A Holly Dolly Christmas cover art

  Studio Album · No. 38

A Holly Dolly Christmas Songwriting Credits by Dolly Parton

2020 15 tracks 51 min
ChristmasCountry
60%
Authorship
Collaborator

Holds writing credit on 9 of 15 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 9 / 15 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 15 tracks with documented writers, by whether Dolly Parton carries a lyricist or composer credit.

60%
9 trackswritten by Dolly Parton 6 tracksoutside writers
Dolly Parton's roles on this album

Share of the 15 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist60%
Composer60%
Producer7%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

15
Tracks
11
Lyricists
4
Producers
2020
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.
Data Insight

A Holly Dolly Christmas blends seasonal standards with Parton originals, and most of its standout moments are duets. Parton wrote or co-wrote much of the new material, including "Christmas Is," "Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas," "Christmas on the Square," "Circle of Love," "You Are My Christmas," and the bonus cuts "The Wish Book" and "Three Candles," while "Comin' Home for Christmas" and "I Still Believe" are co-writes with longtime producer Kent Wells. The covers lean on familiar holiday fare such as Johnny Marks' "Holly Jolly Christmas," Tommie Connor's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," Willie Nelson's "Pretty Paper," and "Mary, Did You Know?" by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene. Guest vocalists include Miley Cyrus, Michael Buble, Jimmy Fallon, Billy Ray Cyrus, Willie Nelson, and Parton's brother Randy, with Kent Wells producing.

Released October 2, 2020, A Holly Dolly Christmas was Parton's forty-seventh solo studio album and third Christmas album, a project she first announced in 2016 that was delayed by other commitments including the Dumplin' soundtrack. Kent Wells produced the album with Parton as executive producer, recording across more than ten studios in Nashville, Franklin, Vancouver, and East Hampton. Unlike her 1990 Christmas album, this set features primarily original Parton compositions, alongside holiday standards and contributions from collaborators including Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene, and Kent Wells, with guest appearances by Michael Bublé, Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jimmy Fallon. It debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, topped both the Top Country Albums and Top Holiday Albums charts as Parton's eighth country number 1, and sold 171,000 U.S. units by December 2020. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Grammy Awards.

Track Listing & Credits 15 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Holly Jolly Christmas
Johnny Marks Johnny Marks Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
2
Christmas Is
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Miley Cyrus (Vocals)
3
Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas #10
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
4
Christmas on the Square #49
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
5
Circle of Love
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
6
All I Want For Christmas Is You
Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Walter AfanasieffMariah Carey Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
7
Comin’ Home for Christmas
Kent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton Kent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
8
Christmas Where We Are
Barry JobeJada Roberts Barry JobeJada Roberts Kent Wells Billy Ray Cyrus (Vocals)
9
Pretty Paper
Willie Nelson Willie Nelson Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
10
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Tommie Connor Tommie Connor Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
11
You Are My Christmas
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Randy Parton (Vocals)
12
Mary, Did You Know? #49
Mark LowryBuddy Greene Mark LowryBuddy Greene Dolly Rebecca PartonKent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
13
The Wish Book
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Tom RutledgeRichard Dennison Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
14
Three Candles
Dolly Rebecca Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton Richard DennisonTom Rutledge Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)
15
I Still Believe #22
Kent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton Kent WellsDolly Rebecca Parton Kent Wells Dolly Parton (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 17 contributors

DR
Dolly Rebecca Parton
Writer · Producer
On this album9 written
KW
Kent Wells
Writer · Producer
On this album2 written
BJ
Barry Jobe
Writer
On this album1 written
BG
Buddy Greene
Writer
On this album1 written
JR
Jada Roberts
Writer
On this album1 written
JM
Johnny Marks
Writer
On this album1 written
MC
Mariah Carey
Writer
On this album1 written
ML
Mark Lowry
Writer
On this album1 written
TC
Tommie Connor
Writer
On this album1 written
WA
Walter Afanasieff
Writer
On this album1 written
WN
Willie Nelson
Writer
On this album1 written
RD
Richard Dennison
Producer
On this album2 produced

