I HAD A COUPLE THINGS planned this week, as this week marked my 16th anniversary of starting "Scenes 'n' Soundwaves". Usually on my anniversary, I will post something special here. Plus, there were some interesting moves and debuts on the SNS 100.
And then came the news that Dolly Parton passed away. She was 80 years old.
Thus, all that would have to wait.
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| Country music icon Dolly Parton passed away on August 25 at the age of 80. |
There are so many superlatives to say about Ms. Parton. She has done so much in this world. Yes, she can sing (and with over 25 country #1's and a couple of Hot 100 toppers), and also can act, her legend flies a lot higher than all her accomplishments in entertainment. She was also a humanitarian, and so much gave back to all of those who had helped her to get where she got. They didn't call her the "Queen of Country" for nothing, as she deserved all of the accolades that came to her.
It wasn't really easy for her growing up. Born in 1946 into poverty in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Sevierville to be exact, and being one of twelve kids really made it hard, but her family was able to endure. They were church goers, and working small farms they grew enough to be well fed with what they all had. Dolly had the musical bug in her as early as age six, and by ten started to appear on various television and radio programs. At age 13, she released her first single, "Puppy Love", that was in 1959. That same year, thanks to Johnny Cash, Dolly made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, singing a song by George Jones, "You Gotta Be My Baby", which garnered three encores. In the 1960's, she made her mark as a songwriter, with artists like Kitty Wells, Hank Williams Jr, and Skeeter Davis having hits, but perhaps like many aspiring artists, she found acceptance as a singer rather hard. Her first chart hit was "Dumb Blonde" which mid-charted (#24) on the country singles list.
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| Dolly performing with Porter Wagoner on his country variety show in which she was a regular for seven years. |
Her big break came when country star Porter Wagoner asked her to be a regular on his syndicated variety show, in 1967. While Wagoner didn't discover her, he did give Dolly much exposure that would establish her as a major artist to be reckoned with. She would replace Norma Jean Beasler, who apparently was a fan favorite. As a result, Dolly's presence on the show was initially not well-received. Wagoner persisted, and gave her a chance, and fans would soon warm up to her. Porter and Dolly started recording duets, and many of them became country hits in the late 60's into the early 1970's. But Dolly's solo output wasn't as popular, often missing the top ten. But, as she was always to do in her career, she persisted....and eventually thrived.
Wagoner suggested Dolly record a song called "Mule Skinner Blues" in 1971, and that became her first country top 10, peaking at #3. It worked, because the next single was "Joshua", which was written by her, became her first of many #1's. Over the next couple of years, her self-penned songs would define her career: "Coat of Many Colors", and "Jolene", the latter a big hit by early 1974. Another would become a big standard over the years: "I Will Always Love You". All three songs hit #1. By then, she was very aware of the music business: Elvis Presley wanted to record a version of that song, but his manager Coloner Tom Parker insisted, like many Elvis recordings, that he share half of the publishing loyalties for the song with Ms. Parton. Dolly said no, thus Elvis didn't record the song. Of course, Whitney Houston would have a huge hit with the song in 1992.
By the mid-70's, she would leave Porter Wagoner's show, and head out completely on her own. Unfortunately, the parting wasn't completely amicable. "I Will Always Love You" was dedicated to him, despite her leaving his show. Unfortunately, it ended in a lawsuit issued by Wagoner in 1979, but they eventually reconciled. By 1980, she amassed eight #1 singles on the country chart. But Dolly once again wanted a new phase in her career, and by 1977, she made a move in a more pop direction with her album First Harvest....New Gathering, while not abandoning her country roots. By the end of that year, she started hitting the Hot 100 frequently, starting with her top 10 "Here You Come Again". "Two Doors Down" was another hit in 1978. Singers like Olivia Newton-John, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris would be influenced and would record her songs. In fact, the latter two teamed up with Dolly for the Trio and Trio II albums in the late 1980's and early 90's.
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| The principals of the movie "9 to 5". Dolly (L), with Jane Fonda (C) and Lily Tomlin. The title song would be a #1 hit for Dolly. |
The eighties were indeed another great one for Dolly. Once again, she did something new, as she got into acting, most notably in the movie 9 to 5, that she starred in with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. The title song became her first #1 pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100. A couple years later, she repeated that success with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Then came Rhinestone and Steel Magnolias later that decade. But she still recorded and still had hits. Kenny Rogers was going to record "Islands In the Stream" solo, but it was suggested that Dolly (from the song's writer, Barry Gibb) join Kenny in a duet. As a result, it became another #1 record. On the country side, she would have 11 more #1's in the 80's, including another recording of "I Will Always Love You" (from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack).
