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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

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24. Hank Williams Jr. — 19.5 million units

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23. Brooks & Dunn — 21.5 million units

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22. Carrie Underwood — 22.5 million units

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21. Jimmy Buffett — 23 million units

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19 (tie). Kid Rock — 23.5 million units

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19 (tie). Johnny Cash — 23.5 million units

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18. Vince Gill — 24 million units

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16 (tie). Toby Keith — 25.5 million units

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16 (tie). Faith Hill — 25.5 million units

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15. Linda Ronstadt — 30 million units

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14. Willie Nelson — 31.5 million units

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13. The Chicks — 33 million units

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12. John Denver — 33.5 million units

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11. Kenny Chesney — 35 million units

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9 (tie). Tim McGraw — 41 million units

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9 (tie). Reba McEntire — 41 million units

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8. Alan Jackson — 44.5 million units

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7. Kenny Rogers — 47.5 million units

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6. Shania Twain — 48 million units

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5. Alabama — 49 million units

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4. Taylor Swift — 57 million units

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3. George Strait — 69.5 million units

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2. Elvis Presley — 146.5 million units

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1. Garth Brooks — 162 million units

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