Did you know two of the top three best-selling musicians of all time are country music artists?
Garth Brooks recently overtook the Beatles as the artist with the highest album sales of all time, and Elvis Presley is right there at No. 3.
Country music is one of the most popular genres, with its own set of stars, award shows, and a 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 — 20 million units
24. Brooks & Dunn — 21.5 million units
23. Carrie Underwood — 22.5 million units
22. Jimmy Buffett — 23 million units
20 (tie). Kid Rock — 23.5 million units
20 (tie). Johnny Cash — 23.5 million units
19. Vince Gill — 24 million units
17 (tie). Toby Keith — 25.5 million units
17 (tie). Faith Hill — 25.5 million units
16. Morgan Wallen — 26 million units
15. Linda Ronstadt — 30 million units
14. Willie Nelson — 31.5 million units
13. The Chicks — 33 million units
12. John Denver — 33.5 million units
11. Kenny Chesney — 37 million units
9 (tie). Tim McGraw — 41 million units
9 (tie). Reba McEntire — 41 million units
8. Alan Jackson — 44.5 million units
7. Kenny Rogers — 47.5 million units
6. Shania Twain — 48 million units
5. Alabama — 49 million units
4. George Strait — 69.5 million units
3. Taylor Swift — 110 million units
2. Elvis Presley — 146.5 million units
1. Garth Brooks — 200 million units
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Gabbi Shaw is a reporter on Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She covers entertainment, travel, food, and lifestyle for Business Insider, and Insider Inc.'s partners, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo.She graduated from Tulane University in 2017 with a degree in public health and now lives in New York City. She can be reached on X or LinkedIn.Please send all inquiries, comments, or tips to [email protected].Selected stories:
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