While, because of the "new country" sound, Dolly cooled off a bit in the 90's chart-wise, but it didn't matter...she was an icon and would always lend a hand on another country artists recording. When Whitney Houston covered "I Will Always Love You" for her movie The Bodyguard, it won her additional respect from Ms. Houston's fans. Dolly would go into other ventures, including a theme park "Dollywood", which actually opened in 1986, and continues to this day.
She continued to record well into the 21st century. In 2007, she sang "I Will Always Love You" at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to celebrate Wagoner's 50th Opry anniversary, and which they reconciled. Her career would finally be rewarded in 2022 when she was nominated, then inducted, into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Of course, as with every year, there are the usual gripes about "this artist isn't 'rock', and all that. And for my part, I was partially guilty when I blogged about the inductees that year. Although I did mention that she did move sort of in a pop/rock direction in the late 70's, I wondered if she got in, then other country stars should. What I didn't realize, of course, is that Dolly's career transcended any sort of genre, and in retrospect it was a great move.
But, Dolly, thinking like many of the "that ain't rock" pundits, wanted to remove herself from consideration and refuse the induction. However, when it was explained to her that "rock 'n' roll" is a rather broad term, and that influences from other genres are also essential to be inducted, Dolly accepted it. Still, she wanted to do something to "earn" that induction, and what turned out to be her 49th and final album would be Rockstar, when the entire album was recorded with various stars in the rock fields. The list of featured performers reads like a "who's who" in the rock world: Included are collaborations with Sting, Steve Perry, Prince, Stevie Nicks, John Fogerty, Kid Rock, Peter Framption, Joan Jett, Elton John, Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Rob Halford, Melissa Etheridge, and many, many others. Dolly didn't have to do this album, but it definitely made her feel like she "earned" that Rock Hall nomination.
But enough of her accomplishments in the recorded media. What made Dolly an icon was her sincerity, and Philanthropy. In the 2010's, two TV-movies based on her life growing up, titled after one of her songs, A Coat of Many Colors, were broadcast. But during the time the second movie was broadcast in 2016, there were major wildfires in the Smoky Mountain range, all around the town of Gatlinburg. During the telecast, she came on and gave support to the firefighters and prayers to those who live there and made a big donation to support their cause and rebuild.
When it came to politics, Ms. Parton wisely stated that she never wanted to publicize her political views. She was publicly neutral. Sadly, many other artists seem to love to alienate half their audience by badmouthing politicians and claiming, "don't listen to my music" or turning concerts into political rallies and just acting childish. I won't name names, but they know who they are. And all of them don't hold a candle to her. Dolly rose above all that. She did support many communities such as the LGBTQ+ and marriage equality. And she was always sincere.
While I wasn't a staunch follower of her music, I loved HER. I never met her in person, although I did go to Dollywood back in 2002, and fell in love with the surrounding mountains, and the area she grew up in (I also visited Gatlinburg in 1982). Her vibe was always felt there. And now, any time I watch a video clip, be it a song or an interview, her voice brings tears to my eyes. She was one in a million. Dolly was a complete person, and the public response in the wake of her passing has been nothing but passionate. President Trump ordered flags at half-staff for a week, the Empire State Building was lit up in pink, and the large water tower here in Conway SC was also lit up in that color. And it looks like September 25th (9-25, as in 9-to-5) will be designated as "Dolly Parton Day". Finally, Nashville's airport will be renamed in Dolly's honor.
Dolly, who lost her longtime husband Carl Dean in March of last year, was fighting health issues of her own in recent months. She was hospitalized on August 21, four days before she passed. Ms. Parton was diagnosed with cancer, and died after a "brief battle" with the disease.
Whether you listened to her music or not, Dolly Parton holds a special place in many hearts. Her sincerely was always there through thick and thin. I don't know anyone who can say a bad word about her.
Rest in Peace, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean.
HOT 100: The news about Dolly's passing eclipsed a sort of chart history, as the biggest country star of the current day, Ella Langley, achieved her 19th week at #1 with "Choosin' Texas". This ties it for 2nd place all-time in the history of the Billboard chart, first if you don't count holiday songs. It ties "Old Town Road" (Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus), and "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" (Shaboozey). That also puts the song within three weeks of tying Mariah Carey's perennial "All I Want For Christmas Is You", which racked up 22 weeks between the holiday seasons of 2019 and 2025.
