The Best-Selling Country Music Artists of All Time

Who else made the list alongside Willie, Reba and Shania?

The Best-Selling Country Music Artists of All Time

Since the 1920s, when settlers in the South took their “hillbilly” music to the cities, country music has been one of the most popular genres in the U.S. In fact, today there are more country radio stations than top 40/pop, classic rock, adult contemporary and hip hop — combined.

What’s not to love about country music? First of all, there’s something for everyone, from the “outlaw” country sound of Johnny Cash to pop-country crossovers artists like Shania Twain and Garth Brooks. Then there’s the appeal of a great story, which is at the heart of all great country music. Check out “Travelin’ Soldier” by the Dixie Chicks or "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" by Reba McEntire for country storytelling at its finest.

Whatever you’re going through in your life, there’s a country song you’ll be able to relate to. And then there’s the fashion — from Dolly Parton’s sequin jumpsuits to McEntire’s gravity-defying hair, country stars never disappoint on the style front.

Whether you’re a longtime country music fan or discovering the genre for the first time, here are the best-selling stars you’ll want to add to your playlist, ranked according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) top-selling artists list.

22. Randy Travis

Album units sold: 18 million

Hit you should know: “On the Other Hand”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 16

From humble beginnings on a North Carolina farm, Randy Travis (born Randy Traywick) became one of the world’s best-selling country music stars — despite the odds being stacked against him. He showed his musical talent early, learning to play guitar at 10, but experimenting with drugs and alcohol in his teenage years lead to several misdemeanor charges.

Travis was facing jail time at the age of 18 when nightclub manager Elizabeth Hatcher took him under her wing, persuading a judge to let her become the teen’s legal guardian. Over the next few years, she groomed Travis for a music career. His big break finally came in 1985, when he was signed by Warner Bros. Records. His 1986 album “Storms Of Life” was No. 1 for eight weeks and sold over five million copies.

Over his career, Travis has had eight platinum albums and been awarded seven Grammy Awards, 10 Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards and five Country Music Association (CMA) awards.

21. Rascal Flatts

Album units sold: 18.5 million

Hit you should know: “These Days”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 12

The band Rascal Flatts (vocalist Gary LeVox, bassist Jay DeMarcus, and guitarist and banjo player Joe Don Rooney) made its impressive chart debut in 2000 with the single “Prayin’ for Daylight,” which reached No. 3 on the Hot Country chart. The band also achieved crossover success, with its 2005 single release “What Hurts the Most” hitting the top spot on both the Hot Country and Adult Contemporary charts, and reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2011, Rascal Flatts was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and in 2012 the band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

20. Carrie Underwood

Album units sold: 19.5 million

Hit you should know: “Before He Cheats”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 14

Carrie Underwood introduced a whole new generation to country music after winning season four of “American Idol” in 2005, at the age of 22. Three years later, she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry (becoming the youngest member of the renowned establishment) and began hosting the annual CMAs with Brad Paisley. In 2017, Underwood was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. With seven Grammy Awards, 24 No. 1 singles and six platinum albums under her belt, she continues to be one of the world’s most popular country music stars.

19. Hank Williams Jr.

Album units sold: 19.5 million

Hit you should know: “I’m For Love”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 10

Born Randall Hank Williams in 1949 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Hank Williams Jr. is the son and namesake of country music legend Hank Williams — and is now a legend in his own right. Williams Jr. was only three years old when his father died, but he kept his memory alive by performing his songs on stage during his childhood.

By the 1970s, Williams Jr. had established his own sound, a fusion of country, rock and blues, entertaining audiences with a huge repertoire of instrumental skills — he can play drums, piano, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, steel guitar, banjo, dobro, saxophone, harmonica and fiddle. Throughout his career, Williams Jr. has amassed a huge number of awards, including a trio of ACM Entertainer of the Year trophies.

