As Dolly Parton continues on her media rampage with a killer Glastonbury performance, ‘Blue Smoke – The Best of’ remains at the top spot on Country Albums this week. Added to that are ‘The Very Best of Dolly Parton’ at #2, ‘Greatest Hits’ at #6, ‘The Essential Dolly Parton’ at #7 and ‘Ultimate Dolly Parton’ at #17. Of course, they’re all compilation albums, but that can only mean she is continuing to attract new fans to her music, which is always a good thing. With the Nashville season finale about to air on UK television, the soundtrack albums remain a mainstay on the iTunes charts, with season 2: volume 2 a solid #4 this week. Too, season 2: Volume 1 has managed #8, while season 1: volume 2 is at #11 and Clare Bowen’s season 2 track collection comes in at #25.
A new country legends compilation has now been released by Sony Music (look out for a feature and a giveaway) and that’s currently doing well at #3, while Kacey Musgraves’ return to the UK on tour has shot her debut album ‘Same Trailer Different Park’ to #5. Lady Antebellum meanwhile see a drop to #10 with ‘Need You Now’, and June’s hits ‘Platinum’ and ‘Band of Brothers’ by Miranda Lambert and Willie Nelson respectively are down at #15 and #16. Taylor Swift has dropped even further this week, as ‘Red’ falls to #18 and ‘Fearless (Platinum Edition)’ to #20, although she manages to beat out entries from Shania Twain and Luke Bryan all the same.
But it’s Country Songs that really caused me to take a gasp, as Dolly is taking up nearly every position in the top 25, with a mixture of old and new hits (mostly old, admittedly). Only Kacey Musgraves’ brand new ‘The Trailer Song’ iTunes release has managed to enter the top 10 aside from Dolly, and even she only makes it to #9. Nashville gets a look in with Hayden Panettiere’s ‘Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet’ at #11 and Clare Bowen’s ‘Black Roses’ at #13, with Taylor Swift placing ‘Love Story’ at #20 and Lady Antebellum’s ‘Need You Now’ down to #21. Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s duet ‘Jackson’ makes #25, but aside from those it is only Dolly, making for twenty out of twenty five positions. Even in the height of Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’ phenomenon, I’ve never seen it that monopolized, and it just goes to show who’s really on top when it comes to country females (for those who were wondering, ‘Jolene’ is on top, followed by ‘9 To 5’ and ‘Islands In The Stream’, with ‘Blue Smoke’ rallying at #4).
