Dolly Parton’s timeless hits “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” have reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time! “Jolene” reentered the September 5 chart at #16, and “I Will Always Love You” debuted at #27. The songs gained new attention following Dolly Parton’s death on August 25 in Nashville at age 80.
Both songs were written by Dolly herself and were released in 1974. “Jolene” became her first of 23 career Hot 100 entries, originally reaching #60 that year. Her 1974 recording of “I Will Always Love You” had a different story. The song never charted on the Hot 100, although it did reach #1 on the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and so did “Jolene.” However, in 1982, “I Will Always Love You” stormed the charts for the first time, reaching #53. Whitney Houston then took her cover of the song to #1 in 1992 and 1993. Similarly, Beyoncé’s version of “Jolene” peaked at #7 in 2024.
Three more Dolly songs also returned to the Hot 100 following her passing. “9 to 5” ranked#. 18, “Islands in the Stream” with Kenny Rogers reached #26, and “Here You Come Again” landed at #44. With these results, Dolly Parton now has 10 career Hot 100 top-40 hits.
