Dolly Parton has achieved near-countless accolades and accomplishments in the music industry, and she just racked up one more. The Queen of Country Music released her new album, Rockstar, last year, and the album has now been certified Gold by the RIAA.
“When I set out to make my rock album, I always hoped it would be embraced by my fans as well as people who may not listen to my music,” Parton said in a statement. “I am thrilled to receive this Gold record! Thank you to everyone who was a part of this project. I guess I can now officially say I am a rockstar!“
“I am so proud of Dolly’s hard work in making an incredible album. She set the standard for us all on this project with her work ethic. I also must send appreciation to my entire team for their laser focus on this achievement,” added Parton’s manager, Danny Nozell. “We had the best partners in Scott Borchetta and the Big Machine Label Group, making this a true global effort. This is a history-making launch that none of us take for granted.”
Rockstar is Parton’s 49th studio album and marks her first official foray into rock music. Among the guest stars on Rockstar are other major stars like Miley Cyrus, Elton John, Lizzo, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, and 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry, who joins Parton for a cover of her own band’s tune “What’s Up?”
The genre-bending 30-song collection was expanded to 39 tracks with the release of Rockstar Deluxe: including 5 bonus tracks and 4 previously unheard songs. Notably, Rockstar has been one of Parton’s most well-received albums. It garnered six #1s on the Billboard charts during its debut week, and is ranked as the #5 best-selling Country album of 2023.
Parton decided to record Rockstar after being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. She initially declined the nomination, noting that she has always been a country musician and not a rock singer, but was later inducted into the prestigious organization. Parton’s run of #1 albums on the Billboard charts dates to 1977, the longest span for any Country artist, marking 46 years since her first number-one album — New Harvest…First Gathering — to Rockstar, her most recent number-one album.