John Denver’s Most Beloved Ballad Flopped—Until a 1973 Tearjerker TV Film Made It a Hit

The song reached the top of the charts after the song and others in Denver's catalog were featured in a made-for-TV movie.
American Songwriter

On This Day in 1973, John Denver Turned an Underperforming B-Side Into a Massive Hit—Proving That the Third Time’s a Charm

Fifty-two years ago today, John Denver released a song that would go on to be his first major hit on multiple charts.