Dolly Parton’s ‘Diamonds & Rhinestones’ rises to a new peak of No. 2 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Streaming chart — a new peak for the late star. NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 18: Dolly Parton attends Stella Parton’s Red Tent Women’s Conference 2014 at the Doubletree Hotel Downtown on April 18, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
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It is not unusual to see songs and albums by a musical artist who has recently passed away explode in popularity in both sales and streams. Depending on how popular the act was during their lifetime and how many hits they scored, a star may claim new smashes, while older pieces of music can climb to never-before-seen highs thanks to the sudden renewed interest.
Dolly Parton’s posthumous chart comeback – which follows the announcement of her passing in late August after a private battle with cancer – could go on for a long time. The first few days and perhaps even weeks are always the most intense when it comes to an uptick in streams and purchases of a late star’s catalog, but when the musician is one of the most celebrated of all time, as Parton was, that interest can linger. As some of the country legend’s works begin to descend across a number of rankings in the United Kingdom, other albums manage one more surge. Parton even misses her first No. 1 on a tally she has never dominated before by only one space.
Dolly Parton Nearly Scores Her First No. 1
Diamonds & Rhinestones – Greatest Hits steps up two spaces to No. 2 on the Official Albums Streaming chart this time around. The compilation misses out on leading the ranking of the most-played albums and EPs on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and others throughout the U.K. by a single rung. Second place now becomes the new career high for Parton on the streaming-focused tally.
Dolly Parton Reaches a New Streaming Chart High
Parton has only placed a pair of projects on the Official Albums Streaming chart throughout her career. She first appeared on the ranking in January 2020 with The Very Best Of. That compilation topped out at No. 63 and spent more than 40 weeks rising and falling on the roster. Diamonds & Rhinestones debuted on the tally in January 2023, and so far, it has only spent three frames on the list.
Michael Jackson Blocks Dolly Parton From No. 1
Parton is blocked from a posthumous No. 1 by another late great talent. Michael Jackson’s The Essential holds at No. 1 on the Official Albums Streaming chart.
The project, which features many of Jackson’s biggest singles, debuted on the streaming tally in March 2015, but it did not rise to the summit until May of this year, following the release of the Michael biopic. Since then, The Essential has commanded the Official Albums Streaming chart more often than not. The compilation is now up to 14 total frames at No. 1 – all of them earned in only the past few months.
Diamonds & Rhinestones Hits Another New Peak
Diamonds & Rhinestones also reaches a new high point on the Official Albums chart, the main ranking of the most-consumed albums and EPs in the United Kingdom. Streams play a role in where a title lands on that list, but so too do sales.
The Parton compilation inches up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5, establishing its newly-set all-time high. Diamonds & Rhinestones only broke into the top 10 for the first time last week, when it returned to the ranking in sixth place after the world learned of the singer’s passing.
Dolly Parton’s Compilation Matches Another Recent Hit
Thanks to its gain of only one spot, Diamonds & Rhinestones ties another successful project within Parton’s discography. Her last project to debut on the Official Albums chart, Rockstar, launched in November 2023 and peaked at No. 5.
Diamonds & Rhinestones, which preceded Rockstar by only about a year, now matches that position. Both releases are tied as Parton’s second-highest-charting wins on the Official Albums tally. Both Blue Smoke – The Best Of and Pure & Simple performed even better, as the two collections missed out on ruling the competitive list by one space.
Diamonds & Rhinestones Climbs on Nearly Every Chart
Diamonds & Rhinestones appears on four additional U.K. rankings this week, and it gains ground on all but one of them. The compilation rises to Nos. 32 on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums rosters and to No. 37 on the Official Album Downloads list.
The set is steady at No. 2 on the Official Country Compilations chart, where Parton once again blocks herself from returning to the summit. The same star’s The Very Best Of remains at No. 1, keeping Diamonds & Rhinestones in second place.
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