It’s impossible to list all of the hits Dolly Parton has released over the years. Part of country music since 1967, the 80-year-old has released some of country music’s most iconic songs.
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Still, there are some songs that stand out above the rest. These are three of the most important songs that Dolly Parton has ever released.
“I Will Always Love You”
Without question, any list of crucial Dolly Parton songs has to include “I Will Always Love You”. Written as a farewell letter to Porter Wagoner, the song remains her most popular.
For seven years, Parton joined Wagoner on his popular TV show, The Porter Wagoner Show. Parton wanted to leave to focus on her solo career, but Wagoner didn’t want to end their partnership.
“I learned so many things from Porter,” Parton tells The Tennessean. “We had one of those relationships where we were just so passionate about what we did; it was like fire and ice. We kind of butted heads all the time, but we loved each other. There was a great passion there.”
Parton first released “I Will Always Love You” in 1974. In 1992, the song gained an entirely new life when Whitney Houston sang it for the blockbuster film, The Bodyguard.
“9 To 5”
“9 To 5” not only became a big country hit, but it also became a No. 1 pop hit as well. Written solely by Parton, the song is on the soundtrack of the 1980 film 9 To 5, starring Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda.
Parton began writing what became “9 To 5” by tapping it out on her fingernails.
“It sounded like a typewriter,” she explains on Today. “And I didn’t have my guitar because I didn’t want to get too scattered, because we were trying to stay in the mood, and they were doing lights, and all that.”
More than 45 years later, “9 To 5” remains a popular working women’s anthem. The tune also appears on Parton’s 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs album.
“Joshua”
When Parton released “Joshua” in 1970, she likely had no idea what was in store for her in country music. Written by Parton, the song is the title track of her seventh studio album. After more than a dozen singles, “Joshua” also became Parton’s first No. 1 hit.
More importantly, “Joshua” showed that Parton was able to have success by talking about her own life. Inspired by men she encountered growing up in East Tennessee, the song says, “Joshua, Joshua / Whatcha doing living here all alone? / Joshua, Joshua / Ain’t you got nobody to call your own? / No no, no no.”
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images for ABA
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