John Denver was an all-American star, but it took a trip to China for him to land his last number one

John Denver travelled to China seeking a change of scenery and fresh musical inspiration after years of writing about American landscapes. His experience in Shanghai inspired “Shanghai Breezes”, which became his final number one hit in 1982.

Denver had performed at the Kennedy Centre in 1979 before China’s leader Deng Xiaoping invited him to visit. Producer Milt Okun later said Denver wrote the song in Shanghai after a profound personal experience, reflecting on love and his relationship with his wife, Annie; the couple divorced soon afterwards.