The release of Dolly’s forty-ninth solo and sixty-sixth overall studio album, Rockstar, is quickly approaching. I thought it would be exciting to follow “The Road to Rockstar” by listening to all of Dolly’s studio albums over the next several weeks (with a few extras thrown into the mix). Beginning September 12, I will be listening to one of Dolly’s studio albums every day as a build up to the release of what will be Dolly’s largest body of work to date! I’m sharing that plan here so anyone who wants to participate can listen along. Comments will be open on this post, so feel free to comment each day with any thoughts on the album or to discuss the music with other fans! It has been a long road to Dolly’s first Rock album, with lots of twists, turns, and detours along the way. Join me as I start from the beginning and travel the long and winding Road to Rockstar! The AlbumsSeptember 12 Hello, I'm Dolly (1967)
September 13 Just Between You and Me (with Porter Wagoner) (1968) September 14 Just Because I'm a Woman (1968) September 15 Just the Two of Us (with Porter Wagoner) (1968) September 16 In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad) (1969) September 17 Always, Always (with Porter Wagoner) (1969) September 18 My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy (1969) September 19 The Fairest of Them All (1970) September 20 Porter Wayne and Dolly Rebecca (with Porter Wagoner) (1970) September 21 As Long as I Love (1970) / A Real Live Dolly (1970) September 22 Once More (with Porter Wagoner) (1970) September 23 Two of a Kind (with Porter Wagoner) (1971) September 24 The Golden Streets of Glory (1971) September 25 Joshua (1971) September 26 Coat of Many Colors (1971) September 27 The Right Combination • Burning the Midnight Oil (with Porter Wagoner) (1972) September 28 Touch Your Woman (1972) September 29 Together Always (with Porter Wagoner) (1972) September 30 My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner (1972) October 1 We Found It (with Porter Wagoner) (1973) October 2 My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973) October 3 Love and Music (with Porter Wagoner) (1973) October 4 Bubbling Over (1973) October 5 Jolene (1974) October 6 Porter 'n' Dolly (with Porter Wagoner) (1974) October 7 Love Is Like a Butterfly (1974) October 8 The Bargain Store (1975) October 9 Say Forever You'll Be Mine (with Porter Wagoner) (1975) October 10 Dolly (1975) October 11 All I Can Do (1976) October 12 New Harvest...First Gathering (1977) October 13 Here You Come Again (1977) October 14 Heartbreaker (1978) October 15 Great Balls of Fire (1979) October 16 Dolly, Dolly, Dolly (1980) October 17 Porter & Dolly (with Porter Wagoner) (1980) October 18 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs (1980) October 19 Heartbreak Express (1982) / The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) October 20 Burlap & Satin (1983) October 21 The Great Pretender (1984) / Rhinestone (1984) October 22 Once Upon a Christmas (with Kenny Rogers) (1984) October 23 Real Love (1985) October 24 Trio (with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) (1987) October 25 Rainbow (1987) October 26 White Limozeen (1989) October 27 Home for Christmas (1990) October 28 Eagle When She Flies (1991) / Straight Talk (1992) October 29 Slow Dancing with the Moon (1993) / Heartsongs: Live from Home (1994) October 30 Honky Tonk Angels (with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette) (1993) October 31 Something Special (1995) November 1 Treasures (1996) November 2 Hungry Again (1998) November 3 Trio II (with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt) (1999) November 4 Precious Memories (1999) November 5 The Grass Is Blue (1999) November 6 Little Sparrow (2001) November 7 Halos & Horns (2002) November 8 For God and Country (2003) / Live and Well (2004) November 9 Those Were the Days (2005) November 10 Backwoods Barbie (2008) / Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land of Blue Smoke (2009) / Live from London (2009) November 11 Better Day (2011) / Joyful Noise (2012) November 12 Blue Smoke (2014) November 13 Pure & Simple (2016) / Live from Glastonbury 2014 (2016) November 14 I Believe in You (2017) / Dumplin' (2018) November 15 A Holly Dolly Christmas (2020) November 16 Run, Rose, Run (2022) November 17 Rockstar (2023) August 21, 2015: The Blacklist soundtrack is released featuring a slowed-down version of Dolly's 1974 recording of "Jolene". August 21, 2020: "Mary, Did You Know" is released as the first single from Dolly's forty-seventh solo studio album, A Holly Dolly Christmas. It peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart and number 18 on the Billboard Christian Digital Song Sales chart. August 22, 1983: Kenny Rogers released his twelfth solo studio album, Eyes That See in the Dark. It includes a duet with Dolly on "Islands in the Stream", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number six on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.
