Dolly Parton has scored her first No. 1 on the Official Album Downloads chart in the United Kingdom with “The Very Best Of."
The compilation album, or collection, returned to the chart at No. 1, marking the first time Parton has topped the ranking during her career. She could also be on the verge of another U.K. chart first: “9 to 5” is currently on course to become her first No. 1 single in the country, Billboard reported.
Parton’s catalog has seen a sharp increase in sales and streams since her death Aug. 25, with several of her albums and songs returning to charts in the U.S. and abroad.
‘The Very Best Of’ makes a dramatic jump
The latest chart success is particularly notable because “The Very Best Of” had never previously reached the Official Album Downloads chart’s top 10.
Before
its latest jump, the collection’s most recent appearance came in February, when it reached No. 24. Its previous career-best position was No. 21, according to Forbes.
Parton’s 2023 album “Rockstar” had come closest to the top spot on the download ranking, peaking at No. 2. Several other Parton releases also landed in the top 10 this week, including “Blue Smoke – The Best Of” at No. 7, “Pure and Simple” at No. 8 and “The Complete Trio Collection,” her collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, at No. 10, Forbes reported.
‘9 to 5’ could give Parton another UK first
“9 to 5” is also climbing the Official U.K. Singles Chart following a surge in streams and sales after Parton’s death. The song reached a new peak of No. 12 on last week’s chart and is now tracking at No. 1 in the chart’s Aug. 30 midweek update, according to Billboard.
The 1980 hit, written for the comedy film of the same name, saw a 350% week-over-week increase in streams and sales, according to Billboard. If it holds the top position when the final chart is released, it would give Parton her first-ever U.K. No. 1 single.
“9 to 5” is not the only Parton song competing near the top of the U.K. chart. “Jolene,” her 1973 classic, is tracking at No. 2 after previously reaching No. 7, while her collaboration with Kenny Rogers, “Islands in the Stream,” has climbed to No. 6.
Parton dominates country compilation chart
“The Very Best Of” also returned to the top of the Official Country Compilations chart, where the collection has been a longtime presence.
The album has now spent 426 weeks on that chart, including 118 weeks at No. 1. Its first appearance came in 2007, when it began a 16-week run atop the rankings.
The collection is also appearing on several other UK charts. It reached No. 12 on the Official Albums Sales chart, returned to the Official Albums chart at No. 46 and landed at No. 73 on the Official Physical Albums chart.
Dolly Parton’s catalog surges after her death
The U.K. chart results are part of a much larger wave of interest in Parton’s music. Luminate data shared with USA TODAY showed her catalog’s audio and video streams jumped 1,549% globally on Aug. 25, the day she died.
The following day, Parton became the most-streamed artist in the world, with nearly 80 million on-demand audio streams, according to the data. In the U.S., her songs were streamed 116.7 million times during the Aug. 21-27 tracking period, a more than 1,140% increase from the previous week.
Her best-known recordings have also returned to the Billboard charts. “Jolene” reentered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 16, while Parton’s original recording of “I Will Always Love You” appeared on the chart for the first time, reaching No. 27.
The posthumous surge adds another chapter to Parton’s decades-long career. While her music has remained a fixture on country charts, the latest results show listeners are turning back to her catalog across formats and generations following her death.
Contributing: USA TODAY reporter KiMi Robinson
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com, or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolly Parton scores first No. 1 on this chart days after her death
