On This Day in 1977, Dolly Parton Topped the Charts With Her Longest-Running No. 1 Single–a Song Originally Intended for a Different History-Making Artist

On this day (December 17) in 1977, Dolly Parton was at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with “Here You Come Again.” It retained the top spot for five consecutive weeks, longer than any of her other singles. The song was also a top 10 hit on the Hot 100.

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Here You Come Again marked a turning point in Parton’s career. The first half of the decade saw her finding consistent chart success in the country world. Songs like “Joshua,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and others were major country hits. Feeling confident, she then set her eyes on crossover success. This album and its singles marked her first major step in that direction.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1992, the Best-Selling Single by a Female Artist of All Time Was at No. 1—Written, but Not Sung by Dolly Parton]

The album’s title track and lead single showed Parton she was on the right track. It reached the top of the country chart and stayed there longer than any of her other releases, including “Islands in the Stream,” her hugely successful duet with Kenny Rogers.

“Here You Come Again” also gave Parton her first top 10 hit on the Hot 100. It peaked at No. 3 on the all-genre survey. It also went to No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Additionally, it earned her the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, and a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.

“Here You Come Again” Wasn’t Meant for Dolly Parton

According to Songfacts, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil had an artist in mind when they wrote “Here You Come Again.” However, it wasn’t Dolly Parton. Instead, they hoped Brenda Lee would record it.

Lee held the song for more than a year before choosing not to record it. They didn’t take the track directly to Parton, though. B.J. Thomas was the first to cut the song for his 1977 self-titled album.

Gary Klein, Parton’s producer, heard Thomas’ rendition of the song, and he thought it would be right for the album.

While Parton was shooting for crossover success, she didn’t want to forget her country roots. As a result, she and Klein worked to make the pop tune a little more country. A large portion of that change came in the form of Al Perkins’ steel guitar chops.

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