Today in 1971, John Denver’s single, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” peaked at #2 on the pop singles chart.

It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number 2 on Billboard’s US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971. The song was a success on its initial release and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1971, and Platinum on April 10, 2017. The song became one of John Denver’s most popular and beloved songs. It has continued to sell, with over 1.5 million digital copies sold in the United States. It is considered to be Denver’s signature song.

The song has a prominent status as an iconic symbol of West Virginia, which it describes as “almost Heaven”. In March 2014, it became one of the four official state anthems of West Virginia.