Dolly Parton - 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs

Dolly Parton's music will remain timeless — and 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is a shining example of why.

Dolly Parton's legacy is almost impossible to dispute, let alone measure. She has been an extraordinary musician, philanthropist, and cultural icon, and none of those accomplishments came without proof. Her iconic 23rd studio album, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, is a collection of heartfelt songs written for ordinary people by someone who might otherwise seem completely out of reach. But Dolly has never been that kind of star.

Take the title track, “9 to 5” — an infectious anti-capitalist anthem in which Parton pokes fun at corporate culture, overwork, and the injustices of the working world. It's both funny and heartbreaking to realize that a song written more than 46 years ago still fits the realities of modern society so perfectly. The soft-rock cover of The Animals’ “The House of the Rising Sun” continues the record's portrait of working-class hardship, a subject that has rarely received the attention it deserves in pop culture. Not every family gets a happy ending, sometimes you simply have to make a living doing a job you don't particularly enjoy. There may be little support from those around you, but Parton somehow manages to find a glimmer of hope even in the bleakest circumstances.

Much of Dolly's magic lies in the fact that, despite her immense stardom, she has always remained deeply concerned with the struggles of ordinary people. “Sing for the Common Man” is no exception. This is music for the vast majority: people who work simply to feed themselves, provide for their families, and get by. Yet work is never portrayed as pure drudgery. Parton understands that labor can also be meaningful, useful, and empowering. Take the image of the female boss in “Working Girl”. Over the decades, the song has inevitably become a role model for generations of young women and girls.

At times, Dolly almost seems like a prophet of everything that has gone wrong with modern society. The abuses committed by ICE inevitably bring “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)” to mind, a devastating ballad about Mexican migrant workers forced to return to their homeland. It's difficult to comprehend how songs written 46 years ago can remain this relevant. But that's Parton's gift: she understands the anxieties simmering beneath the surface of society and somehow manages to see what lies ahead.

Thank you for everything, Dolly. You will be the brightest angel in heaven.