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 has been a judge on “American Idol” since 2018.
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24. Hank Williams Jr. — 19.5 million units
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
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 won “American Idol” in 2005.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Carrie Underwood
21. Jimmy Buffett — 23 million units
Jimmy Buffett died in 2023.
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19 (tie). Kid Rock — 23.5 million units
Kid Rock was one of the first country rap artists.