18. Johnny Cash

Album units sold: 23.5 million

Hit you should know: “Ring Of Fire”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 9

It’s thanks to Johnny Cash’s childhood singing teacher that generations of music fans have enjoyed his unique vocals — she told him to quit lessons and never try to change his natural voice. The musician and songwriter, who was born in 1932 in Arkansas into a poor farming community, may be just as famous for his personal challenges as for his music — he had a serious substance abuse problem in the 1960s — but hits like “I Walk the Line,” “A Boy Named Sue” and “Ring of Fire” secure his spot as one of country’s best-loved stars.

In 2005 Joaquin Phoenix played Cash in the critically-acclaimed, Oscar-winning film “Walk the Line,” which was based on two of Cash’s autobiographies, “Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words” and “Cash: The Autobiography.”

17. Vince Gill

Album units sold: 24 million

Hit you should know: “I Still Believe In You”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 5

Before embarking upon a solo music career in 1983, Vince Gill was frontman to the successful country rock band Pure Prairie League. His multi-instrumental skills (he can play play banjo, guitar, bass, mandolin, dobro and fiddle) have made him a highly sought-after vocalist and duet partner — he was even invited to join Dire Straits, an offer he declined. He has, however, performed with the Eagles.

Gill has 18 CMA Awards, including two Entertainer of the Year awards and five Male Vocalist Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards — more than any other male country music artist.

16. Toby Keith

Album units sold: 25 million

Hit you should know: “How Do You Like Me Now?!”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 20

Oklahoma-born Toby Keith moved to Nashville in the early 1990s and started his music career with Mercury Records, thanks to a flight attendant on a flight he took, who gave a copy of his demo tape to Mercury Records executive Harold Shedd. However, Keith’s breakthrough success came after he signed to DreamWorks Records Nashville in 1998. His 1999 single release "How Do You Like Me Now?!", the title track to his album of the same name, was the number 1 country song of 2000.

15. Faith Hill

Album units sold: 25.5 million

Hit you should know: “The Way You Love Me”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 9

Born Audrey Faith Perry in 1967, Faith Hill shot to fame with her first album, “Take Me As I Am” in 1993 and added to her success with subsequent releases. Her fourth album “Breathe” is one of the best-selling country albums of all time, with its singles “Breathe” and “The Way You Love Me” earning Hill huge crossover success and three Grammy Awards.

She has won numerous other awards and her Soul2Soul II Tour 2006 with her husband Tim McGraw became the highest-grossing country tour of all time. In 2019, Hill will add a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to her achievements.

14. Brooks & Dunn

Album units sold: 27.5 million

Hit you should know: “Only In America”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 20

Vocalists and songwriters Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were solo recording artists before they joined forces to form Brooks & Dunn in 1991, and went on to become the most successful country music duo of all time. They won the Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year award every year between 1992 and 2006, with the exception of 2000. They performed their final concert as a duo in September 2010 and continued to record as solo artists, but reunited in 2015 for a series of concerts with Reba McEntire in Las Vegas, Nevada.

13. Linda Ronstadt

Album units sold: 30 million

Hit you should know: “You’re No Good”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 2

Throughout her 40-plus year career, Linda Ronstadt has released country, pop, rock and folk songs, but she really made her mark in the country genre. She has had 14 platinum albums, four of which have been No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart, and been awarded 13 Grammys and two ACMs. She won her first Grammy Award for her breakout 1974 album “Heart Like a Wheel,” which cemented her success as a solo artist after a stint with the Stone Poneys in the 1960s. In the 1980s, Ronstadt joined forces with fellow country greats Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris to release the award-winning album “Trio.”

12. Kenny Chesney

Album units sold: 30.5 million

Hit you should know: “How Forever Feels”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 23

Born in 1968 in Knoxville, Tennessee, Kenny Chesney began his music career performing in local bars with a college band while studying at East Tennessee State University. Today, he has 30 No. 1s, 11 platinum albums and a mass of awards under his belt. He’s also the only country artist on Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years, and many of his country hits have also charted on the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making him one of the most successful crossover country artists.

