Dolly Parton posthumously scores her first No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Album Downloads chart as ‘The Very Best Of’ returns to the tally at the summit. American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton wearing a denim jacket, 1979. (Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
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Whenever a major music star passes away, people around the world head to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, as well as download sites such as iTunes, to mourn the loss and show their support by streaming and buying songs and albums from the late superstar. Sometimes all that attention is focused around one or two tracks that defined a career, while at other times, multiple releases connected to one recently lost talent become bestsellers at once.
Only a few days ago, Dolly Parton’s death rocked the world, as it came as a complete surprise to millions. The country legend’s catalog is far too vast for only a handful of titles to become quick top performers on download websites, but fan attention in the United Kingdom has largely centered around several collections. The biggest of the bunch, at least in the earliest days following Parton’s death, is The Very Best Of. The compilation returns to multiple rankings across the Atlantic and even scores the singer-songwriter her first leader on one tally.
Dolly Parton Scores Her First No. 1
The Very Best Of reenters the Official Album Downloads chart at No. 1. The ranking focuses only on the bestselling albums and EPs purchased on download platforms throughout the United Kingdom. As her compilation returns, Parton reaches the summit for the first time in her career.
The Very Best Of Had Never Even Reached the Top 10
Amazingly, The Very Best Of had never broken into the top 10 on the Official Album Downloads ranking before this week. The last time the compilation was seen on the roster was in February, when it climbed to No. 24 – only a few spaces beneath what was then its No. 21 career high – before disappearing again. Following Parton’s death, the collection rockets all the way to first place with only a few days of solid tracking activity behind its ascent.
Dolly Parton Nearly Ruled With Rockstar
Parton had come close to conquering the Official Album Downloads tally in the past, but never quite made it. Rockstar, her first full-length devoted to rock music, peaked at No. 2. Parton has accumulated just five top 10s on the ranking, with Blue Smoke – The Best Of, Pure & Simple and The Complete Trio Collection – the latter alongside Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris – rising as high as Nos. 7, 8 and 10, respectively. Another release, A Holly Dolly Christmas, missed the highest tier by only one rung.
Dolly Parton Returns to No. 1 on a Country Chart As Well
The Very Best Of also reenters the Official Country Compilations chart at No. 1. The collection has now spent an incredible 426 weeks somewhere on the genre-specific roster, and 118 of those frames have been at the summit. That enormous figure includes the compilation’s first 16 weeks on the tally, beginning in the spring of 2007.
The Very Best Of Returns to Five Charts
The Very Best Of returns to all five U.K. rankings on which it appears at the moment. In addition to leading the Official Album Downloads and Official Country Compilations charts, the compilation reaches a new high of No. 12 on the Official Albums Sales roster. The project also reenters the Official Albums chart at No. 46 and the Official Physical Albums tally at No. 73.
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