Dolly Parton's post-death streaming surge projects her to a first Billboard 200 No. 1

Dolly Parton died on 25 August 2026 in Nashville at age 80. Her U.S. on-demand streams rose over 2,000% and Spotify global streams over 1,260%, Billboard and Variety reported. Under Billboard's rules, most of those streams count toward her 2003 compilation 'Ultimate Dolly Parton,' projected for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — a chart she never topped in 50 lifetime entries.