So, can Ella break the overall record? Apparently, there aren't any releases by major artists coming up, so it has a shot. But I do wonder how Dolly's passing will affect the Hot 100. Old songs are allowed to reenter the chart if they have enough points to make the top 50. But, without referencing any posts on it, I would definitely think that songs like "9 to 5", "Islands in the Stream" and "I Will Always Love You", just to name three, will debut high on the chart either next week or the week after. It's a good possibility as she has the top eight songs on the iTunes download chart currently, with the above three, plus "Jolene" in the top 4. So this should be interesting to watch. But, as we are just a few months from the holiday season, Mariah can always tack on many more weeks. However, wouldn't be it great if Dolly released a posthumous holiday single, or that her 1982 song "Hard Candy Christmas" has a big revival? Or perhaps a new holiday song from Ella as well? Stay tuned.
As for the rest of the top 10, it's the same as last week with a couple of position changes, in particular Stella Lefty's "Boston" moving up from #4 to #2. Stella and Ella? Hmmm.......
SNS 100: For the first time, the entire top ten of my chart features all women. The Womack Sisters score a second week at #1 with "If I Let You", and now have three songs in the top 20, matching Ella Langley's current total in that region. The sisters also have "You Went Away Too Long" moving to #10 and "Chauffeur" entering at #20.
Deb Browning and Townsend Link's "The Sea Sand and You" holds steady at #2. It was announced last week that Link, the lead singer for The Pink Slips Band (currently at #47 with "Windows Rolled Down") will retire from that band at the end of the year. Marsha Morgan holds at #3 with "Whenever There's Summer". The big mover is Sienna Spiro's "Material Lover" moving from 10 to 4. Starbuck, featuring Elsie B holds at #5 with "Sleeping in the Rain and Thunder", and Ella Langley's two songs "Be Her" and "Choosin' Texas" hold at 6 and 7 respectively. Megan Moroney moves up a notch to #8 with "Wish I Didn't".
In the second ten, aside from "Chauffeur", three others debut in that region. The Impact award goes to Thee Sacred Souls' "Any Old Fool" (22-15). While her "Bands on the Beach" falls out of the top 20, it's replaced by Vaughan Penn's follow-up, "Sandbar Shuffle (26-17). Finally, newcomer Wendy Lucas moves 25-19 with "Down for the Drive".
Some interesting observations outside the top 20. Starbuck's "Doo Wop Bop", which fell out of the top 20 last week after peaking at #13, moves back up from 27 to 23. The resurge is due to a correction in Don Mark's Surfside chart. The song was steadily moving up that chart, moving from 9 to 7 two weeks ago, then suddenly falling off the chart. If you're familiar with that chart, you know that songs move slowly up and then drop only a few notches as they are leaving, so it was unusual for it to exit on the way up. The latest chart shows a first-ever tie at the #6 position as "Doo Wop Bop" reemerged, along with the Pink Slips' "Catch a Ride". It was explained by Don Mark that it was mistakenly left off last week, thus he corrected it. Part of my chart is driven by what's going on elsewhere, and a lot of that song's success on SNS was driven by the Surfside listing. But, with Starbuck's latest, "Bongo Bay" attracting a lot of attention this week, that song should soon be scoring on other charts. "Bongo Bay" moves 63-42 as one of the prime movers.
Others making gains on the SNS 100 include Michelle Branch and New Radicals remake of my year-end #1 from 2002, "The Game of Love" (35-26), Sam Fender and Olivia Dean's "Rein Me In" (58-37) and still moving up the Hot 100; and last week's Top Debut, "I Feel Hope Coming" by Alabama Shakes (70-38).
DEBUTS: Before I get into the new songs, two older songs re-enter the chart: "I've Got the Just Can't Help Its" by Sylvia Johns Ritchie and Doyle Wood, which originally peaked at #22, comes back at #81. The impetus for its revival is that the song is finally available on Spotify, which helps a chart position on SNS (although any song that it available via YouTube or digital download, can chart here).
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| North Tower reenters with "Pretty Lady". A recent push to revive the song has pushed it back to #1 on two charts. |
The other reentry is "Pretty Lady" by North Tower Band, coming back on the list at #93, in its 45th chart week. The song has been out for one year, and there was a push to have listeners vote for it on various surveys. Pat Gwinn's "At the Beach" chart still has it at number one (probably close to its 40th week there), and it's also #1 on the 94.9 The Surf listing, having re-entered at that position. That chart invites you to vote for a song on a scale from 0 to 10. Songs are removed from the ballot after a year, and the song will leave after this week, thus the drive to have it go out with a bang. "Pretty Lady", a cover of the Lighthouse song from 1973, spent a record 12 weeks topping SNS last fall and into the winter.
