''Rockstar'' is the forty-ninth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on November 17, 2023, by Butterfly Records and Big Machine Records. The album is a collaborative project with a variety of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

musicians, marking Parton's first album-length foray into the genre. Lead single "World on Fire" was released on May 11, 2023, with the singles "

Magic Man "Magic Man" is a song by the American rock band Heart released as a single off their debut album, '' Dreamboat Annie.'' Written and composed by Ann and Nancy Wilson, the song is sung from the viewpoint of a young girl who is being seduced by a ...

" featuring Ann Wilson, "Bygones" featuring

Rob Halford Robert John Arthur Halford (born 25 August 1951) is an English heavy metal singer. He is the lead vocalist of Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has b ...

and Nikki Sixx and John 5, " We Are the Champions"/" We Will Rock You", Parton's version of "

Let It Be Let It Be most commonly refers to: * ''Let It Be'' (Beatles album), the Beatles' final studio album, released in 1970 * "Let It Be" (Beatles song), the title song from the album It may also refer to: Film and television * ''Let It Be'' (1970 ...

" featuring surviving

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

Paul McCartney and

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

, and Parton's version of " What's Up?" featuring Linda Perry following over the next five months. Parton performed a duet of " Wrecking Ball" with Miley Cyrus on New Year's Eve 2022, and performed "World on Fire" at the

58th Academy of Country Music Awards The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards was held on May 11, 2023, in Frisco, Texas at the Ford Center at The Star. The ceremony was hosted by country legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. Background On July 19, 2022, Prime Video and the ACM ...

in May 2023. The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming Parton's highest-charting solo studio album as well as topping the Country and

Rock Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

charts.

Recording and release

Parton was nominated for the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

in 2022 and initially declined the honor as she has a background in country music and not rock. In response, she declared her intention to record an album of rock covers with a host of musical guests from that genre to justify her inclusion. Parton performed "Rockin'", an original song, at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. She reached out to a variety of dream collaborators over the course of several months, including several of the artists she performed with at the Hall of Fame ceremony such as fellow 2022 inductees Pat Benatar,

Neil Giraldo Neil Thomas Giraldo (born December 29, 1955) is an American musician, record producer, arranger, and songwriter best known as the musical partner of Pat Benatar since 1979and spouse since 1982. He has also performed, written and produced for art ...

, Simon Le Bon and

, and other guests Pink,

Brandi Carlile Brandi Marie Carlile ( ; born June 1, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and producer whose music spans many genres, including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. , Carlile has released seven studio albums. She has ...

and

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...

. Parton officially announced the recording on '' The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon'' on November 30. She revealed the album release on the January 17, 2023, episode of '' The View'' and previewed the track "World on Fire" on May 11. British singer and guitarist

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

was recruited into recording after a mutual friend performed backing vocals with American singer

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...

on the album. He immediately called his manager and the next day, spoke with producer Kent Wells to perform a

guitar solo A guitar solo is a melodic passage, instrumental section, or entire piece of music, pre-written (or improvised) to be played on a classical guitar, electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. In 20th and 21st century traditional music and popular m ...

and also vocals on a second track. Parton pursued Mick Jagger to provide vocals on her

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

cover, but he had a scheduling conflict and failed to reunite Led Zeppelin's

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...

and

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

for her new cover of "

Stairway to Heaven "Stairway to Heaven" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page and lead singer Robert Plant for their untitled fourth studio album (often titled ''Led Zeppelin IV'') ...

", a favorite of her husband Carl Dean. Her favorite collaborator was fellow country musician

Chris Stapleton Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky. In 2001, Stapleton moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to ...

, who stepped in when

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

was unable to join Parton on " Night Moves" due to experiencing problems with his voice. Prior to the reveal of the official track listing, Parton had performed "Wrecking Ball" with her goddaughter Miley Cyrus at her New Year's Eve show. Parton performed the album's lead single "World on Fire" for the first time at the

on May 11, 2023.

Singles

Lead single "World on Fire" was released on May 11, 2023. After 55 years as a recording artist, Parton had her first release hit a rock-themed chart, with "World on Fire" debuting at number 13 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s Rock Digital Song Sales on May 20, 2023. It went on to peak at number 1 a week later. The second single "

" featuring Ann Wilson was released on June 15, 2023. The third single, "Bygones", featuring

with guests Nikki Sixx and John 5, was released the following day. The fourth single, " We Are the Champions"/" We Will Rock You" was released on July 21, 2023. Parton's version of "

", featuring surviving

Paul McCartney and

, was released as the album's fifth single on August 18, 2023. The sixth single, Parton's version of " What's Up?" featuring Linda Perry, was released on September 22, 2023. The seventh single, Parton's version of "Wrecking Ball" featuring Miley Cyrus, was released on October 20, 2023.

