John Denver "Shanghai Breezes"

Although he found success in the late '60s as a member of the Chad Mitchell Trio and penned Peter, Paul & Mary's #1 hit "Leaving On A Jet Plane," it was during the '70s that John Denver became a pop culture phenomenon and one of the decade's biggest stars. The bespecled, boyish singer's blend of country, folk, and pop resulted in massive radio hits like "Take Me Home, Country Roads. "Annie's Song," and "Rocky Mountain High."

As the decade ended, though, the popularity of disco, punk, and new wave had caused Denver's gentle style to fall out of commercial favor and, as he increasingly focused his attention on a film career, as well as humanitarian and environmental causes, the hits stopped coming. However, he had one more hit left in him when he released his album Seasons In The Heart in 1982.

Pulled from the album as a single, the pleasant, airy "Shanghai Breezes" proved to be that final ember of pop success. Inspired by Denver's trips to the Far East, the quiet, confessional song broke into the US Top 40 in April for five weeks, reaching #31, and helping Seasons In The Heart reach gold-selling status. The track fared even better on adult contemporary radio stations, which had never really abandoned Denver, climbing all the way to #1 on that format's chart.

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