23 May, 2025 careerofbusiness.com 0 Comments 1 category
luke bryan and carrie underwood
Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood are two of the most successful country musicians of the 21st century.

Jason Davis/FilmMagic/Getty Images

  • The best-selling country artists of all time include Elvis Presley, Tim McGraw, and Shania Twain.
  • We used RIAA’s data to compile this list based on total album units sold in the US.
  • Only three artists on this list debuted in the 2000s: Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Luke Bryan.

Did you know two of the top three best-selling musicians of all time are country music artists?

Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks trail only the Beatles in record sales.

Country music is one of the most popular genres in music, with its own set of stars, award shows, and hall of fame.

We used the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) list of best-selling artists, ranked by albums sold, to pick out the top 25 most successful country musicians of all time.

To qualify as a country star, a musician’s output had to primarily appear on country charts, or the artist had to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, nominated in the country genre at the Grammys, or have received nominations at country award shows like the CMAs or the ACM Awards.

Here’s who made the cut, from No. 25 to No. 1.

25. Luke Bryan — 19 million units
luke bryan
Luke Bryan has been a judge on “American Idol” since 2018.

Getty

24. Hank Williams Jr. — 19.5 million units
Hank Williams Jr. performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 4, 1997 in Mountain View, California.
Hank Williams Jr. is the son of one of the most influential country musicians of all time, Hank Williams.

Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

23. Brooks & Dunn — 21.5 million units
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn perform onstage for All for the Hall a concert hosted by Keith Urban and Vince Gill benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at Bridgestone Arena on December 05, 2023
Brooks & Dunn were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

22. Carrie Underwood — 22.5 million units
Carrie Underwood performs onstage during "The Denim & Rhinestones Tour" at Madison Square Garden on February 21, 2023
Carrie Underwood won “American Idol” in 2005.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Carrie Underwood

21. Jimmy Buffett — 23 million units
jimmy buffett
Jimmy Buffett died in 2023.

Getty Images

19 (tie). Kid Rock — 23.5 million units
Kid Rock performs in concert during day two of KAABOO Texas at AT&T Stadium on May 11, 2019 in Arlington, Texas.
Kid Rock was one of the first country rap artists.

Gary Miller/Getty Images

19 (tie). Johnny Cash — 23.5 million units
American rock and country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash (1932 - 2003), circa 1965.
Johnny Cash is a country music legend.

Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

18. Vince Gill — 24 million units
Singer/Songwriter Vince Gill performs at The OMNI Coliseum in Atlanta Georgia October 01, 1999
Vince Gill is married to the “Queen of Christian Pop,” Amy Grant.

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

16 (tie). Toby Keith — 25.5 million units
Toby Keith performs onstage for the BMI Icon Award during the 2022 BMI Country Awards at BMI on November 08, 2022
Before his death in 2023, Toby Keith earned 20 No. 1 country songs.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BMI

16 (tie). Faith Hill — 25.5 million units
Musician Faith Hill performs during the Soul2Soul Tour at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 27, 2017
Faith Hill has won five Grammy Awards.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

15. Linda Ronstadt — 30 million units
American singer Linda Ronstadt performs on stage at the Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, July 26, 1981.
Linda Ronstadt’s music falls into many genres, including country.

Paul Natkin/Getty Images

14. Willie Nelson — 31.5 million units
Musician Willie Nelson performs during the Georgetown to Austin March for Democracy rally on July 31, 2021 in Austin, Texas.
Willie Nelson is also an actor who has appeared in films such as “Thief,” “Half Baked,” and “Blonde Ambition.”

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

13. The Chicks — 33 million units
The Dixie Chicks perform at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on February 23, 2003
The Chicks removed “Dixie” from their name in 2020.

Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

12. John Denver — 33.5 million units
American musician John Denver (1943 - 1997) performs on stage at Chicagofest, Chicago, Illinois, August 9, 1982.
John Denver died in a plane crash in 1997.

Paul Natkin/Getty Images

11. Kenny Chesney — 35 million units
Kenny Chesney onstage during the 2023 BMI Country Awards at BMI Nashville on November 07, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Kenny Chesney won the Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year for four years in a row.

Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI

9 (tie). Tim McGraw — 41 million units
Tim McGraw performs during the Windy City Smokeout on August 5, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (
Tim McGraw has released 17 studio albums.

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

9 (tie). Reba McEntire — 41 million units
Reba attends the 56th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 09, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Reba McEntire was recently a coach on “The Voice.”

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images

8. Alan Jackson — 44.5 million units
Singer/Songwriter Alan Jackson performs at The OMNI Coliseum in Atlanta Georgia February 19, 1991
Alan Jackson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017.

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

7. Kenny Rogers — 47.5 million units
Kenny Rogers performing on stage, 1978.
Kenny Rogers had a decades-long friendship with Dolly Parton.

David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images

6. Shania Twain — 48 million units
Shania Twain attends the 15th Annual Academy Of Country Music Honors at Ryman Auditorium on August 24, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Shania Twain is the most successful female country musician of all time.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ACM

5. Alabama — 49 million units
Country Group Alabama L/R: Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, Mark Herndon and Randy Owen open "My Home Is Alabama" Nightclub in Birmingham Alabama September 10, 1980
Alabama is the best-selling country band of all time.

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

4. Taylor Swift — 57 million units
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023
Taylor Swift began her career as a country singer before transitioning to pop.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

3. George Strait — 69.5 million units
American Country musician George Strait plays guitar as he performs onstage at the Tweeter Center, Tinley Park, Illinois, May 5, 2001.
George Strait has a record-breaking 44 No. 1 country songs under his belt.

Paul Natkin/Getty Images

2. Elvis Presley — 146.5 million units
Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968.
Elvis Presley got his start in country music as a young boy in Mississippi.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

1. Garth Brooks — 162 million units
Co-host Garth Brooks speaks onstage during the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star on May 11, 2023 in Frisco, Texas
Garth Brooks has released nine platinum albums, the most of any artist.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Read the original article on Business Insider

 

Category: Business

Related Posts