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| Promo for the new Mac Daddy's Band single, "Shirley You're Kidding", this week's Top Debut |
I'M NOT KIDDING, AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY: As for the new entries on the chart, it's topped by the latest from The Mac Daddy's Band, "Shirley, You're Kidding", entering at #52, that has been getting a big buzz from the beach music community. While the band's previous song, a cover of Grand Funk Railroad's "Bad Time" hit top 10 here, it really didn't make an impact on the regional beach charts. Perhaps the relative failure of that song caused them to do this one. Well, to put it mildly, the band has definitely pulled out all the stops on this dynamite song, recruiting a who's who of current Carolina beach music for this. It's a very uptempo song and Michael Fite's vocals are sharp, and the band is in its glory here. A background crowd is present on the song, simulating a barroom. The song is written by Charlie Sattenfield, who has been red-hot lately with big hits by The Tams and Christina Cooper Black (and a forthcoming one by Marlisa Kay Small). And the production is helmed by Tim Sidden, who has produced his share of hits for his Ocean Drive Productions. The song mentions Ocean Drive's places such as Deckerz.
And then there's the video, mostly set at Deckerz. It revolved around the character "Shirley" (played by Sattenfield's wife Laurie), who finds any opportunity to have a drink, be it at home or at a local bar. And while it's played for laughs, it does send a serious message about drinking excessively (and at the end of the video, a message advises us to drink responsibly, and to seek help if you need to do so). Many familiar faces are in the video as well, including the likes of Deb Browning (and her husband Bob), Sylvia Johns Ritchie, Nicky Hooks, Melissa Hinson, Jim Quick and Ray Scott. This one should put the band right back at the top, and no doubt will be a big hit on all the beach charts as well.
I mentioned this band a couple weeks ago when two of its members recorded a song as Loaded Honey, whose "Tokyo Rain" moves 40-30 this week. Lydia Kitto and Joshua Lloyd Watson are also members of Jungle, which also includes Tom McFarland. Jungle had a top 5 blog hit in 2015 with "Busy Earnin'", and while the band has steadily released a bunch of songs since, the band's latest, "Sunshine" is the first to hit SNS since then. My initial reaction is, "what took so long"? Because listening to this delivers chills up my spine. A dash of retro soul, and add a dance beat to it, and you have an exciting song. It should compete with "Tokyo Rain" as both move up the chart. An exciting new song here. It enters at #60.
Ruth Morayniss continues her hot streak with her latest, "Waiting on You", debuting at #88. Very cool rock-orientated instrumentation accompanies a venerable vocal. The song keeps on going and doesn't give up. It has sort of an 80's vibe to it, which is always nice to have. Another blog hit for Ruth.
The Linda Lindas had a blog hit in 2021 with "Oh!" which reached #12, and a couple of mid-charters since, but they're back with "Burning Out". This one has that classic early 90's alternative sound that for me doesn't go out of date. It enters at #91.
BUBBLING: A few songs enter the Tremors list, headed by "She Gets Carried Away", by Mike Browning, presumably no relation to Deb. This is a cool pop-style song with a retro-sounding guitar. Mike sounds a bit like Steve Cheek, but otherwise, the song is its own.... Brandon Flowers from The Killers, steps out once again with a solo effort, "Plan". Contrary to the band's direction, this one is full-scale country, and he pulls it off very well.... Finally, we have "Shagging in Carolina" by Michael Hyatt, and despite the title and the lyrics, it has more of a country favored accent added to the expected beach music vibe here. Definitely a good timin' song that gets better with each listen.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
