This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.
Johnny Cash, the American singer, songwriter and actor, was known for sorrow, moral suffering and redemption themes in his music. His genre was country, rock and roll, blues, folk and gospel sounds and he is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Cash had issues with drinking and drug abuse. Later he was diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease.
Four-time Grammy-winner Keith Urban had already tasted success in Australia, before making his American debut with a platinum-certified solo album. He knows how to play a variety of instruments, including the sitar, guitar, piano, and mandolin. His track Somebody Like You was named Billboard’s greatest country hit of the 2000s.
Kenny Rogers was an American singer-songwriter. He is among the best-selling musicians of all-time list, having sold over 100 million records. His songs and albums remain influential among country music lovers. A multi-talented personality, Rogers was also successful as an actor and entrepreneur; he was the co-founder of the Kenny Rogers Roasters chain of restaurants.
Five-time Grammy-winning country artist Chris Stapleton is best known for hits such as Parachute. He has also co-written tracks such as Kenny Chesney's Never Wanted Nothing More. Before going solo, he was part of the bands The SteelDrivers and The Jompson Brothers. His music blends country with bluegrass and soul.
Billy Ray Cyrus’s song Achy Breaky Heart was the first triple-platinum single in Australia. Its music video made the line dance a trend. Billy has eight top-10 Billboard Hot Country charters. His debut album, Some Gave All, spent the longest time by any debut artist on Billboard 200.
Luke Combs is an American singer-songwriter. The two studio albums, which he has released so far, have produced nine number-one songs on Billboard's Country Airplay chart. In his relatively short country music career so far, Luke Combs has had a major impact by winning prestigious awards, such as Country Music Association Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards.
An American singer and songwriter, Kane Brown first came into prominence as a social media celebrity, thereby inspiring several social media users all over the world. In 2017, he became the first artist whose music peaked at number one positions on all five principal Billboard country charts simultaneously.
A nine-time Grammy Award nominee, Blake Shelton is a popular American country music singer. Described as one of the biggest stars of country music over the past decade, Blake Shelton was made an Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee in 2014. Prominent singer-songwriters, such as Sheryl Crow, have named Blake as their inspiration. Blake Shelton is also a well-known philanthropist.
Country singer Thomas Rhett, son of singer Rhett Akins, has delivered countless chartbusting tracks such as Crash and Burn, Unforgettable, and It Goes Like This. The Grammy-nominated singer has also won honors such as the BMI Award, the Billboard Music Award, and the Academy of Country Music Award.
Popularly known as the Demon of Screamin, Steven Tyler is the lead singer of the famous rock band Aerosmith. Known for his high-energy performances, Tyler is named in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Singers. Also a well-known philanthropist, Tyler launched a non-profit organization called Janie's Fund and has helped raise more than $2.4 million for the organization.
Lionel Richie is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and composer whose work with the band Commodores and his solo career established him as a successful balladeer of the 1980s. Having sold more than 90 million records, Lionel Richie is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Also a philanthropist, Richie helped raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Troyal Garth Brooks is an American singer-songwriter. Having sold over 170 million records worldwide, Brooks is one of the best-selling musicians in the world. He is also the best-selling solo albums musician in the US. Also known for his charitable activities, Garth Brooks established the Teammates for Kids Foundation in 1999, which provides financial support to charities for kids.
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter. One of the most decorated male country music singers of the current generation, Paisley has won multiple American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, Country Music Association Awards, and Academy of Country Music Awards. Brad Paisley is also known for his skills as a guitarist and one particular model of guitar is named after him.
Musician and singer-songwriter Buddy Holly was a central figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. Born to a musical family, he learned to sing and play the guitar as a child. He began his career as a teenager and found much success within a short period. Sadly, he died in an aircraft crash when he was just 22 years old.
Jimmy Buffett is an American musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and businessman. Buffett, who owns the Margaritaville Cafe chain of restaurants, is one of the richest musicians in the world. Also known for his charity work, Jimmy Buffett is credited with founding a non-profit group called Save the Manatee Club, which works towards the conservation of manatees.
Singer and songwriter Alan Jackson is famous for popularizing the “neotraditional country” genre of music that has elements of traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country-pop sounds. Having sold over 75 million records worldwide, he is one of the best-selling music artists of all-time. In 2017, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Glen Campbell was an American TV host, actor, singer-songwriter, and guitarist. Regarded as one of the most successful musicians ever, Campbell sold more than 45 million records, which included a double-platinum album, four platinum albums, and 12 gold albums, in a career spanning 50 years. In 2014, he became the subject of a documentary titled Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me.
Dwight Yoakam is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He is credited with popularizing honky tonk music, which he pioneered. In 2014, his song Guitars, Cadillacs was named in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 greatest country songs list. Yoakam has also starred in several films, such as Sling Blade, Panic Room, and The Minus Man.
Sturgill Simpson is an American actor and country music singer-songwriter. Often compared to Waylon Jennings, Simpson has recorded some critically-acclaimed albums, such as Metamodern Sounds in Country Music and A Sailor's Guide to Earth. Sturgill Simpson's journey from being a drug peddler, who experimented with LSD during high school, to becoming a famous musician is quite inspiring.
Country singer Townes Van Zandt is remembered for his melancholy and lyrical tracks. His hits such as Pancho and Lefty and To Live Is to Fly have influenced many artists of subsequent generations. He struggled with depression and spent a considerable part of his life in cheap shacks and motels.
Trace Adkins is an American country singer renowned for his bass-baritone singing voice. Adkins has recorded many studio albums that have received platinum or gold certification in the US. A multi-talented personality, Adkins also appears on TV and writes books; his autobiography was released in 2007. He is also a member of a non-profit organization called 'Sons of Confederate Veterans'.
Keith Whitley was an American singer whose career was cut short by his sudden death at the age of 34. Before his death, due to alcohol intoxication, Whitley recorded two albums, which spawned 12 chart-busting singles. His third and final studio album was released posthumously.
