Willie Nelson joins Dolly Parton in a rare career milestone that took six decades to achieve.
The country superstars are now the only artists to have hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs charts in every decade of the past 60 years. This rare streak underscores their unmatched longevity in country music.
Willie Nelson Can Thank Kacey Musgraves For This Unmatched Moment
According to Billboard, Willie Nelson can thank a collaboration with Kacey Musgraves for this unmatched career moment. Nelson and Musgraves will debut this week at No. 50 on the Billboard Country Music Charts with the song “Uncertain TX.”
Now, Nelson joins his country contemporary Dolly Parton as the only artists who have appeared on the country music charts in each decade for the past 60 years.
Billboard wrote that the achievement came, “64 years and two months after Nelson first reached the Hot Country Songs with ‘Willingly,’ which hit No. 10 in 1962. He tallied two Top 10s that decade, along with 13 in the ’70s, 24 in the ’80s, and one each in the ’90s and 2000s. Of those, 21 hit No. 1.”
Nelson’s last chart hit was alongside his daughter, Paula Nelson. They hit No. 36 with their cover of the 1971 Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.”
However, Parton still has one leg up on Nelson in one category. She is the only artist in music history to have each of her songs in the past 60 years place in the Top 20 of the country music charts.
Willie Nelson Just Celebrated His 93rd Birthday
In an Instagram post to celebrate his 93rd birthday, Willie Nelson shared his tips for living a long life. He captioned the video, “You can trust me…93 years of experience.”
A series of clips explained some of Nelson’s greatest tips for happiness. “I try to eat pretty sensible. Sometimes I shave, and sometimes I won’t.”
“Shut up,” was another piece of advice Nelson had. He added one should have “a freezer full of meat and a garden full of vegetables.”
He claimed, “Worry will make you sick. If there’s nothing you can do about it, why worry about it. I like to see the funny side first.”
“If you’re thinking anything negative, erase that,” the entertainer concluded. “We’re all gonna die. There’s not a lot we can do about it, I don’t think. If you hear anything, let me know.”
Additionally, in 2021, Nelson told The Wall Street Journal, “If you want to live a long time, you have to take care of yourself. You have to pay for the day, every day.”
He continued, “As you’ve always heard, if you don’t use it, you lose it. You need to move. So every day, I’ll jog or walk, do some sit-ups — just a little something to pay for the day!”
Willie Nelson is kicking off the Outlaw Music Festival Tour on July 3, 2026. According to Rolling Stone, the lineup includes performers the Avett Brothers, Stephen Wilson Jr., Lukas Nelson, Wilco, Sheryl Crow, Margo Price, Robert Randolph, Don Was, and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble.