More from Dolly Parton

1967 83%
Hello, I'm Dolly
Monument
12 tracksProd. Fred Foster
1969 50%
In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)
RCA Victor
12 tracksProd. Bob Ferguson
1971 30%
Golden Streets of Glory
10 tracks
1971 70%
Coat of Many Colors
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Bob Ferguson
1972 100%
Touch Your Woman
10 tracks
1973 100%
My Tennessee Mountain Home
10 tracks
1973 60%
Bubbling Over
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Bob Ferguson
1974 80%
Jolene
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Bob Ferguson
1974 80%
Love Is Like a Butterfly
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Bob Ferguson
1975 80%
The Bargain Store
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Bob Ferguson
1975 100%
Dolly
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Porter Wagoner
1976 80%
All I Can Do
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Porter Wagoner
1977 80%
New Harvest... First Gathering
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
1977 40%
Here You Come Again
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Gary Klein
1978 60%
Heartbreaker
10 tracks
1979 40%
Great Balls of Fire
10 tracks
1980 40%
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs
RCA Victor
10 tracksProd. Gregg Perry
1980 0%
Dolly, Dolly, Dolly
10 tracks
1983 60%
Burlap & Satin
10 tracks
1984 0%
The Great Pretender
10 tracks
1985 40%
Real Love
10 tracks
1987 20%
Rainbow
Columbia
10 tracks
1989 40%
White Limozeen
Columbia
10 tracks
1991 73%
Eagle When She Flies
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Steve Buckingham
1993 75%
Slow Dancing with the Moon
12 tracks
1995 100%
Something Special
10 tracks
1996 0%
Treasures
11 tracks
1998 100%
Hungry Again
Decca Nashville
12 tracks
1999 31%
The Grass Is Blue
13 tracks
2001 50%
Little Sparrow
14 tracks
2002 86%
Halos & Horns
Sugar Hill Records
14 tracksProd. Steve Buckingham
2003 39%
For God and Country
18 tracks
2005 0%
Those Were the Days
12 tracks
2008 75%
Backwoods Barbie
Dolly Records
12 tracks
2011 100%
Better Day
Dolly Records
12 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
2014 67%
Blue Smoke
Dolly Records
12 tracksProd. Kent Wells
2016 100%
Pure & Simple
Dolly Records
10 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
2022 100%
Run, Rose, Run
Butterfly Records
12 tracksProd. Dolly Parton
2023 30%
Rockstar
30 tracks

Frequently Asked Questions A Holly Dolly Christmas

When was Dolly Parton's A Holly Dolly Christmas released and on what label?
A Holly Dolly Christmas was released on October 2, 2020, through Butterfly Records and the 12-Tone Music Group. It was Parton's first Christmas album in 30 years, following Home for Christmas (1990) and her 1984 collaboration with Kenny Rogers.
Did Dolly Parton write the songs on A Holly Dolly Christmas?
She wrote or co-wrote much of the album but not all of it. Parton's originals include "Christmas Is," "Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas," "Christmas on the Square," "Circle of Love," and "You Are My Christmas," while "Comin' Home for Christmas" and the bonus track "I Still Believe" are co-writes with Kent Wells. The remaining tracks are holiday standards by other writers.
Who are the guest artists on A Holly Dolly Christmas?
The album features several duets and guest vocals. Miley Cyrus appears on "Christmas Is," Michael Buble on "Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas," Jimmy Fallon on "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Billy Ray Cyrus on "Christmas Where We Are," Willie Nelson on "Pretty Paper," and Parton's brother Randy Parton on "You Are My Christmas."
Is "Mary, Did You Know?" a Dolly Parton original?
No. "Mary, Did You Know?" was written by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene and first recorded in the early 1990s. Parton's version was the album's lead single and reached number 49 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart.
Who wrote "Pretty Paper" on A Holly Dolly Christmas?
"Pretty Paper" was written by Willie Nelson, who first recorded it in 1964. On A Holly Dolly Christmas, Parton performs it as a duet with Nelson himself.
What are the bonus tracks on A Holly Dolly Christmas?
The 2020 deluxe edition added three Parton-penned bonus tracks beyond the 12-song standard album: "The Wish Book," "Three Candles," and a live recording of "I Still Believe." "The Wish Book" and "Three Candles" were written solely by Parton, while "I Still Believe" is a Parton and Kent Wells co-write.
Did A Holly Dolly Christmas win any awards?
It did not win, but it earned Dolly Parton a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was also certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States.
How did A Holly Dolly Christmas perform on the charts?
The album reached number 16 on the Billboard 200 and topped both the Top Country Albums and Top Holiday Albums charts, marking Parton's eighth number one on the country albums chart.

Sources

Wikipedia: A Holly Dolly Christmas Genius: A Holly Dolly Christmas Wikipedia - Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas The Dolly Parton Discography - A Holly Dolly Christmas MusicBrainz - A Holly Dolly Christmas release group Cover Art Archive - A Holly Dolly Christmas front cover Cover Art Archive: A Holly Dolly Christmas by Dolly Parton