Chesney also has a rather unique achievement on his musical resume: In 1982, he won the best male yodeler at the International Yodeling Championship in Zurich, Switzerland.

11. Dixie Chicks

Album units sold: 30.5 million

Hit you should know: “Cowboy Take Me Away”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 6

When it comes to accolades, the Dixie Chicks are hard to beat. The trio (Martie Erwin Maguire, Emily Erwin Robison and Natalie Maines) has multiple diamond albums for sales of more than 10 million each (“Wide Open Spaces” and “Fly”), 13 Grammy Awards, 11 CMAs and nine ACMs, and is the best-selling female band of all time of any genre as well as the best-selling country group in the U.S.

By striking a balance between mainstream country-pop and bluegrass roots, and by speaking openly about politics — Maines faced a huge backlash in 2003 for publicly criticizing the Iraq war — the Dixie Chicks have secured a huge fan base across generations.

10. Willie Nelson

Album units sold: 31.5 million

Hit you should know: “Beer For My Horses”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 20

Not many artists can boast a six-decade career and more than 200 album releases. Willie Nelson, born in Texas in 1933, achieved critical success with the albums “Shotgun Willie,” “Red Headed Stranger” and “Stardust,” and became a leading figure in country music and in particular “outlaw country,” a country music subgenre from the late 1960s that rebelled against the more conservative, commercial Nashville sound.

Beyond his musical success, for which he’s won practically every award going, Nelson has appeared in more than 30 movies, written several books and campaigned for the legalization of marijuana.

9. Tim McGraw

Album units sold: 37.5 million

Hit you should know: “My Next Thirty Years”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 26

Of Tim McGraw’s 15 studio album releases, 10 have reached No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. McGraw, who has been married to fellow country music great Faith Hill since 1996, learned to play guitar in college and eventually dropped out to move to Nashville. He hit the big time with his second album “Not a Moment Too Soon,” which was the best-selling country album of 1994. His first release from that album, the controversial “Indian Outlaw,” was his first top 10 hit on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. Since then, he’s won a slew of Grammy Awards, ACM awards, CMA awards and People’s Choice awards.

8. Reba McEntire

Album units sold: 41 million

Hit you should know: “Somebody”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 24

Often hailed as the Queen of Country and considered a role model for practically every female country star to follow in her footsteps, Reba McEntire released her first self-titled solo album in 1977 with Mercury Records after being taken to Nashville by country artist Red Steagall. It was 1981 before McEntire — now signed to MCA records — charted in the Billboard Top Country Albums list, reaching No. 2 with “Heart to Heart.”

She has been named best female vocalist by the Country Music Association multiple times, starred in films and her own award-winning sitcom, and also runs several businesses. In 2011, McEntire was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

7. Taylor Swift

Album units sold: 43 million

Country hit you should know: “Tim McGraw”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 7

Although Taylor Swift probably wouldn’t rank this high on the list without her huge pop hits, she started out as a country music star, moving to Nashville with her family at the age of 14 after being inspired by a documentary about Faith Hill. She became the youngest artist ever to be signed by the Sony/ATV Music publishing house, and she was also the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a No. 1 song on the Hot Country Songs chart, with “Our Song,” the third single from her self-titled debut album.

To date, Swift has won more American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards than any other artist. In 2015, she was included in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

6. Alan Jackson

Album units sold: 43.5 million

Hit you should know: “I Don’t Even Know Your Name”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 26

Alan Jackson grew up in rural Georgia and honed his music skills singing in church. After marrying his high school sweetheart Denise in 1979, the couple moved to Nashville to let Jackson follow his dream of a career in music. After enduring many rejections, he finally got a recording deal with Arista Records, and never looked back. He has received dozens of ACM and CMA awards, including CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1995, 2002 and 2003, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2017 by Loretta Lynn.

5. Alabama

Album units sold: 46.5 million

Hit you should know: “Southern Star”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 33

Considered to be the most successful country music band of all time, the Grammy-winning trio of cousins, Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook, formed Alabama (initially under the name Wildcountry) in 1969 in Fort Payne, Alabama and are still going strong — the band will tour in 2019 to celebrate 50 years together.

