A Very Loose Ranking of ‘Jolene’ Covers, from Miley Cyrus to Lil Nas X

Stephanie SengweFri, August 28, 2026 at 10:22 AM UTC

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Beyonce, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas XCredit: Amy Sussman/WireImage; Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty; Emma McIntyre/Getty

The instantly recognizable guitar strings in the intro, Dolly Parton’s silky sweet voice over them and, of course, the relatable subject matter make “Jolene” one of the most iconic songs of all time.

Released in 1973, “Jolene” was the title track off Parton’s 13th studio album. The catchy tune reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1974 and earned the singer two Grammy nominations for Best Female Country Vocal Performance — once in 1975 and again for the live recording in 1976. Neither version won, but decades later in 2014, the song was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The song was back on the charts following her death on Aug. 25, sitting at number one on the global Spotify chart, with “9 to 5” as number two, reported Forbes.

Though it’s a country song, in the five decades since its release, “Jolene” has been covered by various artists from wide-ranging genres. Ahead, see our very loose ranking of “Jolene” covers, from Miley Cyrus’ 2012 rendition to Pentatonix’s Grammy-winning version to Beyoncé’s more fiery take.

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Miley Cyrus

Nineteen-year-old Miley Cyrus was fresh off Hannah Montana and right before her epic Bangerz era, when this raw, goosebumps-inducing version of “Jolene” was released in 2012. Not only did it show off the depth and power of her voice and her commanding stage presence, but the fact that it’s a beautiful homage to her godmother makes this an easy number one.

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Dolly Parton & Pentatonix

Though the 1973 original didn’t score a Grammy despite its two nominations, this gripping collaboration between the queen of country and the a cappella band Pentatonix nabbed the song a trophy in 2017.

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Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X performed this haunting version of “Jolene” while at the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge back in 2021. For keeping its original arrangement while adding emotion with his deep bass, we can say the rapper did the beloved song justice.

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Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John first covered “Jolene” back in 1976, introducing the song to international audiences. She and Parton would form a friendship in the decades that followed and her final recording before she died in 2022 was a duet of the song with Parton.

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Beyoncé

Less pleading and more of a warning, Beyoncé’s version was a far detour from how Dolly sang the original version, which Dolly respected. “I was just honored that she, of course, did a completely different take on ‘Jolene’ than than my version of it,” Parton told PEOPLE. “Hers was more like, ‘Well, you’re not getting him, you’re not taking him, you’re going to go through me to get him.’ Mine was more like, ‘Please don’t take him!’ So I loved her interpretation.”

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Brandi Carlile

Dolly Parton and Brandi CarlileCredit: Douglas Mason/WireImage

Brandi Carlile’s signature gritty vocals make the already heart-tugging song that much more heartbreaking and brought out the desperation reflected in the lyrics in this 2012 cover. Carlile, along with The Highwomen bandmates Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby, performed “Jolene” with Parton herselfat Newport Folk Festival back in 2019.

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Chiquis and Becky G

Chiquis Rivera and Becky G gave the song some Latin flair with their 2020 rendition. Sang entirely in Spanish, their cumbia version proved that no matter the language, a classic is a classic.

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The White Stripes

The song jumped genres once more when The White Stripes covered it as part of a 2009 performance. The addition of the electric guitar, drums and Jack White’s shrieking vocals transformed it into a rock song, while also keeping its signature folksiness. White performed the song for the first time in almost 20 years on Aug. 26, to pay tribute to the country legend following her death.

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Mindy Smith

In this 2004 version — which starred Parton in the music video — Mindy Smith doubles down on the song’s folksy feel, slows down the tempo and adds a hint of emo vibes to make its message that much more poignant.

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Laura Marling with Mumford and Sons

Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Laura MarlingCredit: Barney Britton/Redferns

English folk singer Laura Marling proved to be the perfect fit as she performed “Jolene” with Mumford & Sons during the iTunes Festival in London in 2010. Her soft vocals married beautifully with Marcus Mumford’s baritone.

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Sisters of Mercy

Kai and Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters of MercyCredit: Mariano Regidor/Redferns

Perhaps the most polar opposite take on the song is this dark and gothic version by the Sisters of Mercy. And while it sounds nothing like the original, fans of the English rock band appear to love it and are glad the version lives on YouTube, as indicated by the comments.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”