Sure, she’s been a cartoon character for a long time, but apparently Dolly Parton is the most-awarded country music artist of all time—so that must count for something. Plus, I secretly think she (and especially “9 to 5”) is awesome.
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Paul McCartney
I debated this one for a long time, given that McCartney’s solo work is pretty much the definition of “middle-of-the-road pop-rock.” But I decided to give him a list, because 1) as pop-rock goes, nobody is pop-rockier; and 2) I saw (well, heard—I was working on the concourse) him at the closing concert for Candlestick Park, where he played nonstop for almost three hours, was in great voice, and had Springsteen-level energy—all at age 72. That alone deserves some kind of shout-out.
Playlist of the Day 