During the 1980s, the band scored more than 27 No. 1 hits and seven multi-platinum albums, and received many awards. Alabama’s lyrics often centered on their homeland, such as their first hit single, "Tennessee River," which mentions being "born across the river in the mountains I call home."

4. Kenny Rogers

Album units sold: 47.5 million

Hit you should know: “Buy Me a Rose”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 21

Kenny Rogers bought himself a guitar in high school, formed a rockabilly group called the Scholars and the rest is history. In 1958, at the age of 20, he released his first hit, “That Crazy Feeling,” performing it on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand.” He racked up more hits in the country and pop charts, including “Lucille,” “The Gambler” and a No. 1 with Dolly Parton, “Islands in the Stream.”

Rogers also recorded a series of hits with country legend Dottie West, including "Every Time Two Fools Collide," "All I Ever Need Is You," and "What Are We Doin' in Love." He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 and received the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 CMA Awards.

3. Shania Twain

Album units sold: 48 million

Hit you should know: “You’re Still The One”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 7

Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain (born Eilleen Regina Edwards in 1965) holds the title of the first and only female artist in history to have three consecutive albums certified diamond by the RIAA for sales of more than 10 million units each. Her 1997 album “Come On Over” propelled her to international stardom and produced several chart-topping singles, including “That Don’t Impress Me Much," “You're Still the One,” “From This Moment On” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” As a successful country-pop crossover artist, Twain has earned five Grammy Awards, four ACMs, two CMAs and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2. George Strait

Album units sold: 69 million

Hit you should know: “Write This Down”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 44

Quite rightly known as the “King of Country,” the hugely influential singer/songwriter George Strait is credited with taking country music back to its roots in the 1980s. This is despite starting his musical interest in a rock garage band, and listening to The Beatles.

In the 2000s, he was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, won a Grammy Award for his album “Troubadour” and was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Besides earning an incredible 44 No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart, Strait boasts the most CMA and ACM nominations and wins than any other artist.

1.5. Dolly Parton

Album units sold: 100 million+

Hit you should know: “Here You Come Again”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 25

For some reason, Dolly Parton doesn’t appear on the RIAA list, but according to other sources she’s sold more than 100 million albums. News reports even say she was honored by the RIAA in 2014 for selling more than 100 million units. So we made a judgement call here: She deserves a mention.

Parton is back in the public eye in 2019, thanks to her vocals on Jennifer Aniston’s Netflix film “Dumplin’” — but Dolly Parton has never really left the limelight since she started performing at the tender age of 10. Parton made her Grand Ole Opry debut at 13 and moved to Nashville to pursue a music career as soon as she finished high school. A partnership with Porter Wagoner on The Porter Wagoner Show helped Parton secure a contract with RCA Records, and in 1971 she celebrated her first No. 1 country hit with “Joshua”. Since then, Parton has had many more chart-topping hits, won numerous awards, and appeared on the big and small screen (most notably “9 to 5” with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and “Steel Magnolias” with Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine and Julia Roberts). She even has her own theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee: Dollywood.

Read more about Parton in our View From the Top profile.

1. Garth Brooks

Album units sold: 148 million

Hit you should know: “Two Piña Coladas”

No. 1 hits on the U.S. Hot Country chart: 19

Singer-songwriter Garth Brooks, who was born in Oklahoma in 1962, has broken several industry records and won every music award going. His third album, the 1991 release “Ropin' the Wind,” racked up 4 million orders before its release, and became the first album by a country singer to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts.

Brooks is the first artist in history in any genre to receive seven diamond awards for seven albums certified by the RIAA for 10 million album sales each, and he’s also the best-selling solo artist in U.S. history certified by the RIAA with over 148 million album sales. You’ll struggle to find a Hall of Fame Brooks hasn’t been inducted into, and in 2016 he won the CMA Entertainer of the Year award for a record fifth time.