Three women over age 75 are topping the Billboard charts — Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, and Cher. They’ve been making music for decades.
In Lee’s case, her No. 1 song — “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” — is celebrating its 65th anniversary. It’s a timeless classic that many people listened to when growing up, and Universal Music Group Nashville has strongly promoted it this season, says Beverly Keel, dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University.
“It feels so good in Nashville right now — with Brenda Lee, who's 78; Dolly Parton, 77; and all of America claims Cher. It’s wonderful that these icons are getting the respect they deserve.”
She adds, “It's inspiring several generations of women to not give up on their dreams — that we still have something to say, and there are still men and women who want to hear what women have to say.”
"DJ Play a Christmas Song" is from Cher's first holiday album, which came out in October. It’s topping Billboard's dance/electronic chart.
Keel says this song is simply fun to listen to, and it represents “trademark Cher,” who has evolved with the times but never loses her core self. “I think it's impossible not to fall in love with Cher,” Keel adds.
Rockstar is Tennessee-native Dolly Parton’s 49th studio record, which debuted at No. 1 on the top rock and alternative album lists. It comes on the heels of her 2022 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and includes music legends such as Paul McCartney, Debbie Harry, Sheryl Crow, and Pat Benatar.
“As one of the legends says, ‘When Dolly Parton calls, you say yes, ma'am.’ … She has been everywhere, and I think the world needs Dolly Parton right now because she is all joy and love and acceptance. And when you see her or listen to her, you just feel better, and we certainly need that based on what's going on in the world right now.”
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Keel says the key to these artists’ staying power is their dedication to being themselves.
“They are who they are. They never tried to become something else. They didn't listen to industry people who told them to do X, Y, or Z, to tone it down, to not be so outspoken. That's why we love them so much. They were 100% themselves, whether it's Dolly with her big hair and makeup and outrageous outfits, to Cher, with the outrageous outfits. And then Brenda Lee … is very much, ‘This is who I am, and I'm not changing.’”