Tennessee icon and "Queen of Country" Dolly Parton has died at age 80, and many are looking back through her discography to honor her legacy.
Parton's death on Aug. 25 was announced in a video message from her family on her social media pages and confirmed to USA TODAY.
Throughout her 60-year career, Parton painted her twang-laced soprano voice on hit-turned-classics such as “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors.” Her 49 studio albums earned 25 No. 1 hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, the most of any female country artist, and spanned every decade from "Joshua" in 1971 to "Tyrant" with Beyoncé in 2024.
Here are some of Parton's best hits from her iconic career that earned her 11 Grammy Awards, including
a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dolly Parton's greatest hits
Parton's first song to land on any of the Billboard charts was her 1966 single "Dumb Blonde" from her album "Hello, I'm Dolly." The song peaked at No. 24 on Hot Country Songs in the U.S.
Her only No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist came in 1980 with "9 to 5," which became certified triple platinum. The only other song of Parton's to hit No. 1 was her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers, "Islands in the Stream," another certified triple platinum record.
Here are some of Parton's most beloved songs, including several that topped the country charts:
- "Jolene," released in 1973, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, No. 44 on Adult Contemporary and No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- "The Bargain Store," released in 1975, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.
- "Here You Come Again," released in 1977, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, No. 2 on Adult Contemporary and No. 3 on the Hot 100.
- "Starting Over Again," released in 1980, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, No. 35 on Adult Contemporary and No. 36 on the Hot 100.
- "Touch Your Woman," released in 1972, peaked at No. 6 on Hot Country Songs.
- "Heartbreaker," released in 1978, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, No. 12 on Adult Contemporary and No. 37 on the Hot 100.
- "Coat of Many Colors," released in 1969, peaked at No. 4 on Hot Country Songs.
- "Love Is Like A Butterfly," released in 1974, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs and No. 38 on Adult Contemporary.
- "But You Know I Love You," released in 1981, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, No. 14 on Adult Contemporary and No. 41 on the Hot 100.
- "Two Doors Down," released in 1978, peaked at No. 12 on Adult Contemporary and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy," released in 1969, peaked at No. 45 on Hot Country Songs.
- "Save the Last Dance for Me," released in 1983, peaked at No. 3 on Hot Country Songs, No. 12 on Adult Contemporary and No. 45 on the Hot 100.
- "The House of the Rising Sun," released in 1981, peaked at No. 14 on Hot Country Songs, No. 30 on Adult Contemporary and No. 77 on the Hot 100.
- "You're the Only One," released in 1979, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, No. 14 on Adult Contemporary and No. 59 on the Hot 100.
Dolly Parton's biggest hit: 'I Will Always Love You'
Simply put, Parton wrote one of the greatest love songs in music history with her hit song "I Will Always Love You." The song's inspiration stems from Parton's decision to cut professional ties with Porter Wagoner in 1974.
In writing this song, Parton crafted a love song for the ages. The song became a hit in three different decades: 1974, 1982 and 1995. It reached even greater stardom in 1992 when Whitney Houston recorded it for the soundtrack of The Bodyguard. Houston’s version logged an astonishing 14 weeks atop the Hot 100.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Dolly Parton songs that made her a country music hitmaker
