NEW YORK — Dolly Parton was many things: A country star, actor, philanthropist, entrepreneur, theme park enthusiast, Christian who centred acceptance in her personal theology and so much more. But for many, her death Tuesday has served as a reminder that at the heart of her legacy is her role as a songwriter. And around the world, people are streaming her songs accordingly. Luminate, the industry data and analytics company, found that audio and video streams of Parton’s discography skyrocketed 2,109 per cent on the day of her death, compared to Monday — climbing from 1.2 million to 26.3 million in the U.S. Worldwide, her streams jumped 1,280 per cent, from 2.5 million on Monday to 35 million Tuesday. In the U.S., 10 songs led the charge: 1. “Jolene” grew from over 196.2K streams to 2.7 million. 2. “9 to 5” jumped from 208.6K to 2.3 million. 3. “Islands in the Stream,” her duet with the late Kenny Rogers, climbed from 165.9K to 1.8 million. 4. “I Will Always Love You,” Parton’s performance of her own classic, a song that was later made famous by Whitney Houston’s rendition, rose from 64.9K streams to 1.7 million. 5. “Here You Come Again” followed, moving from 48.7K streams to 1.3 million. 6. Then there was “Coat of Many Colors,” with 28.9K streams Monday to 1.2 million Tuesday. 7. “There Was Jesus,” her 2019 duet with Christian singer Zach Williams, rose from 85.2K streams to 503.1K. 8. “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That?” climbed from 22.1K to 733.8K. 9. “Tyrant,” Parton’s collaboration with Beyoncé from Bey’s Grammy winning 2024 album “Cowboy Carter,” jumped from 47.8K to 534.7K. 10. And lastly, “My Tennessee Mountain Home” increased from 5.8K to 501.7K. Curious to hear more Parton? Check out The Associated Press’ official playlist — from her country songs that challenge traditional gender dynamics to the greatest ballad ever committed to record — and read the stories behind them, here. Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