August 23, 2026
|
This Week |
Last Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: The Womack Sisters (2 Weeks at #1) |
7 |
|
2 |
2 |
16 |
|
|
3 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
4 |
10 |
5 |
|
|
5 |
5 |
14 |
|
|
6 |
6 |
25 |
|
|
7 |
7 |
31 |
|
|
8 |
9 |
12 |
|
|
9 |
19 |
4 |
|
|
10 |
11 |
11 |
|
|
11 |
4 |
13 |
|
|
12 |
15 |
9 |
|
|
13 |
17 |
7 |
|
|
14 |
8 |
13 |
|
|
15 |
22 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  (Single Release) |
6 |
|
16 |
13 |
13 |
|
|
17 |
26 |
4 |
|
|
18 |
18 |
13 |
|
|
19 |
25 |
8 |
|
|
20 |
33 |
6 |
|
|
21 |
14 |
17 |
|
|
22 |
24 |
10 |
|
|
23 |
27 |
13 |
|
|
24 |
28 |
10 |
|
|
25 |
30 |
6 |
|
|
26 |
35 |
4 |
|
|
27 |
32 |
9 |
|
|
28 |
34 |
7 |
|
|
29 |
12 |
20 |
|
|
30 |
40 |
4 |
|
|
31 |
37 |
7 |
|
|
32 |
21 |
19 |
|
|
33 |
36 |
9 |
|
|
34 |
16 |
13 |
|
|
35 |
20 |
10 |
|
|
36 |
41 |
6 |
|
|
37 |
58 |
3 |
|
|
38 |
70 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album: I Must Be Dreaming |
2 |
|
39 |
42 |
5 |
|
|
40 |
43 |
7 |
|
|
41 |
39 |
10 |
|
|
42 |
63 |
3 |
|
|
43 |
29 |
9 |
|
|
44 |
23 |
12 |
|
|
45 |
44 |
8 |
|
|
46 |
46 |
6 |
|
|
47 |
48 |
5 |
|
|
48 |
49 |
16 |
|
|
49 |
38 |
10 |
|
|
50 |
31 |
16 |
|
|
51 |
65 |
3 |
|
|
52 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  (Single Release) |
1 |
|
53 |
51 |
7 |
|
|
54 |
59 |
7 |
|
|
55 |
67 |
5 |
|
|
56 |
73 |
3 |
|
|
57 |
53 |
9 |
|
|
58 |
75 |
3 |
|
|
59 |
64 |
6 |
|
|
60 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
61 |
52 |
12 |
|
|
62 |
69 |
5 |
|
|
63 |
45 |
15 |
|
|
64 |
47 |
11 |
|
|
65 |
76 |
5 |
|
|
66 |
90 |
2 |
|
|
67 |
77 |
4 |
|
|
68 |
50 |
8 |
|
|
69 |
55 |
14 |
|
|
70 |
57 |
12 |
|
|
71 |
84 |
4 |
|
|
72 |
91 |
2 |
|
|
73 |
81 |
4 |
|
|
74 |
85 |
3 |
|
|
75 |
54 |
11 |
|
|
76 |
60 |
20 |
|
|
77 |
78 |
6 |
|
|
78 |
83 |
4 |
|
|
79 |
56 |
16 |
|
|
80 |
88 |
2 |
|
|
81 |
REENTRY |
Sylvia Johns
Ritchie and Doyle Wood - I've Got the Just Can't Help Its |
16 |
|
82 |
89 |
2 |
|
|
83 |
61 |
14 |
|
|
84 |
62 |
14 |
|
|
85 |
74 |
7 |
|
|
86 |
97 |
2 |
|
|
87 |
103 |
1 |
|
|
88 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
89 |
100 |
2 |
|
|
90 |
66 |
15 |
|
|
91 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
92 |
68 |
15 |
|
|
93 |
REENTRY |
45 |
|
|
94 |
80 |
27 |
|
|
95 |
94 |
3 |
|
|
96 |
102 |
1 |
|
|
97 |
105 |
1 |
|
|
98 |
71 |
8 |
|
|
99 |
101 |
1 |
|
|
100 |
106 |
1 |
Tremors:
101. Harley Olivia - Try Me On For Size
102. Mike Browning - She Gets Carried Away
103. The Revivalists - Heart Stop
104. Brandon Flowers - Plans
105. The Jayhawks - Keeping Our Heads Above Water
106. Michael Hyatt - Shagging in Carolina
Tremors: Songs which have steady or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS 100.
Murmurs:
Thee Sacred Souls - Waiting for the Right Time/One and the Same
Murmurs: Songs which are in the queue for future adds onto the Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist.
|
Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week
●Songs garnering 25 plays on Spotify (“Scrobbles”) according to Last.Fm (effective October 2024) ▲ Songs garnering 50 plays.
Songs on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40: Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS 100
Scenes 41-100 and Newbies Songs in Positions 41-100 on the SNS 100 plus new additions
Scenes Recurrents: Songs which had been in the top 20 and/or songs on the chart 25 weeks or more, that have dropped off the SNS 100.
(Rob Sheldon is a music fan who has followed music trends the past 60 years, and covers new and classic music, specializing in pop, rock, alternative, beach, soul and country genres). He can be contacted at rsheldonx4804@gmail.com