Commercial performance

The album earned 128,000 album-equivalent units, with 118,500 in album sales, in its debut week, making it Parton's most successful debut ever. It was also her first album to top ''

's'' Top Album Sales chart in the chart's 32 year existence. It ranked No. 3 on the Billboard 200 list, the highest for any Dolly Parton album, and also was No. 1 on both the Country and Rock & Alternative lists.

Critical reception

''Rockstar'' received a score of 65 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 18 critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

''s Dana Poland wrote that "to her credit, Parton still manages to make ''Rockstar'' sound and feel like a Dolly Parton album, thanks in large part to her distinctive twang. She and producer Kent Wells make some subtle changes to these songs ..though more inventive arrangements would have distinguished these versions from the originals". '' Classic Rock'' described it as "a monumentally hideous, yet strangely glorious album", while ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' felt that "even if there are moments when ''Rockstar'' seems under-amped, you have to admire her chutzpah". '' PopMatters'' Peter Piatkowski wrote that "despite the rockstar affectations, ''Rockstar'' is a country-pop album that hopscotches through various genres" including

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

on " Heart of Glass" and although there are "wildly divergent styles represented on the record, Parton doesn't seem lost or adrift, even if her beautiful trill is shoved in front of buzzing electric guitars". Allison Hussey of '' Pitchfork'' called it "a dense and star-studded collection that sounds like the millennium's most expensive karaoke party" but felt that its "more tender moments can't outrun its subtextual baggage" and it ends with an "11-minute fart of a closing cliché". Helen Brown of '' The Independent'' found it "so long that it can feel like a bit of a slog" but "after all the glittering joy and fluttering hope Parton has given the world, it's hard to begrudge her a little Dollyoke fun".

Track listing

Notes * signifies a special guest artist * The CD packaging contains 2 discs, one with tracks 1–15 and the other disc with tracks 16–30 * The Vinyl packaging contains 4 discs, one with tracks 1–8, one with 9–15, one with 16–23, one with 24–30

Personnel

Musicians * Dolly Parton – vocals * Kent Wells – acoustic guitar (tracks 1–3, 5, 6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30), background vocals (2, 3, 6, 10–12, 15, 16, 22, 24), programming (2), electric guitar (3, 8, 16, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28), percussion (5, 16–18, 27, 28), clapping (15), additional vocals (22) * Christine Winslow – background vocals (1, 3, 5–7, 11, 12, 14–17, 19, 22, 24–26, 30), additional vocals (1), clapping (15) * Richard Dennison – additional vocals (1), background vocals (2, 10, 13, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 29) *

Gary Lunn Gary Vincent Lunn (born May 8, 1957) is a retired Canadian member of Parliament for the British Columbia riding of Saanich—Gulf Islands. He served in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2011, first as a member of the Reform Party of Canada an ...

– bass (1, 2, 6, 8–10, 13–17, 19–26, 29) * Nir Z – drums (1, 2, 4, 9–14, 16, 17, 20–22, 24, 26), percussion (2, 16, 17, 29) * Jerry McPherson – electric guitar (1, 2, 5, 6, 8–10, 12–27, 29) * Rob McNelley – electric guitar (1, 2, 5, 8–10, 12–15, 18–23, 25, 27, 29) * Dane Bryant – Hammond B3 (1, 2, 6, 9, 13, 17, 18, 24), synthesizer (2, 12, 14, 17, 22, 27), strings (2, 14, 20–22, 29), synth pads (5), piano (13, 20), keyboards (16, 26, 28), Moog bass (20);

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...

, timpani (21); Wurlitzer organ (29) * Mike Rojas – Wurlitzer organ (1, 17, 18, 24, 27), piano (2, 5, 6, 14, 18, 21, 22, 27), Mellotron (2), keyboards (3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 15, 19, 23, 25), Hammond B3 (12, 29), synthesizer (17);

electronic percussion Electronic drums is a modern electronic musical instrument, primarily designed to serve as an alternative to an acoustic drum kit. Electronic drums consist of an electronic sound module which produces the synthesized or sampled percussion sound ...

, French horn, percussion (18);

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

(23, 24) *

Richie Sambora Richard Stephen Sambora (born July 11, 1959) is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi from 1983 to 2013. He and lead singer Jon Bon Jovi formed the main songwri ...

