Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’ named No. 1 country song of all time
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**Related Video Above: Turns out, Dolly Parton has family in Cleveland, Akron, Willoughby
(WJW) — It’s a song that stays in your head long after you stopped listening on repeat. For anyone who’s ever felt not quite good enough to be with their partner, it burns something deep. Recorded and released in 1973, Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” continues to stand out in a music genre drenched in sadness and longing.
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So maybe to some it’s not all that surprising that the song was just named the No.1 country song on Rolling Stone’s new The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time list.
“Jolene is Dolly Parton’s pinnacle as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller: the ultimate country heartbreak song,” the publication wrote as explanation.
Recently, younger music fans may have been introduced to the hit thanks to the cover on Beyoncé’s new country record. Yet, as Rolling Stone says: “It’s the song that sums up Dolly Parton at her realest and greatest.”
The 78-year-old singer-songwriter told NPR in 2008 that the song’s real staying power comes down to its simplicity.
“Even a first-grader or a baby can sing, ‘Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene.’ It’s like, how hard can that be?” she said.
To be clear, these lists crafted by music critics are meant to be divisive, causing us to click, read and react, convinced of our own music knowledge superiority.
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That being said, you can read the full Rolling Stone list right here.
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