Author : Alicia Parker
Dolly Parton is one of the greatest country music artists of all time. She has presented the world with some of the best songs and albums of all time. She started her professional musical career with her first studio album, ‘Hello, I’m Dolly’ released in 1967. After that, she continued to gift the global country music lovers incredibly mesmerizing music for years. Though she is most known for country music, she has showcased her excellence in various other genres like gospel, crossover pop, and bluegrass. It is quite hard to make a list of the best Dolly Parton albums. Here is an attempt to rank her top 10 albums of all time:
‘Jolene’ is one of the most extraordinary country music albums of all time. Released in 1974, the album became an instant hit with its title track by the same name where a housewife comes face to face with a young and beautiful woman who has been having an affair with her husband. The song became extremely popular among music enthusiasts in the USA and all over the world. Except for ‘It Must Be You’ and ‘Lonely Comin’ Down’, Dolly Parton wrote all the songs on the album.
The 1971 album represents the peak time of Dolly Parton in her career. She gave out her finest performance on the album. The title song is a depiction of Parton’s own story in which her mother made her a colorful coat, rugs from rugs given to her. The album secured a position in the 100 greatest Albums of All Time in Time Magazine.
Released in 1977, the album, ‘Here You Come Again’ became Dolly Parton’s first platinum-certified album. The tracks from the album topped the singles chart for five weeks. The album topped the US Billboard Hot Country LP and reached the number 20 position on the US Billboard 200. The album proved her excellence and hold over the genre once again.
The 37th solo studio album, ‘The Grass Is Blue’ by Dolly Parton won a Grammy Award for ‘Best Bluegrass Album’ in 2001. When the album was released in 1999, she did not have a record label as Decca Records closed its offices in Nashville that year. The album had various classic and contemporary tracks that helped revive her career. The opening single is a cover of ‘Travelin’ by Billy Joel.
Released in 2001, this is her 38th studio album. Dolly Parton dedicated the album to her father Lee Parton who dies in 2000. Dolly Parton herself described the album to have more soul, depth, and emotion before its release. The album was extremely close to her heart as it expresses her truest feelings and thoughts. It captured the 12th position on the US Billboard Top Country Albums Chart and reached the 97th spot on the US Billboard 200 Chart.
Number 6 on the list of top 10 Dolly Parton albums is her 1978 hit, ‘Heart Breaker’. It is her 20th studio album, which was produced by Gary Klein and Charles Koppelman. The album showcases Dolly Parton’s talent in pop with some tracks featuring more of a disco vibe. The tracks, ‘I Really Got the Feeling’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart after release.
This is one of the most articulate and thought-provoking albums by the country queen Dolly Parton. The album depicts the life and troubles of the working-class people. The title track of the album was highly critically acclaimed for both its music and lyrics. ‘Dark as a Dungeon’ was also a major hit in the country music scene.
This is the second solo studio album for Dolly Parton. Released in 1968 it was produced by Bob Ferguson and through the country record label RCA Victor. It reached the 22nd spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. ‘Just Because I’m a Woman’ was re-recorded by the artist for her tribute album, ‘Just Because I’m a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton’ in 2003.
This is her 18th solo studio album released by RCA Victor in 1977. It is her first-ever self-produced album. The best songs from the album are ‘You Are’, ‘Applejack’, ‘Light of a Clear Blur Morning’, and ‘My Girl (My Love)’.
The 2014 album, ‘Blue Smoke’ takes the 10th position on the greatest Dolly Parton albums of all time. The album has covers of Bob Dylan’s ‘Don’t Think Twice’ and Bon Jovi’s ‘Lay Your Hands on Me’. The album features the sharp and powerful vocal prowess of the artist making it stand tall in the crowd.
There are a total of 52 studio albums by Dolly Parton and we have tried our best to bring you the best ten albums that are most popular around the world.
