Honestly, if you were around in the late seventies, you know how ubiquitous John Denver was. He was the guy in the grandma glasses and the Western shirts singing about sunshine on his shoulders. Then you had the Muppets, who were basically at the peak of their "we own the world" phase. Putting them together for a holiday project seemed like a corporate no-brainer, but what we actually got was John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together, an album (and later a CD) that is way more soulful—and occasionally more bizarre—than it has any right to be.
It's 1979. ABC airs the TV special on December 5. But the record? That actually dropped in October.
People bought it in droves. It went Platinum. It became the soundtrack to a million living rooms where kids were fighting over LEGOs and parents were sipping eggnog. Yet, for some reason, the TV special itself vanished into the vault, never getting a proper home video release. If you want to see the footage today, you’re basically scouring grainy YouTube uploads or trekking to the Paley Center. But the John Denver and the Muppets CD? That’s the survivor. It’s been reissued, remastered, and passed down like a family heirloom.
The Twelve Days of Absolute Chaos
The opening track is usually where most people start and end their memories of this record. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a gauntlet. You’ve got John Denver trying to keep a straight face while Miss Piggy absolutely bellows "Five gold rings!" with enough vibrato to shatter glass.
It’s iconic.
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But have you actually listened to the rest of it lately?
There’s a weirdly deep sincerity to this collaboration. Take "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." It’s a duet between John and Rowlf the Dog. It isn't played for laughs. Rowlf—voiced by the legendary Jim Henson—is just a weary dog at a piano, and Denver matches his energy perfectly. It’s quiet. It’s tender. It’s the kind of song that makes you realize Jim Henson and John Denver were actually cut from the same cloth: two hippies who genuinely believed that being kind was the coolest thing you could do.
Why the John Denver and the Muppets CD is a Weird Time Capsule
Look, some of the tracks are... a choice. "Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913" is a solo Denver track that feels like it wandered in from a completely different album. It’s a spoken-word-heavy piece about the Christmas Truce of World War I. It’s heavy. It’s somber. It’s definitely not what you expect after hearing Fozzie Bear forget his lines three minutes earlier.
Then you have "Little Saint Nick."
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem take on the Beach Boys.
It’s pure chaos.
Animal is screaming in the background, the brass is loud, and it’s the exact shot of adrenaline the album needs before it dives back into the folk-heavy stuff.
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The Tracklist That Defies Logic
The album isn't just a collection of hits; it’s a narrative of 1970s sentimentality. Here is what you’re actually getting when you pop that CD in:
- Twelve Days of Christmas – The one everyone knows.
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – The Rowlf duet that will break your heart.
- The Peace Carol – John, Scooter, and the gang being very earnest.
- Christmas Is Coming – A round led by Miss Piggy that is surprisingly catchy.
- A Baby Just Like You – A song Denver wrote for his son, Zachary.
- Deck the Halls – The Muppets doing what they do best.
- When the River Meets the Sea – A song originally from Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas.
- Little Saint Nick – Pure Electric Mayhem.
- Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913 – The serious one.
- The Christmas Wish – Kermit the Frog being a philosopher.
- Medley: Alfie, The Christmas Tree / It’s In Everyone Of Us – Pure Denver folk-philosophy.
- Silent Night, Holy Night – Sung in German and English.
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas – The big finale.
The inclusion of "When the River Meets the Sea" is particularly notable. If you’re a Muppet nerd, you know this song was later sung at Jim Henson’s actual funeral. Hearing it here, paired with Denver’s acoustic guitar, gives it a weight that most "celebrity Christmas" albums lack.
The "Silent Night" Controversy (Sorta)
One of the most striking things about this project is how overtly spiritual it gets toward the end. In the TV special, Denver recites the actual Nativity story from the Bible. In 1979, this was standard variety show fare. Today? It feels like a bold choice for a puppet show.
The CD version of "Silent Night" is beautiful. Denver tells the story of how the song was written in Austria while the Muppets hum in the background. It’s not cynical. It’s not "corporate Christmas." It feels like a group of friends sitting around a campfire. That’s probably why it stuck.
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What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of folks think this was just a Muppets record with a guest star.
Nope.
This was a partnership.
Denver was a producer on this. He was an arranger. He’s playing the guitar on almost every track. This wasn't him showing up for two hours to lay down vocals and collect a check. He and Jim Henson were actually friends. They shared a similar worldview—this sort of wide-eyed, slightly environmentalist, "can’t we all just get along" vibe.
That’s why the chemistry works. When Miss Piggy hits on him in the dressing room (a running gag in the special), Denver plays the "straight man" perfectly. He treats the Muppets like actual people. That’s the secret sauce. If the human actor doesn't believe the puppets are real, the audience won't either. Denver believed.
Buying the CD in 2026
If you’re looking to track down a physical copy today, you’ve got options. The original RCA release is the gold standard, but there have been a few versions over the years.
- The Windstar Reissue (1990): This was Denver’s own label. It’s solid.
- The LaserLight Version (1998/2001): Be careful here. The 2001 version was an "abridged" 10-track version. You don't want that. You want all 13 songs.
- The 2006 Remaster: This is usually the one you'll find on streaming services or modern CD prints. It sounds crisp, and it usually includes the full 13-track lineup.
Honestly, the John Denver and the Muppets CD is one of those rare pieces of media that hasn't been ruined by irony. It's too sincere to be "so bad it's good." It's just... good. It captures a specific moment in time when a folk singer and a bunch of felt puppets could tell the world to just be quiet and listen to a song about peace.
If you want to add this to your collection or just revisit the nostalgia, start by looking for the 2006 "A Christmas Together" remaster to ensure you get the full audio quality. You can also hunt for the original red vinyl 45 rpm singles if you're a serious collector, as those are the "holy grail" items for this specific collaboration.
Once you have the music, try to find the restored version of the TV special on the Internet Archive; seeing the visual of the Electric Mayhem playing "Little Saint Nick" while John Denver wears a toy soldier outfit makes the audio experience about ten times better.