Here’s How Dolly Parton Reacted to Hearing Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’ for the First Time
Written by djfrosty on August 29, 2023
It’s been 10 years since Miley Cyrus released her first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, but her country icon godmother Dolly Parton remembers her first time listening to the track like it was yesterday.
The “Jolene” singer sat down with Spotify’s commemorative podcast for the song, Wrecking Ball 10, and recalled her first experience with the track.
“I remember the first time I heard ‘Wrecking Ball.’ It hit me the same way it did the first time I heard ‘I Will Always Love You’ by Whitney Houston,” Parton said, referencing Houston’s famous 1992 cover of the Parton-written song for the Bodyguard soundtrack. “I was driving, heard that one, and I almost wrecked. And when I heard ‘Wrecking Ball,’ I almost wrecked again! I thought, when it started into that chorus, I thought it hit me like a wrecking ball. I thought, ‘Well, how great can a song be?’”
Following its release on Aug. 25, 2013, “Wrecking Ball” went on to wreck its competition on the Billboard charts, becoming Cyrus’ first No. 1 single on the Hot 100 and spending 32 total weeks — three of those at No. 1 — on the chart. The track also became the highest-performing single to come from the Disney Channel alum’s 2013 album Bangerz, which also included “We Can’t Stop” (No. 2 peak, 26 weeks on the Hot 100) and “Adore You” (No. 21, 18 weeks on the Hot 100).
Also featured on the Wrecking Ball 10 podcast are the song’s writers, Mozella and Stephan Moccio; producer Cirkut; Billboard senior director of music Jason Lipshutz; and more.
Listen to Parton talk about “Wrecking Ball” in the video above, and listen to the full podcast episode below.