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Taylor Swift performs at Madison Square Garden on August 27, 2009 in New York City.
Taylor Swift performs at Madison Square Garden on August 27, 2009 in New York City.
  • 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. Hank Williams Jr. — 19.5 million units
Hank Williams Jr. performs at Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 4, 1997 in Mountain View, California.
24. Luke Bryan — 20 million units
luke bryan
Luke Bryan performing at Super Bowl LI.
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
22. Carrie Underwood — 22.5 million units
Carrie Underwood performs onstage during
21. Jimmy Buffett — 23 million units
jimmy buffett
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.
19 (tie). Johnny Cash — 23.5 million units
American rock and country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash (1932 - 2003), circa 1965.
18. Vince Gill — 24 million units
Singer/Songwriter Vince Gill performs at The OMNI Coliseum in Atlanta Georgia October 01, 1999
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
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
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.
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.
13. The Chicks — 33 million units
The Dixie Chicks perform at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on February 23, 2003
12. John Denver — 33.5 million units
American musician John Denver (1943 - 1997) performs on stage at Chicagofest, Chicago, Illinois, August 9, 1982.
11. Kenny Chesney — 37 million units
Kenny Chesney onstage during the 2023 BMI Country Awards at BMI Nashville on November 07, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.
9 (tie). Tim McGraw — 41 million units
Tim McGraw performs during the Windy City Smokeout on August 5, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (
9 (tie). Reba McEntire — 41 million units
Reba attends the 56th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 09, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
8. Alan Jackson — 44.5 million units
Singer/Songwriter Alan Jackson performs at The OMNI Coliseum in Atlanta Georgia February 19, 1991
7. Kenny Rogers — 47.5 million units
Kenny Rogers performing on stage, 1978.
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.
5. Alabama — 49 million units
Country Group Alabama L/R: Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry, Mark Herndon and Randy Owen open
4. 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.
3. Taylor Swift — 110 million units
Taylor Swift performs onstage for the opening night of
2. Elvis Presley — 146.5 million units
Rock and roll musician Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special on June 27, 1968.
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
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