony that drew upon his own history with chilled speech.

[John Denver]

I'm here to address the issue of a possible rating system in the recording industry, labeling records where excesses of explicit sex are graphic violence have occurred. These hearings have been called to determine whether or not the government should intervene to enforce this practice. Mr. Chairman, this would approach censorship. I've had in my experience encounters with a sort of censorship. My song Rocky Mountain High was banned from many radio stations as a drug related song. Mr. Chairman, what assurance have I that any national panel to review my music would make any better judgment?

[Chris Melanfi]

Meanwhile, Olivia Newton John was still enjoying the benefits of her mid-80s comeback and testing the extent of her pop relevancy. In 1983, she defied gravity Again by starring in another flop movie whose soundtrack nonetheless produced hit songs. Twist of Fate was the theme song for Two of a Kind, a 1983 comic caper fantasy movie that reunited Olivia Newton John with her friend and Grease co star John Travolta. The film did very modest box office and received reviews almost as bad as Xanadu's, but the soundtrack went platinum and generated two 1984 hits for Olivia. Twist of Fate climbed all the way to number five and a follow up, Living in Desperate times, reached number 31. What finally ended Newton John's hitman making streak was going repeatedly to the same well, not only reuniting with Travolta on cinema screens, but trying to reheat her sensual image. In 1985, Newton John released her first new studio album in four years, Soul Kiss, which featured provocative imagery but did just okay on the charts. The LP topped out at number 29 and went gold not plaque platinum, and the Soul Kiss single scraped the top 20 on both the Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. For the rest of the 1980s, Olivia Newton John tried shaking up her form formula. After taking a time out to give birth to her daughter Chloe in 1986, she returned with the 1988 LP the rumor, named after a single written for her by Elton John and his lyricist Bernie Taupin. It was catchy but sounded more like Elton than Olivia. The Rumor peaked well below the top 40 at number 62, and the rumor album flopped. It was the last time Newton John actively courted a mainstream pop audience. By 1989, she released an album of children's lullabies called Warm and Tender, which reunited her with longtime collaborator John Farrar and generated an AC hit with her cover of the Burt Bacharach Hal David classic Reach out for Me.

[Singer/Performer]

Don't you worry, I'll see you through

[Chris Melanfi]

you just have to One last, last thing Olivia Newton John and John Denver had in common. They spent their remaining years focused on advocacy. Denver was especially active on nuclear disarmament, hunger relief and environmental causes. He spoke out on the need to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in the 90s lent his support to the Clinton administration's efforts to curtail drilling in the refuge. In 1992, Denver played a benefit in Colorado to fight the passage of an anti gay ballot measure that would have prevented municipalities from enacting anti discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. He also toured communist countries. Other Western artists were not visiting Russia in 1985, two years before Billy Joel played the there and again in 1987 for a Chernobyl benefit, and he toured China in 1992, even singing in Chinese. All was not sweetness and light in Denver's life life. His 1994 memoir candidly spoke of past drug use, his marital infidelities and his history of domestic violence. Still entering his 50s, Denver was content with his legacy. He had taken up flying planes and received his pilot's license to get closer to his beloved mountain skies. That hobby ultimately ended his life. On the afternoon of October 12, 1997, John Denver died when his light home built aircraft crashed into Monterey Bay near Pacific Grove, California. He was 53 years old. Posthumously, two of his compositions were named state songs. In 2007, a decade after Denver's death, the Colorado Senate passed a resolution to make Rocky Mountain High one of the state's official state songs. Seven years after that, in 2014, the West Virginia legislature approved a resolution naming Take Me Home, Country Roads one of its state songs. John Denver became only the second person, along with Father of American music Stephen Foster, to have written two state songs

[John Denver]

to the Place I Belong, West Virginia

[Singer/Performer]

Mountain Mama

[Chris Melanfi]

Take Me Home Olivia Newton John lived lived about a quarter century longer, even after she received a breast cancer diagnosis in 1992. Accordingly, she focused her remaining years on advocacy as well as music. She became a breast cancer research advocate and spokesperson for a breast self examination product called live kit. Her 1994 album Gaia One Woman's Journey, written and produced entirely by Olivia herself, chronicled her breast cancer ordeal. Fortunately, by then her cancer was in remission.

[Singer/Performer]

No matter what you do.

[Chris Melanfi]

Newton Johnson also never forgot her country audience. Her 1998 album Back with a Heart cracked the country album's top 10 and updated her sound for the 90s country era. And she made the pop charts that same year year with an R B flavored remake of her 1974 chart topper I Honestly Love you. Reimagined as a slow jam, the remake featured backing vocals by R B singer songwriter Babyface. It reached number 67 on the Hot 100.

[Singer/Performer]

I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable oh, I'm not trying to make you anything at all but this feeling doesn't come alive.

[Chris Melanfi]

Newton John's last Hot 100 hit came in 2010 when she made a guest appearance on the musical TV series Glee. A remake of her name. 1981 smash Physical, reimagined as EDM style club music and sung by Olivia with Glee star Jane lynch, reached number 89. Sadly, in May 2017, Newton John announced that her breast cancer had returned, spread to her back and advanced to stage four. She survived another five years and died on August 8, 2022 at her home in the Santa Ines valley. She was 73 years old. A week later, a dozen of her songs returned to Billboard's digital sales chart, led by her torch ballad From Greece, Hopelessly devoted to you as fans favorite song to mourn her passing. The many obituaries for Newton John in The summer of 2022 focused mainly on her later hits like the Songs from Greece and Physical. Her extensive career in country music was mentioned mostly in passing. But for the record, before Olivia stopped touring in 2017, she was still performing her friend John Denver's most cherished hit song. As she proved time and again, Olivia Newton John just loved a good song wherever it came from. Rock, pop, country, disco, R and B ballads, new wave. She tried it all. But I like to believe she kept Take Me Home country roads in her set until the end as a reminder of how far she and John Denver had traveled, especially the moment they were both commanding the radio that reminds us of our home far away. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Hit Parade. Our show was written, edited and and narrated by Chris Malanfi. That's me. My producer is Kevin Bendis, our supervising producer is Joel Meyer, and the Executive producer of Slate Podcasts is Mia Lobel. Check out their roster of [e-mail] podcasts. You can subscribe to Hit Parade wherever you get your podcasts, in addition to finding it in the Slate Culture feed. If you're if you're subscribing on Apple Podcasts, please rate and review us while you're there. It helps other listeners find the show. Thanks for listening and I look forward to leading the Hit Parade back your way. Until then, keep on marching on the one. I'm Chris Melanfi.

[Ben Arthur]

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