20 Dolly Parton songs to remember the country music legend

• Dolly Parton has died at 80, leaving behind a career spanning more than six decades and some of country music’s most enduring songs.

• From “Jolene” and “9 to 5” to “Coat of Many Colors” and “I Will Always Love You,” these 20 songs highlight different sides of her remarkable catalogue.

• Beyond music, Parton leaves a lasting legacy through film, business and philanthropy, with her songs continuing to influence generations of listeners.

Country music icon Dolly Parton leaves behind more than six decades of music, thousands of songs and a catalogue that has touched country, pop and generations of listeners around the world.

From heartbreak and poverty to love, ambition, faith and resilience, Parton had a remarkable ability to turn ordinary experiences into songs that felt deeply personal.

Her music also travelled far beyond country music. “I Will Always Love You”, for instance, became one of the most recognisable songs in the world after Whitney Houston's version, while “9 to 5” became an anthem about working life and women's struggles in the workplace.

As fans remember the country music icon, here are 20 songs that capture different sides of Dolly Parton's extraordinary career.

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Perhaps one of Dolly's most recognisable songs, “Jolene” tells the story of a woman desperately pleading with another woman not to take her man. Released in 1973, the song was inspired by a real-life encounter with a flirtatious bank teller who had caught Dolly's husband's attention.

Written for the 1980 film of the same name, “9 to 5” became one of Dolly's biggest crossover hits. The song captured the frustrations of workers dealing with long hours, low recognition and workplace inequality. Dolly also starred in the film alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

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Written as Dolly prepared to leave The Porter Wagoner Show, the song was originally her farewell to her longtime professional collaborator Porter Wagoner. Her recording topped the country chart in 1974, before Whitney Houston's 1992 version transformed it into a global pop phenomenon.

Released in 1968, the song uses the spelling of the word “divorce” to tell the story of a family falling apart. It became one of Dolly's early country hits and demonstrated her ability to tell emotional stories in simple, memorable ways.

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Dolly's faith has been a recurring theme throughout her career, and “Hello God” is one of her more direct conversations with God. The song reflects on violence, division and the state of the world while asking difficult spiritual questions.

One of Dolly's most personal songs, “Coat of Many Colors” was inspired by a patchwork coat her mother made for her as a child. What could have been a painful memory of poverty and being teased at school became a powerful story about family, love and pride.

Dolly and Kenny Rogers turned this 1983 duet into a classic. Their chemistry helped make “Islands in the Stream” one of the most memorable country-pop collaborations of its era.

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Released in 1977, “Here You Come Again” helped Dolly expand her audience beyond traditional country music. Interestingly, unlike many of her biggest hits, the song was written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil rather than Dolly herself.

Released in 1977, “Two Doors Down” captures Dolly's playful side. The upbeat song tells the story of someone hearing a party going on nearby and deciding to join in.

This energetic 1989 hit showed that Dolly could still have fun with country-pop. The song's cheeky lyrics and infectious delivery made it a memorable part of her later catalogue.

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Dolly recorded this song in 1980, bringing her distinctive emotional style to a story about an old lover who no longer compares with the person she has now.

Released in 1975, “The Bargain Store” uses the imagery of a second-hand shop to describe a woman who has been hurt in love but is still willing to give herself another chance.

This hopeful song is about coming through difficult times and believing that better days are ahead. Its message of resilience has helped make it one of Dolly's enduring inspirational songs.

Released in 2008, the song captures Dolly's upbeat philosophy about making the most of life. Its message is simple: instead of dwelling on problems, get up and start living.

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Released in 1978, “Baby I'm Burnin'” showed another side of Dolly, with a more energetic, disco-influenced sound. It demonstrated how comfortably she could experiment beyond traditional country.

“Heartbreaker” came during Dolly's successful period of crossing between country and pop. It helped demonstrate her ability to reach audiences outside the traditional country market.

This deeply personal song takes listeners back to Dolly's childhood in the Tennessee mountains. Like “Coat of Many Colors”, it draws heavily from her upbringing and the rural environment that shaped her songwriting.

One of Dolly's early signature songs, “Joshua” was released in 1970 and became her first No. 1 country single. It helped establish her as a major solo country artist after her years working with Porter Wagoner.

Released in 1974, the song compares love to a delicate butterfly—beautiful but impossible to force or hold too tightly. It became another of Dolly's memorable country hits.

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Originally written and recorded by Dolly, “Starting Over Again” is a song about a couple whose relationship has reached its end. The song later became a major hit for Reba McEntire, further demonstrating Dolly's strength as a songwriter.

Dolly Parton's legacy cannot be reduced to 20 songs.

She wrote an estimated 3,000 songs, sold more than 100 million records and became one of the most successful and recognisable artists in music history. Her influence stretched beyond country music into film, business, philanthropy and popular culture.

But perhaps her greatest gift was her ability to make people feel something.

She could turn heartbreak into a ballad, poverty into a story of pride, a working woman's frustration into an anthem and a goodbye into a song that would live for generations.

Country music icon Dolly Parton died at age 80 in Nashville. Rest in peace, Dolly Parton. Your music will always live on. 🕊️