– background vocals, electric guitar, vocal programming (1) * Rachel Edge – background vocals (2, 6, 11, 12, 14, 26), additional vocals (22) * Jennifer O'Brien – background vocals (2, 10, 13, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 29) * Vicki Hampton – background vocals (2, 10, 13, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 29) * Joel McKenney – background vocals (2), piano (3), additional vocals (22) * Jimmy Mattingly – cello, viola, violin (2, 20–22, 29) * Alex Wells – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Cody Howell – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Emily Blackbird – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Ethan Kuntz – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Hunter Garrett – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Kat Elfman – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Kevin Willis – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Olivia Steele – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Scott Bass – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Stephanie Howell – background vocals (2), additional vocals (22) * Mark Needham – programming (2, 21) * Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (3, 4, 7, 12) * Jerry Roe – drums (3, 7), percussion (3) * Derek Wells – electric guitar (3, 7) * Kim Keys – background vocals (4, 7, 8, 17, 19, 25, 30) * Chris Rodriguez – background vocals (4, 8) * Miles McPherson – drums (5, 6, 8, 15, 18, 19, 23, 27), percussion (23, 27) * Steve Mackey – bass (5, 11, 18, 27) * Howard Leese – acoustic guitar, electric guitar (5) * Mark Douthit – saxophone (6), horn arrangement (9) * Adam Shoenfeld – electric guitar (6) * Shane Fogerty – electric guitar (6) * Jim Hoke – horn arrangement (7, 8, 18, 28), saxophone (7, 18, 28), horns (8), whistle (23), trumpet (28) *

Mica Roberts Mica Roberts (born in Locust Grove, Oklahoma) is an American country music artist signed to Show Dog Nashville, a label owned by country singer Toby Keith. In 2008, she released her debut single, "Things a Mama Don't Know", a duet with Toby K ...

– background vocals (7, 30) * Emmanuel Echem – trumpet (7) * Warren Haynes – electric guitar (8) * Waddy Wachtel – electric guitar (9) * Adam Lester – acoustic guitar (11) *

– electric guitar (11, 29), acoustic guitar (11) * Rob Arthur – keyboards (11) * Beef – clapping (12) * Joan Jett – clapping, electric guitar (12) * Annie DiBlasi – clapping (12) * Dougie Needles – clapping, electric guitar (12) *

Joe Vannelli Joe Vannelli (born 28 December 1950) is a Canadian musician, composer and record producer. He was credited on most records of his brother, Gino Vannelli, and in collaboration with youngest brother Ross Vannelli, the three have won many awards. V ...

– Hammond B3 (16) * Jennifer Kummer – French horn (18) * Patrick Walle – French horn (18) * Roland Barber – trombone (18) * Josh Scalf – trombone (18) * John Hinchey – trombone (18) * Melissa Etheridge – acoustic guitar, electric guitar (19) * Lizzo –

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

(20) * Kyle Dickinson – programming (21) * Nikki Sixx – bass (22) * John 5 – electric guitar (22) * Linda Perry – acoustic guitar (24) * Doug Wilson – trumpet (25) *

– electric guitar (26) * Ronnie McDowell – additional vocals (28) * The Jordanaires – background vocals (28) * Jack Gavin – drums (28) * Jay Weaver – upright bass (28) *

– drums (29) * Paul McCartney – piano, vocals (29) * Ronnie van Zant – lead vocals (30) *

Gary Rossington Gary Robert Rossington (born December 4, 1951) is an American guitarist. He is the only remaining original member of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, in which he plays lead and rhythm guitar. In 2009, he became the last original member to re ...

– electric guitar (30) * Artimus Pyle – drums (30) * Jerry Lyda – electric guitar (30) * Scott Raines – electric guitar (30) * Brad Durden – keyboards (30) Technical * Dolly Parton – production, executive production * Kent Wells – production, engineering (all tracks); editing (2–8, 10–30) * Chris Lord-Alge – mixing * Ted Jensen – mastering * Mark Needham – additional production (1), engineering (1, 3, 4, 6–21, 23–26, 28–30), additional engineering (2) * Don Miggs – additional production (29) * Mick Fleetwood – additional production (29) * Kyle Dickinson – engineering, editing * Joel McKenney – engineering (all tracks), editing (29) * Kevin Willis – engineering (1–5, 7–10, 15, 17–27, 29, 30) * Russell Graham – engineering, editing (1) * Drew Bollman – engineering (2) * Karen Johnson – engineering (9) * Jeremy Parker – engineering (22) * Chris Latham – editing * Brian Judd – additional engineering (1–26, 28–30) * Adam Warnecke – additional engineering (25) * Zach Wills – additional engineering (5) * Christine Winslow – engineering assistance (1–21, 23–25, 28–30) * Neal Shaw – engineering assistance (1) * Ryan Yount – engineering assistance (2) * Brendon Hapgood – engineering assistance (5) * Randy Smith – engineering assistance (22) * Vijat Mohindra – photography

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2020s covers albums 2023 collaborative albums Albums produced by Mark Needham Big Machine Records albums Dolly Parton albums Rock albums by American artists