Dolly Parton Blocked From Her First No. 1 Bestseller By America’s Biggest Hit

To celebrate her eightieth birthday (January 19), Dolly Parton released a special new version of her song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” The updated cut, which Parton originally shared decades ago, is a collaborative affair, as Lainey Wilson, Queen Latifah, Reba McEntire and Parton’s own goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, all lent their talents and voices to the cut.

“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” quickly becomes a bestseller in America, and as it leaves one list, the track almost earns the country legend her first No. 1 on one of Billboard’s most competitive rosters – but she is bested this time around by the biggest song in America.

“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” Misses No. 1

On this week’s Digital Song Sales chart, “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” opens at No. 2. The collaboration is blocked from the highest rung on the list of the bestselling tracks of any genre in America – as long as they were purchased via a digital download storefront such as iTunes – by “I Just Might” from Bruno Mars. That smash opened atop the Digital Song Sales ranking last frame, and it refuses to budge this time around.

Dolly Parton Continues Chasing First Bestseller

As Parton settles into the runner-up space, she is kept from her first leader on the Digital Song Sales chart for the second time in her career. The country singer-songwriter has appeared at No. 2 twice, but has never managed to run the show. “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” joins “Islands in the Stream,” Parton’s duet with Kenny Rogers, which opened at No. 2 in April 2020 following Rogers’s passing.

Dolly Parton’s Digital Song Sales Chart Top 10 History

Parton now claims half a dozen top 10 successes on the Digital Song Sales chart, a sum that grows as “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” almost conquers the tally. In addition to her new win and “Islands in the Stream,” Parton has also cracked the uppermost region with “If You Hadn’t Been There” – a tribute to her late husband that opened at No. 3 in the spring of 2025 – as well as “World on Fire,” “Butterfly” with Zac Brown Band, and “Powerful Women,” an unexpected collaboration with Pitbull.

Queen Latifah Scores Her First Top 10 Sales Smash

Among the five women credited on “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” the only one to reach the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales chart for the first time is Queen Latifah. The country tune marks her third trip to the tally, and it beats her previously-set No. 34 high point, which she reached nearly a decade ago alongside Miguel and Sia on “Satisfied.”

Reba McEntire, Lainey Wilson and Miley Add New Top 10s

The three other female stars featured on “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” – McEntire, Wilson and Cyrus – have all landed inside the top 10 on the Digital Song Sales ranking before. McEntire is up to four top 10s, Wilson claims her seventh, while Cyrus nabs her milestone twentieth top 10 bestseller.

Reba McEntire and Lainey Wilson Rise Higher Than Ever

Like Latifah, McEntire and Wilson surge higher than ever before on the Digital Song Sales chart thanks to the immediate success of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” Both country musicians had previously topped out at No. 4, a position McEntire reached once last year alongside Wilson and Miranda Lambert on “Trailblazer,” while Wilson herself has seen three cuts peak in fourth place.

Miley Cyrus’s History on Billboard’s Sales Chart

Of the five superstars that turned “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” into the bestseller that it is this frame, only Cyrus has led the charge on the Digital Song Sales roster. “Party in the U.S.A.,” “Flowers” and “Wrecking Ball” all took turns ruling.

“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” is one of eight tracks by Cyrus to miss out on running the show by just one spot. That roundup includes “Used to Be Young,” “Malibu,” “We Can’t Stop the Climb,” and “Don’t Call Me Angel (Charlie’s Angels),” which also credits Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey.

“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” Tops the Country Sales Chart

As “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” becomes a No. 2 win on the Digital Song Sales chart, the cut dominates the Country Digital Song Sales list. “Light of a Clear Blue Morning” also nearly launches within the top 40 on the Country Airplay list, where it begins its time at No. 41.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2026/01/29/dolly-parton-blocked-from-her-first-no-1-bestseller-by-americas-biggest-hit/