Recordings From Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Jeannie C. Riley Added To Grammy Hall Of Fame

Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Jeannie C. Riley

The Recording Academy announced the latest round of songs to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame on Thursday morning (Jan. 24). The induction honors diverse recordings from 25 artists. The selections include singles and albums that are at least 25 years old, and show “qualitative or historical significance.”

Dolly Parton‘s “Coat of Many Colors,” Brenda Lee‘s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” and Jeannie C. Riley‘s “Harper Valley P.T.A.” are among the honored songs, joining a class of 25 recordings that includes Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” Nina Simone’s “To Be Young, Gifted And Black,” Tom Petty’s “Full Moon River,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and more.

“Harper,” which Riley released on the Plantation label in 1968, earned Riley a Best Country Vocal Performance honor at the 11th annual Grammy Awards. The song also gave Riley the distinction of becoming the first female artist to top both the pop and country charts with the same song.

Lee’s holiday classic, which she initially released in 1958 on Decca, continues to endure; the song was one of the Top 5 most-streamed songs the week of Dec. 21, 2018, earning 32.9 million on-demand streams, according to BuzzAngle.

Parton’s uplifting “Coat Of Many Colors,” which Parton released in 1971 on RCA Victor, continues to inspire; the song was namesake and inspiration for the movie Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors, which starred Jennifer Nettles. The movie attracted 13 million viewers and was the most-watched movie on broadcast TV in more than three years when it aired Dec. 10, 2015 on NBC.

“The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame is proud to be a pillar of musical excellence and diversity year after year, honoring some of the most iconic recordings of all time,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. “We are proud to acknowledge the ever-changing landscape and evolution of musical expression for which the Academy has become known. We’re honored to add these masterpieces to our growing catalog and are delighted to celebrate the impact they’ve had on our musical, social, and cultural history.”

With the inclusion of the latest 25 recordings, there are now 1,088 recordings honored as part of the Grammy Hall of Fame.

BERNSTEIN: MASS—A THEATRE PIECE FOR SINGERS, PLAYERS AND DANCERS
Columbia Masterworks (1971)
Album

“COAT OF MANY COLORS”
Dolly Parton
RCA Victor (1971)
Single

ELLA FITZGERALD SINGS THE GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN SONG BOOK
Ella Fitzgerald
Verve (1959)
Album

FRANCIS ALBERT SINATRA & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM
Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Reprise (1967)
Album

FULL MOON FEVER
Tom Petty
MCA (1989)
Album

“HALLELUJAH”
Leonard Cohen
Columbia (1984)
Single

“HARPER VALLEY P.T.A”
Jeannie C. Riley
Plantation (1968)
Single

“I’M WALKIN’”
Fats Domino
Imperial (1957)
Single

JACKSON BROWNE
Jackson Browne
Asylum (1972)
Album

JACO PASTORIUS
Jaco Pastorius
Epic (1976)
Album

“KO KO”
Charlie Parker’s Ri Bop Boys
Savoy (1945)
Single

“LA BAMBA”
El Jarocho
Victor (1939)
Single

“MOVE ON UP”
Curtis Mayfield
Curtom (1972)
Single

“PATA PATA”
Miriam Makeba
Reprise (1967)
Single

“ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE”
Brenda Lee
Decca (1958)
Single

‘ROUND ABOUT MIDNIGHT
Miles Davis
Columbia (1957)
Album

“RUMBLE”
Link Wray & His Ray Men
Cadence (1958)
Single

“SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES”
The Platters
Mercury (1958)
Single

“ST. LOUIS BLUES”
W.C. Handy
Columbia (1914)
Single

“TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME”
Edward Meeker With The Edison Orchestra
Edison (1908)
Single

“TENDERLY”
Sarah Vaughan
Mercury (1947)
Single

“TENOR MADNESS”
Sonny Rollins Quartet Featuring John Coltrane
Prestige (1956)
Track

“TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK”
Nina Simone
RCA Victor (1969)
Single

“WALK THIS WAY”
Aerosmith
Columbia (1975)
Single

“WILD THING”
The Troggs
Fontana/Atco (1966)
Single

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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