From her origins as a country singer in the early 1960s before crossing over into pop and bluegrass genres at the end of the ’70s, Dolly Parton, who died overnight on Wednesday (AEST) aged 80, has an enduring musical legacy.Even today’s superstars, including Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and goddaughter Miley Cyrus, gush about the honour of duetting with Parton. I may have been born decades after the pinnacle of Parton’s musical reign, but she remains one of the few artists who cut through my generation (those born post 9/11). Her track 9 to 5 inspired me to unionise at McDonald’s as a teenage fry cook – and many girls in high school to play percussion with their acrylic nails.Parton wrote her first song when she was six years old, the simple story of “Little Tiny Tasseltop” based on a doll her mother made from a corncob. Over her career she composed more than 3000 songs – making it no easy task to rank her top 10.Tell us what your favourite Dolly songs are in the comments below.10. Two Doors Down (1977)This heartwarming country melody about a woman who goes to a party just down the hall – or two doors down – to get over a particularly melancholic breakup was released on Parton’s 1977 album Here You Come Again. She ends up bringing back a “new love” to her place, which, conveniently, is only two doors down! Parton puts the saying that to get over someone you should get under someone, to a country-pop bop.9. Here You Come Again (1977)The song that earned Parton her first Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and namesake of her 19th studio album, Here You Come Again, went on to be her first million-selling record.About feeling as though she’s finally over a man until she looks into his eyes and sees his smile, the country-pop song was one of Parton’s most prolific at a time she began mixing country and pop genres.8. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind, featuring Chet Atkins (1982)A bittersweet country-pop melody about a lingering love – and wondering if your ex still thinks about you – fills you with a sense of nostalgia. Parton’s giggles and the playful back-and-forth with guitarist Atkins makes the tune so tender. “I love you,” she says at the end.Released on her 1982 album Heartbreak Express alongside another hit, I Will Always Love You.7. My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973)Country-folk at Parton’s finest, the song is a tribute to her childhood being raised in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Honeysuckles, June bugs, front porches, eagles, Sunday mass and crickets singing in nearby fields. A song made during her country era, it’s warm and fuzzy. “Life is as peaceful as a baby’s sigh,” Parton sings.6. Light Of A Clear Blue Morning (1977)Whenever you feel down, and you’ve got the blues, there is a guaranteed Parton song to lift your spirits and give you an aural pat on the back. This ballad turned upbeat pop track was the opening song on her New Harvest ... First Gathering album. According to Rolling Stone, Parton refers to this hit as “my song of deliverance” after walking out of her former professional partner Porter Wagoner’s office and driving home in a storm before the sky opened, shining golden rays on her.5. Islands in the Stream, with Kenny Rogers (1982)Now we’re entering the territory of Parton’s biggest hits. Named as Country Music Television’s number one country duet of all time in 2005, the enchanting classic brought together two solo artists at the peak of their careers. According to Rolling Stone, the hit has sold more than two million copies in the US.4. 9 to 5 (1980)The song that brought me to discover Parton’s discography – and workers’ rights. It opens with one of the most classic intros known to girl-kind, the clinking of acrylic nails. The iconic beat (dare I say more than Queen’s We Will Rock You) was fashioned when Parton did not have her guitar handy and began rubbing her nails together to mimic a typewriter. It was recorded for the 1980 comedy 9 to 5. With nearly 900 million streams on Spotify, the track went on to win two Grammys for Parton and dominated the US charts.3. I Will Always Love You (1974)The song the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, wanted to record so badly he was willing to buy the copyright – or even settle for half. Unlucky for him, no amount could purchase it from Parton.“I wouldn’t let Colonel Tom Parker [record the song],” Parton said when asked about the then-rumour in a 2023 interview on BBC 2 Radio. “Because Elvis loved the song. In fact, I talked to Priscilla not very long ago; she said, ‘You know, Elvis sang that song to me when we were walking down the courthouse steps when we got divorced’.”“The night before [the recording session], Colonel Tom Parker calls me and says, ‘Well, you know we don’t record anything with Elvis unless we have publishing on it, or at least half the publishing,’ … Well, I said because I had a number one song on it, I said, ‘This is the most important copyright in my whole publishing company, and I can’t do that.’“And I just didn’t do it, and they just didn’t do it. But I always wondered what it would sound like. I know he’d kill it. Don’t you? He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn’t. Then when Whitney [Houston’s version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland.”2. Coat of Many Colours (1971)A country ballad about Parton’s mother sewing her a coat made from many small coloured rags. “But I wore it so proudly ... Although we had no money / Well, I was rich as I could be,” Parton sings, with a humility so true to her persona. The pure sort of happiness and love you can only find in piles of worthless goods, in the absence of money. According to Rolling Stone, Parton penned the song on the back of a dry-cleaning receipt, and it has been marked as her breakthrough track.1. Jolene (1973)On October 15, 1973, Parton dropped both an album and a song so iconic that it is an undisputed number one. With an intro somehow more iconic than 9 to 5’s, the guitar notes border on sounding like an Irish folk song. It’s haunting, enchanting and magical. I can’t help but conjure up an image of the flirty bank teller Jolene, with those flamin’ locks of auburn hair and eyes of emerald green. The song was Parton’s first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 and is nearing one billion streams on Spotify. More recently, Beyoncé repurposed the song on her Grammy-winning Cowboy Carter and pop star Miley Cyrus has sung the track live with Parton, pairing her gritty voice with Parton’s nasally twang for a beautiful performance.