by Ben Childers The fourth record in Dolly's 'Vinyl Me, Parton' subscription is her 1968 studio album, Just Because I’m a Woman. The album is pressed on Canary Yellow Galaxy vinyl and comes in a standard LP jacket which stays true to the original pressing except that the frame around Dolly and the album's title have been embossed in gold. The album's sound quality is outstanding, again this album has been pressed from lacquers cut from tapes mastered by Ryan Sterling at Sterling Sound. This month's online exclusive liner notes were written by Natalie Weiner. Without a doubt, this often overlooked album in Dolly's discography is more than deserving to be highlighted in this series and to be looked at with new appreciation by fans new and old alike. Just Because I'm a Woman was never a Dolly album that I gave much thought to apart from a few tracks. My original 1968 pressing was the first signed piece of Dolly memorabilia I ever acquired, so the album is special to me for that reason, but it is so much more than its title track. The album's title track and "The Bridge" are the only songs from the album that get much love from music critics and fans. Over the years, the album as a whole has gotten lost and all but forgotten among Dolly's vast discography. Hopefully this reissue breathes new life into the album for you the same way it has for me. The album opens with a Parton composition titled "You're Gonna Be Sorry". The uptempo tune sees the narrator telling a would-be lover that someday she's going to move on and he's going to be sorry for missing his chance. Opening her first major label album with a self-penned tune of female empowerment was a bold move and an almost unheard of thing to do in 1968, but this wasn't even the most forward thinking song Dolly included on this album. Track 2, "I Wish I Felt This Way at Home", was written by Harlan Howard. This song is from the point of view of a woman who finds more love with another man than she finds in her own home. "False Eyelashes" follows, and much like "Dumb Blonde" from her previous album, it's hard to believe that Dolly didn't write this song. There's so much of her personality in this song about how the lives of celebrities aren't always what they seem. Six years before Dolly would write and record her iconic classic "I Will Always Love You", she wrote the comical "I'll Oilwells Love You" with her uncle Bill Owens. In this play on words, the narrator seeks to find "a rich man" and "love her way to fame". "The Only Way Out (Is to Walk Over Me)", written by Neal Merritt, is a more traditional female country ballad where the woman is begging her husband not to leave. Side one closes with "Little Bit Slow to Catch On". Written by Curly Putman (writer of the previously mentioned "Dumb Blonde"), this fun little song is about being a little slow to realize you're being cheated on, but once you do you're "caught on" and leave. Side two opens with a more serious and somber song. "The Bridge", written by Dolly, is one of the songs from this album that has received the most attention and commentary over the years. The song sees a girl and boy meeting on a bridge and falling in love. The girl eventually becomes pregnant and the boy leaves her. Rather than go through the pregnancy alone the girl returns to the bridge and jumps to her death. It's extremely heavy subject matter for 1968 and it's honestly shocking that the song ever saw the light of day. Track 8 is a ballad written by Uncle Bill Owens titled "Love and Learn". This song talks about having to learn hard lessons in love by being hurt many times before eventually finding the right partner. This is followed by another Bill Owens composition, the uptempo "I'm Running Out of Love", which discusses the feeling of being fed up with your partner's selfish and unloving ways. Track 10 is the album's title track, "Just Because I'm a Woman". It is one of Dolly's earliest feminist songs (whether she wants to call it that or not). Dolly explained that she wrote the song as a response to her husband asking her if she had ever been with a man before him, and his subsequent reaction to her answer. The song analyzes the double standard where women are expected to remain pure for marriage and men are not held to the same standard. Track 11 is "Baby Sister". Written by Shirl Milete, this song is the lament of a big sister to her younger sister who has become a drunk in response to being let down by her boyfriend. The album closes with "Try Being Lonely", written by Buck Trent and George McCormick who were members of Porter Wagoner's band and television show. Produced by Bob Ferguson and an uncredited Porter Wagoner, this album stands tall among Dolly's early work. It shows off her unmatchable skill as a songwriter and her ability to convey emotion through the words of others. The inclusion of "The Bridge" and "Just Because I’m a Woman" show that Dolly was out to blaze her own path from the very beginning. Next month will see the 'Vinyl Me Parton' reissue of Dolly's 1980 album, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. If you haven't already, sign-up for 'Vinyl Me, Parton' today! ![]() Ben Childers is the administrator of The Dolly Parton Discography. A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, he grew up taking family vacations to the Smokies and Dollywood. His love for Dolly and her music reached a fanatical level in April 2013. After spending countless hours researching and cataloging Dolly's musical output, he decided to open a website dedicated to her discography. August 7, 2004: Floyd Tillman released his The Influence album featuring a duet with Dolly on "Slippin' Around". August 7, 2015: Don Henley released his duet with Dolly, "When I Stop Dreaming", as a single from his Cass County album. August 9, 2019: Kristin Chenoweth released her cover of "I Will Always Love You" featuring Dolly as a single from her For the Girls album.
