Dolly Parton scores highest debut; Carrie Underwood reaches the top
Wednesday, March 5, 2008 – Dolly Parton scored the highest debuting CD of her career with the release of "Backwoods Barbie," her first country CD in 17 years. She sold about 27,000 units, good for second on the country charts and 17th overall.
Carrie Underwood took over the top of the song chart with "All-American Girl."
Parton's sales were not enough to take number one on the country chart - once again, that rests with Taylor Swift's self-titled debut, which is back on top after only a week at the top for Chris Cagle's "My Life's Been a Country Song." Cagle fell to ninth.
"Backwoods Barbie," which Parton released on her own label, was her fourth highest charting album overall. Three of her previous sets started lower, but eventually peaked higher: 1993's "Slow Dancing With the Moon" reached 16; her "Trio" effort with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris hit 6 in 1987 and "9 to 5 and Odd Jobs" ultimately peaked at 11 in 1981.
"Barbie's" start of 27,000 is Parton's best sales week since her collaborations album "Honky Tonk Angels" (with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette) did 40,000 during the traditionally busy Christmas week of 1993.
Elsewhere on the country album chart, Garth Brooks stayed third with "The Ultimate Hits" and Robert Plant/Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand" stayed fourth. Carrie Underwood was up two to fifth with "Carnival Ride."
Underwood claimed her fifth chart-topper on the Hot Country Songs list with "All-American Girl." takes the third-largest gain (up 3.6 million impressions) and surged from fifth to first.
Underwood now has spent 18 weeks at number one on the country charts. Among country's female acts, Underwood has the most number 1 songs so far since 2000, ahead of Sara Evans, Faith Hill and Jo Dee Messina, who have three.
The rest of the chart will be officially released Thursday.
More news for Dolly Parton
CD reviews for Dolly Parton
Dolly: Dolly Live From London
Dolly Parton took her acoustic guitar, her dazzling array of stage costumes, her still-vibrant-at-60-something voice and her down-home charm to greet her fans across the pond in 2008. She also took a video camera and recording equipment. The CD (and accompanying DVD) was recorded during Parton's sold out performances at the 02 arena in London.
As one of the most recognizable faces of country music around the world, it is beautiful to hear how well Parton's universally appealing songs of »»» |
Dolly
Over the course of 99 tracks on 4 discs, RCA/Legacy Recordings has given music fans a concise and nearly complete snapshot of Dolly Parton's considerable impact on country music with the release of the new box set - a task not accomplished by any other collection.
The set covers all the career-defining hits you would expect like Jolene, 9 To 5, Islands In The Stream, I Will Always Love You and Here You Come Again, but what makes this collection truly special is the unreleased material it »»» |
Backwoods Barbie
On a recent edition of American Idol, a contestant with rural roots was urged to express her inner country girl, only to have the experiment - Lennon and McCartney with a fiddle - earn the judges' scorn. She might have listened first to the original Appalachian sweetheart, Dolly Parton, who does Smokey Robinson ("Tracks of My Tears") on her new album, her first country album in 17 years. It is a credible reading, but on the title track, Parton expresses her inner Willa Cather. »»» |
Editorial: American Idol's Carrie Underwood can sing –
If anyone saw the Super Bowl – what a great great game that was – they would have heard American Idol winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood sing the National Anthem. Underwood did with her voice what Kelly Clarkson did last week with her written words – give it to Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Records,, who tried defending Taylor Swift by knocking American Idol performers. »»»
Concert Review: McBride, Adkins shine sometimes –
As Martina McBride pointed out, the pairing of the country singer with Trace Adkins on their current jaunt was surprising. After all, she's of diva-quality voice, petite, non-controversial unless you call singing songs that empower women controversial. Adkins, on the other hand, has not been afraid to speak his mind with a kick butt attitude.... »»»
Concert Review: Eilen Jewell wears her musical hats well –
Eilen Jewell wears a lot of musical hats. The Idaho native, who now lives in Boston, fronts the Eilen (ee-lin) Jewell Band, a pretty much traditional country band. She's a member the Sacred Shakers, an octet doing gospel country with a country beat. And she has yet another project, Butcher Holler, covering Loretta Lynn songs.... »»»
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