Dolly Parton Albums Ranked

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and humanitarian, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album debut in 1967 with Hello, I’m Dolly. With steady success during the remainder of the 1960s (both as a solo artist and with a series of duet albums with Porter Wagoner), her sales and chart peak came during the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Parton’s albums in the 1990s did not sell as well, but she achieved commercial success again in the new millennium and has released albums on various independent labels since 2000, including her own label, Dolly Records. In 1999, Parton was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She has composed over 3,000 songs, including “I Will Always Love You” (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper, as well as an international pop hit for Whitney Houston), “Jolene”, “Coat of Many Colors”, and “9 to 5”. She is also a select group to have received at least one nomination from the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmy Awards. As an actress, she has starred in films such as 9 to 5 (1980) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), for which she earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress, as well as Rhinestone (1984), Steel Magnolias (1989), Straight Talk (1992) and Joyful Noise (2012). Here are all of Dolly Parton albums ranked.

Don’t miss out on the TIMELESS Dolly Parton music below! Click to experience the forefront of the Pop movement!

10. Joshua (1971)

“”Joshua”, an album that went only as high as #16 country and #198 pop, but features her first #1 single, also called “Joshua”. That song would entice her to write “Applejack” in 1973 which was about an old mountain hermet she befriended in the Smokies. “Joshua” also featues one of the best songs Dolly ever wrote, “The Last One To Touch Me”, a song ultimately recorded by George Jones, Porter Wagoner, and Conway Twitty. Other greats here include “Chicken Every Sunday”, Daddies Moonshine Still”, and the sad “Letter To Heaven”

9. Backwoods Barbie (2008)

“This is Dolly Parton’s first true mainstream release in 17 years and also her first disc on her own label. All I can say is BRAVO !!! This set will definitely please her diehard fans and surely gain her some new ones. Her vocal performance here is top notch and she puts her heart and soul in each track. This is certainly not an artist resting on her laurels. It shows why she is the Queen of Country.”

8. Just Because I’m A Woman (1968)

“The main album shows what Dolly singing the kind of songs that she does best – traditional country songs about life as it really is in rural America. When she recorded this album, there was a lot of vibrato in her voice, which I love, but Dolly received advice to get rid of it if she could. Over the years, she gradually changed her voice and the vibrato disappeared altogether over time.”

See more: Joni Mitchell Albums Ranked

7. 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs (1980)

“The album title song went to number one on the country charts and became Dolly’s first #1 pop song and her second million selling single, after “Here You Come Again”. “9 to 5” also is one of those rare songs in which a female country act had the song go to the top of both the country and pop charts. The last song to do this prior to “9 to 5” was “Harper Valley PTA” back in 1968. “9 to 5” also went on to beat Tammy Wynette’s classic “Stand By Your Man”, in terms of sales for a single.”

6. Blue Smoke (2014)

“”Blue Smoke” by Dolly Parton is a stunning set. Dolly does Dylan on “Don’t Think Twice,” with Stuart Duncan’s tasty fiddle flavoring this track into a country delicacy as Dolly polishes the lovely melody, “I once loved a man but that love grew old; I gave him my heart but he wanted my soul.” “Home” is a sweet track with an upbeat celebration of refuge as Dolly belts out a delightful country rocker, “Where I can restore my weary soul, on the mountain slopes in the soft blue smoke.” On Jon Bon Jovi’s “Lay Your Hands On Me,” Dolly rocks to ecstatic bliss, “I’m a sinner; I’m a loser; I’m a seeker; I need to learn to live; Lord, you’re the teacher.” “If I Had Wings” has a traditional-sounding melody with Dolly’s lovely vocals soaring, “One cannot predict the future; one cannot undo the past, but we can make the present useful, build a future that will last.””

5. Better Day (2011)

“Iconic legendary Superstar Dolly Parton hits new heights throughout “Better Day” with a winning program of infectious & uplifting songs sung with lots of soul and great arrangements sounding like musicians were truly inspired by the legendary lady and her great new program of stunning originals…wanting to give the world a positive boost in troubled times, Dolly has succeeded with flying colors!”

See more: George Harrison Albums Ranked

4. Little Sparrow (2001)

“Little Sparrow blends bluegrass and mountain music to tremendous effect. The music alone (preformed by some of the best in the business) is reason enough to buy this disc. Dolly has written 7 of the songs of which Mountain Angel, Little Sparrow and Down From Dover are my favorites. I was struck by the power of Dover in particular. Evidently this is a song she’s recorded before, but I can’t imagine it being done better than it appears here. The playfulness of Marry Me is great and classic Dolly. Her cover of I Get A Kick Out Of You is masterful and totally redefines the song. It’s moves like this that show how much talent and artistry she possesses.”

3. The Grass Is Blue (1999)

“The songs are great, the band is cookin’, and Dolly’s singin’ like she means it! From the first cut, you can feel the energy and enthusiasm that Dolly and the band bring to this music. A nice variety of songs ranging from traditional to newgrass. Inspired accompaniment from all-star instrumentalists (Sutton, Douglas, etc.). It’s all good and just gets better on repeated listening. Go, Dolly, go!”

2. Jolene (1974)

“The other famous song on Dolly’s Jolene album is, of course, I will always love you, though it took much longer to achieve international acclaim. Linda Ronstadt was the first major artist to cover it when she included it on her 1975 album, Prisoner in disguise. Dolly re-recorded the song for her 1982 movie, Best little chicken house in Texas (yes, I know it wasn’t a chicken house), whereupon the new version repeated the success of the original by becoming a number one country hit. International success eluded the song until Whitney Houston made it into a worldwide pop hit. Then Dolly had another country hit with the song, this time as a duet with Vince Gill, though it didn’t make the top ten.”

1. Coat Of Many Colors (1971)

“This collection comes with new liner notes, recorded dates of the song sessions, beautiful repackaging of the original LP art, and 4 new songs never released, with the exception of “Just as Good as Gone” that was a rare single B-side released back in 1972. A must have for any music fan. The rare Dolly pictures too are the most glamorous I have ever seen of Dolly Parton.”