On this day (October 16) in 1982, Dolly Parton topped the Hot Country Songs chart with “I Will Always Love You.” It was the first song to reach No. 1 on the chart twice. The classic first topped the country chart in 1974. Nearly a decade later, Parton rereleased it, and it returned to the top.
It is common for songs to reach the No. 1 spot, fall a few chart positions, and return to the top. That isn’t what happened here. Instead, this was two No. 1 recordings of the same song by the same artist. It was a testament to the song’s power and longevity. Roughly eight years later, Whitney Houston reaffirmed the song’s strength with her legendary pop arrangement.
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Dolly Parton Wrote an Immortal Classic
Dolly Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” in the early 1970s. As the story goes, she wrote the song while trying to break away from Porter Wagoner, who didn’t want to let her go. Eventually, she played this song for him, and he finally relented. She then released it as the second single from Jolene, and it became the second of four consecutive No. 1 singles.
In 1982, Parton recorded a new version of “I Will Always Love You” for the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack. RCA released it as the lead single from the album, backed with “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” in July 1982. A little more than three months later, it made its way to the top of the chart.
Surprisingly, this wasn’t the last time Parton had a hit with “I Will Always Love You.” She released a third version of the hit in 1995. That year, she recorded it as a duet with Vince Gill for her album Something Special. Their rendition peaked at No. 15. While it didn’t top the chart, it did bring Dolly Parton and Vince Gill the CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year.
Featured Image by R. Diamond/Getty Images
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LOS ANGELES – CIRCA 1975: Country singer Dolly Parton performs onstage wearing a yellow dress in circa 1975 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1977: Elvis Presley in concert circa 1977. (Photo by R.D/Images Press/Getty Images) -
LONDON, ENGLAND – Jamaican-British singer Marcia Barrett, of the German vocal group Boney M., sings during a concert in London, England, December 1, 1978. (Photo by Soxphotos/Getty Images) -
LONDON, ENGLAND – Cliff Richard performs onstage during a concert at Royal Albert Hall on December 08, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jo Hale/Redferns) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – Natalie Maines of The Chicks at The Chicks concert held at Yaamava' Theater on June 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katie Flores/Billboard via Getty Images)
