Dolly Parton is the Queen of Country, but that hardly covers it. She is one of the best songwriters of all time, a businesswoman, a philanthropist, and a cultural icon. Behind the wigs and the rhinestones lies a musical genius.
Her songs are stories: about poverty in the mountains of Tennessee, about working from 9 to 5, and about heartbreaking loves. Dolly combines humor with deep seriousness and has a voice that can sound like a laughing child or a crying angel.
10. The Bargain Store
A beautiful, melancholic track in which she compares her life to a second-hand shop full of damaged goods. At the time, it was (unfairly) banned from the radio because it was deemed suggestive.
The metaphor is brilliant and moving. Dolly sings with a vulnerability that shows how often she has been hurt. A true gem of songwriting.
9. My Tennessee Mountain Home
An ode to her heritage. Dolly is proud of her poor roots in the Smoky Mountains. The song is simple, folky, and nostalgic.
You can hear the crickets and the porch rocking chair in the music. It is an idyllic picture of a simple life. Dolly at her most authentic and pure.
8. Two Doors Down
An excursion into pop/disco. While she sits at home with a broken heart, she hears a party a few doors down and decides to dry her tears and join in. “I’ll be having a good time”.
It is irresistibly cheerful and catchy. A perfect example of how Dolly managed to mix her country sound with the trends of the time without losing her identity.
7. Here You Come Again
Her first major pop hit and Grammy winner. A perfectly produced song about an ex who returns and completely charms her again, against her better judgment.
The melody is upbeat, yet the lyrics are about weakness. Dolly sings it with a smile in her voice. It turned her into a global superstar outside the country scene.
6. Islands in the Stream (with Kenny Rogers)
Written by the Bee Gees, sung by the king and queen of country. It is one of the best duets of all time. The chemistry between Dolly and Kenny is legendary.
The song is warm, romantic, and swinging. A staple at weddings and karaoke nights. It radiates pure friendship and love.
5. Love Is Like a Butterfly
A soft, sweet song that was her signature tune for years. The lyrics compare love to a butterfly: soft, beautiful, and fragile.
Dolly’s voice sounds almost childishly innocent here. It is a simple song that perfectly captures what Dolly stands for: positivity and natural beauty.
4. Coat of Many Colors
Her personal favorite. The true story of a coat her mother made from scraps of fabric. Although she was mocked at school, she felt rich because of the love that was sewn into it.
It is storytelling at its best. Without bitterness, but full of pride, she tells of poverty. A moving song that reveals the core of her character.
3. 9 to 5
The rhythm was created by clicking her fingernails on a typewriter. An anthem for the working woman, written for the film of the same name. It is energetic, funny, and socially critical.
“Pour yourself a cup of ambition”. The song is a pop classic that everyone knows. It swings like crazy and remains painfully relevant today.
2. I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston made it huge, but Dolly wrote it (on the same day as Jolene!). It is not a song about a breakup, but about a professional farewell to her mentor Porter Wagoner.
Dolly’s version is small, fragile, and spoken from the heart. The “bittersweet memories” hit much more intimately here. A masterclass in songwriting and emotion.
1. Jolene
Perhaps the perfect song. A desperate woman pleading with her beautiful rival not to take her man. The guitar picking is iconic and the melody is hauntingly beautiful.
The vulnerability in the lyrics (“I cannot compete with you”) is unique; usually, country women are defiant, here she is insecure. The song has been covered by everyone from The White Stripes to Miley Cyrus, the original remains unsurpassed. Dolly’s magnum opus.
