Dolly Parton changed country music by refusing to play by its rules

Dolly Parton reshaped the landscape of country music by blending traditional Appalachian roots with pop, disco, and even heavy metal. As The Conversation reports, Parton challenged the male-dominated industry of the nineteen sixties and subverted gender tropes by writing complex songs about womanhood and the workplace. Despite some of her more provocative tracks being banned by radio stations, she secured twenty-five number one country singles and an induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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