Dolly Parton scores her highest-charting album with ‘Rockstar’

The country veteran’s latest release, which features a host of guest appearances from rock stalwarts including Sting, Steven Tyler, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, debuted at number 3 on Billboard 200 during the week ending November 23, selling 128,000 album-equivalent units.

Previously, the 77-year-old broke into the top 10 twice in her career, with her 2014 LP ‘Blue Smoke’ and her 1987 collaborative album with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, ‘Trio’. Both albums peaked at number 6.

Her feat appears largely attributed to physical sales, with ‘Rockstar’ selling 118,500 copies over its first week of release. This more than doubles the sales of her last biggest week, when she sold 50,500 copies of 1993’s ‘Slow Dancing With The Moon’ in its second week of release.

Parton’s ‘Rockstar’ follows behind Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ in second place, which sold 138,000 units last week, and Drake’s ‘For All The Dogs’ in first place, which returned to the number one spot following the release of its deluxe version on November 17, which includes six new songs.

Spanning 30 songs over two-and-a-half hours, Dolly Parton’s 49th studio album features a mix of originals including lead single ‘World On Fire’, and a host of classic covers including The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’, Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’, and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway To Heaven’.

In a four-star review of ‘Rockstar’, NME’s Jordan Bassett praised the album’s eclectic mix of guests and staggering breadth, stating: “‘Rockstar’ is as bursting with life and positivity as the woman who made it”.

Parton previewed the album’s release with a “first-listen fan event” in cinemas across the world on November 15, which featured an exclusive interview, behind-the-scenes footage, and live performances of tracks from ‘Rockstar’.

Most recently, Parton served halftime entertainment during the Washington Commanders’ and Dallas Cowboys’ NFL game on Thanksgiving day. Dressed in the Cowboys’ cheerleader’s outfit, she performed her hits, ‘Jolene’ and ‘9 To 5’, alongside covers of Queen’s classics, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, which feature on ‘Rockstar’.

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