The title track, "Jolene", tells the tale of a housewife confronting a beautiful seductress who she believes is having an affair with her husband.

It became Parton's second solo number-one country single; it also was a moderate pop hit for her, and also did well in the United Kingdom.

The album was released around the time Parton was embarking on a solo career, after having spent seven years as part of Porter Wagoner's weekly TV series and road show, and one of the album's songs, "I Will Always Love You", was reportedly written to express the remorse Parton felt over the end of their professional relationship.

A positive review of the album by Billboard said, "With the title taken from her latest hit single, Dolly goes about recording a whole bunch of others—hits, that is.

"[8] All tracks are written by Dolly Parton, except where notedAlbum Album (Year-End) ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.