# What is the best Dolly Parton song of all time?

> Country royalty, crossover smashes, and hidden gems spanning six decades of pure Dolly magic — from barn-burning bangers to tearjerkers that stop the room. Which one hits hardest for you?

*By YPB Team · Published May 5, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-dolly-parton-song-of-all-time*

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## Current results (0 votes)

1. **Jolene**
   A 1974 ballad pleading with a red-haired woman not to steal her husband, now one of the most recognizable songs in country history.
2. **I Will Always Love You**
   A heartfelt farewell ballad Parton wrote for mentor Porter Wagoner, later made globally iconic by Whitney Houston's 1992 cover.
3. **9 to 5**
   A Grammy-winning working-class anthem with typewriter rhythms that topped both the country and pop charts in 1980.
4. **Coat of Many Colors**
   Parton's personal favorite song, a tender childhood memory about her mother sewing a coat from rags inspired by the biblical story of Joseph.
5. **Islands in the Stream**
   A Bee Gees-penned duet with Kenny Rogers that topped both the country and pop charts in 1983.
6. **Here You Come Again**
   Her first major pop crossover hit in 1977 and first Grammy win, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
7. **Mule Skinner Blues**
   A bold yodeling bluegrass cover that won Parton her first Grammy Award in 1970 and showcased her remarkable vocal range.
8. **Joshua**
   Her first solo No. 1 country hit in 1971, a charming song about a shy mountain man who wins a woman's heart.
9. **Light of a Clear Blue Morning**
   An uplifting spiritual anthem from 1977 marking her newfound career independence after leaving the Porter Wagoner Show.
10. **Two Doors Down**
   A playful, uptempo honky-tonk hit from 1978 about forgetting heartbreak by joining a party next door.
11. **Travelin' Thru**
   An Academy Award-nominated ballad written for the 2005 film Transamerica, showcasing her songwriting and emotional depth.
12. **Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That**
   A sassy, uptempo country hit from 1989 that reached No. 1 on the Billboard country charts.
13. **Just Because I'm a Woman**
   An early feminist anthem from 1968 challenging double standards around a woman's past in romantic relationships.
14. **The Grass Is Blue**
   A haunting bluegrass heartbreak song from her 1998 album that earned her a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.

Tags: pop, music, country, dolly parton