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KSanders writesTop 10 Dolly Parton Songs That’ll Keep Your Spirits Lifted
by Kyle Sanders
Lord, it’s like 2020 was a hard candy Christmas! We barely got through it, but still didn’t let sorrow bring us way down. How did we pull this off? The answer: Dolly Parton.
Last year, Parton kept our spirits up the only way she knew how: by staying busy! Her elastic work ethic saw the country legend release a Covid-related inspirational song, create a YouTube page to read bedtime stories to schooless children as part of her Imagination Library charity, and close out the year by releasing a Christmas album supported by a television special.
Perhaps the most admirable contribution she made to 2020 was donating $1 million for scientific efforts in creating a vaccine to cure Covid-19. That vaccine—created by Moderna—has since been approved and is now being (slowly yet surely) distributed across the country.
Parton also published a collection of her songs in a coffee table book entitled Songteller. While the book contains nearly 200 titles, she claims to have written over 3,000 songs.
During the early months of the pandemic, I actually challenged myself with listening to all fifty-one of Parton’s albums (all available to stream on YouTube for free), and it made me appreciate just how great of a songwriter she is. She can break your heart with one song, then mend it back together with another.
Despite her bubbly persona, she also has a rather dark streak, having produced songs that’ll leave you absolutely devastated (seriously, try listening to “The Bridge,” “Down From Dover,” or “Me and Little Andy” without ruining the rest of your day).
But of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t focus on the songs that, like Dolly’s welcoming presence, bring a lot of joy. In honor of her 75th birthday, here are ten Dolly songs that’ll keep your spirits lifted during this tumultuous time:
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Jan 18 - Jan 24 2021)
Best of Chicago 2020
- The Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago 2020 finalists are out! CHIRP Radio has been nominated for Best Overall Radio Station, Best Music Podcast, Best Blog, Best Live Lit Show (The First Time), and Best Radio DJ (Nicole Oppenheim: Ear Candy and Ninja). Polls are open until February 8th...click here to cast your votes.
On the Podcast:
- Mick R. converses with Jayanna, Jacob, and Brandon of Couch Prints
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 01/18/21:
Gal Gun – Critical Hit (Human Instrumentality Project)
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Jan 11 - Jan 17 2021)
On the Podcast:
- Mick R. talks with Christopher Salveter of Judson Claiborne
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 01/04/21:
Gal Gun – Critical Hit (Human Instrumentality Project)
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio Weekly Voyages (Jan 4 - Jan 10 2021)
On the Blog:
- CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers' favorite albums of 2020
On the Podcast:
- Jessi D interviews Oceantor
Top of the CHIRP Charts for the week of 12/28/20:
The Twilite Tone – The Clearing (Stones Throw)
CHIRP Radio writesCHIRP Radio’s Top Albums of 2020
Throughout December, CHIRP Radio presents its volunteers’ top albums of 2020.
As we get ready to turn another page, it’s time to present CHIRP Radio’s collective list of the Top Ten albums of the year. Of the 300+ records mentioned by our volunteers in their individual lists, these are the ones cited the most often.
In the summer of 2020, an enigmatic UK entity released one set of songs in June and then another in September, during the latest historic period in America’s struggle for equality. The powerful style and messages of these two releases resonated with many of our volunteers the rest of the year; Almost every reviewer who cited one of the albums on their year-end list mentioned the other one with equal praise. All things considered, it just doesn’t make sense to think of them as separate items.
Therefore, for the first time in the history of CHIRP Radio list-crafting, the same artist claims the #1 and #2 albums of the year, topping a list of new and veteran musicians who helped the rest of us keep it together during these savage times.
CHIRP Radio thanks all of the musicians, labels and venues who keep on making their art, because that’s what artists do. And a special Thank You to our listeners who never stopped supporting us through this year. It’s an honor and a joy to be part of your community.
Here’s to better days for all of us. See you in 2021.