Topline
The late country music icon Dolly Parton was the most-streamed artist in the United States on Spotify one day after her death, with many of her best-known songs, like “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” also topping the charts.
Parton topped the U.S. Spotify artist chart for the first time, one day after her death. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Parton was the No. 1 most-streamed artist on U.S. Spotify on Wednesday, the first time she has ever topped the chart, one day after her representatives announced the singer had died at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
Parton’s song “Jolene” was the most-streamed song on U.S. Spotify on Wednesday, with her other hits “9 to 5” and “Islands in the Stream” following at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
The singer ranked 15 songs among U.S. Spotify’s top 200 on Wednesday, with “I Will Always Love You” and “Coat of Many Colors” landing in the top 10, as well as one of her most recent releases—her song “Tyrant” with Beyoncé—placing No. 83.
Parton also made a splash globally, ranking as the No. 2 most-streamed artist on global Spotify on Wednesday, only behind Bad Bunny.
On the global Spotify chart, Parton’s “Jolene” and “9 to 5” rank as the No. 1 and No. 2 most streamed songs on Wednesday, while “Islands in the Stream” ranks No. 4.
tangent
Parton dominated many other music charts following her death. On the U.S. Apple Music charts, “Jolene” is the No. 1 song, followed by “9 to 5” at No. 2, “Islands in the Stream” at No. 4 and “I Will Always Love You” at No. 5. On the U.S. iTunes charts, the top 12 albums are nearly all Parton’s—except for a Post Malone album at No. 8—while the top 10 songs are all Parton’s, led by her original “I Will Always Love You” at No. 1.
big number
2,320%. That’s how much streams of Parton’s music increased on U.S. Spotify on the day of Parton’s death, compared with her average streams over the preceding week. Globally, her streams increased 1,260%. Streams of “Jolene” jumped 630% globally and 1,225% in the United States, while streams of “9 to 5” surged 630% globally and 1,030% in the United States.
key background
Parton, a widely admired icon of country music, died at age 80 on Tuesday. Her nephew and head of security Bryan Seaver confirmed her death in a video message posted to the singer’s social media accounts on Tuesday, and her representatives later confirmed she had a brief battle with cancer. Days before her death, Parton told People she was dealing with “hard times with my health,” citing “health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” referring to her late husband who died last year. She had postponed a string of Las Vegas shows last year, citing “health challenges,” and in May this year, she said her “immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past three years.” Parton’s death sparked tributes from celebrities and politicians, including Miley Cyrus, Parton’s goddaughter. “The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share,” Cyrus wrote on Instagram, saying their “most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts.”
forbes valuation
Forbes estimated Parton was worth about $450 million prior to her death. Much of Parton’s wealth came from her stake in her Dollywood theme park, and Forbes estimated last year her music catalog was worth $120 million. Parton’s website says she has sold more than 100 million albums.
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