“Play the original while you wait for Beyoncé’s ‘Jolene,’” Dolly Parton shared on her Instagram following the announcement of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tracklist, which includes her very own rendition of the 1974 hit. While we certainly will never stop listening to the OG, the prospect of Queen Bey’s version has reminded us of all our favourite “Jolene” covers to date. In fact, there are so many stellar interpretations, we could make an entire playlist of them. From Olivia Newton-John to The White Stripes to Miley Cyrus, take a look at five stars who have made “Jolene” their own.

Years pass and times change, but the song’s themes of love, jealousy, and insecurity cut just as deep 50 years later. It is no surprise, therefore, that Miley Cyrus’ “Jolene” reached a whole new generation of budding Dolly Parton fans. After covering the track live in 2012 and 2019, she officially released her version in 2022 on the album ATTENTION: MILEY LIVE. As the goddaughter of Parton herself, who better to cover her iconic hit than miss Miley?

Back in 2001, The White Stripes covered “Jolene” to a small crowd in Detroit. At the precipice of rock-and-roll stardom, about to trade in intimate venues for stadiums, the band put their own spin on the country classic. They had previously released a cover, and went on to make it a staple in their live sets.

Perhaps the earliest cover of “Jolene”, Olivia Newton-John’s version was originally released in 1976. But what’s even more special, is that the two stars actually recorded a rendition together shortly before Newton-John passed, as part of her final project, Just The Two Of Us: Duets Volume 1. “I am so excited to be working with Olivia Newton-John, one of my favourites of all time,” Parton shared before diving into the song. “We’ve kind of always stayed close through the years and I’m just so proud to be a part of this duets project that she’s doing. We’re singing one of my all-time favourites that I’ve written called ‘Jolene’. She says it’s one of her favourites, so why not just do a duet of our favourites?”

In the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, Lil Nas X went a bit deeper and darker than his typical style. Enchanting listeners with his personal and intimate take, the soulful cover is magic in its individuality — not trying to be the original, but becoming its own identity entirely.

Let’s go back in time to the 2011 Grammy’s, when Norah Jones performed a tribute to Dolly Parton alongside Keith Urban and John Mayer. Perfectly capturing the essence of “Jolene”, she completely stole the show — and was the talk of the award season.

See the rest of Beyoncé’s tracklist here…