July 17, 1978: Dolly released her twentieth solo studio album, Heartbreaker. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 27 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the RIAA one month later for shipment of more than 500,000 copies. July 19, 1971: The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton compilation album is released. It included one previously unreleased song, "Better Move It on Home". The album peaked at number seven on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. July 21, 2008: "Shinola" is released as the third single from Dolly's forty-second solo studio album, Backwoods Barbie.
Image credit: spidey2 at 45cat.com July 10, 1972: "Washday Blues" is released as the first single from Dolly's tenth solo studio album, My Favorite Songwriter, Porter Wagoner. It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. July 12, 1982: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack album is released. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 63 on the Billboard 200. Image credit: Gonzoid at 45cat.com July 12, 1982: "I Will Always Love You" (form The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack) and "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" (from Dolly's Heartbreak Express) are released as a double A-single. "I Will Always Love You" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" did not chart on its own, but did chart as the flip side of "I Will Always Love You" on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Image credit: boyjohn at 45cat.com July 5, 1976: "All I Can Do" is released as the second single from Dolly's album of the same name. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. July 5, 2014: "I Believe in You" is released as a free download promotional single to promote Dolly's Imagination Library through her official website. The release was intended to precede the 2014 release of Dolly's first children's album which saw a limited release in 2015. The single would be released commercially in 2017 preceding the album's commercial release. July 6, 2012: "From Here to the Moon and Back" by Dolly, Kris Kristofferson, and Jeremy Jordan is released as the second single from the Joyful Noise soundtrack. It peaked at number two on both the Billboard Christian Digital Sales chart and the Billboard Gospel Digital Sales chart.
Vinyl Me, Please announced on Thursday, June 29, the second Dolly album they will be issuing in addition to the previously announced 12 titles in the Vinyl Me, Parton subscription. Dolly's 2003 ode to America, For God and Country, is being released on vinyl for the first time. The 18-track album has been pressed on "Red, White, and Bluegrass" vinyl and is limited to 2,000 copies which will be numbered. The album is exclusive for Vinyl Me, Please members (for $40) until noon on Saturday, July 1, when it will become available to non-members (for $45). It is showing on their website as In Stock, so it looks like it's ready to ship out now! The release of For God and Country follows closely on the heels of the release of Pure & Simple, which began shipping out yesterday (June 28), following it's pre-order being announced in March.
To order your copy of For God and Country, click here! June 28, 2011: Dolly's forty-third solo studio album, Better Day, is released. The album peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. June 29, 1970: Dolly's first live album, A Real Live Dolly, is released. The album was recorded at Dolly's high school, Sevier County High School. It peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Image credit: BandBox244 at 45cat.com June 29, 1970: "Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man" is released as the first and only single from Porter Wagoner and Dolly's fifth collaborative studio album, Once More. The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Image credit: jaimeeduardo at 45cat.com June 21, 1993: "Full Circle" is released as the third and final single from Dolly's thirty-second solo studio album, Slow Dancing with the Moon. Image credit: 55bluesman at 45cat.com June 22, 1970: "Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)", a Jimmie Rogers cover, is released as a single. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Dolly's first top ten single. It would later be included on the 1970 compilation album, The Best of Dolly Parton. Image credit: gamrhein at 45cat.com June 23, 1969: "In the Ghetto" is released as the second single from Dolly's fourth solo studio album, My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy. The single peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
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AdministratorBen Childers is the administrator of The Dolly Parton Discography. A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, he grew up taking family vacations to the Smokies and Dollywood. His love for Dolly and her music reached a fanatical level in April 2013. After spending countless hours researching and cataloging Dolly's musical output, he decided to open a website dedicated to her discography. Archives
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