Country music isn’t everyone’s favorite genre, but there’s no denying it has power. This music industry is almost uniquely American (with a few key exceptions) and includes some of the biggest musical stars of all time. These 15 richest country singers are some of the most successful in the business.
1. Dolly Parton
Estimated Net Worth: $650 million
Dolly Parton has had a formidable career and is rightly known as the Queen of Country Music. For more than 50 years, she has released 52 studio albums, consistently leading the country charts. A grand total of 25 of her songs have hit No. 1. She has won 10 Grammy Awards and countless other awards. After becoming widely known as a country music star, Parton starred in many television shows and films. In addition to her wild success as a singer and songwriter, she has pursued many business ventures, including production work. She also owns the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
It is estimated that Parton donates an average of a million dollars to charity annually. Her charitable efforts are extensive, especially her work through The Dollywood Foundation, the My People Fund, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Next: The richest singers overall in the world
2. Shania Twain
Estimated Net Worth: $400 million
Shania Twain has been performing since 1983 but rose to widespread fame during the 1990s. Though country music is usually considered an American musical genre, Twain is from Canada. Her music has spread far beyond North America, becoming highly popular in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Several of her albums have received diamond certifications. Her career hit its peak in the late 1990s, breaking records with her album Come On Over, which remained on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for 97 weeks. She is best known for her songs Man! I Feel Like a Woman, That Don’t Impress Me Much, Come On Over, From This Moment On, and You’re Still The One.
Next: Greatest women of country (top female country singers)
3. Garth Brooks
Estimated Net Worth: $400 million
Garth Brooks is one of the most highly-selling artists in country music history, having received diamond certifications for nine of his albums. He has sold more albums than Elvis Presley and is only outsold by The Beatles. His career began in the mid-1980s and he released his first album in 1989, achieving instant success. His subsequent albums consistently ranked highly on the Billboard charts. Despite having a classic country music style, Brooks has drawn inspiration from the musical and performance styles of rock musicians such as Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and KISS. His business ventures have included a record label and an online music platform that later merged with Amazon Music.
Next: Best-selling albums overall of all time
4. Toby Keith
Estimated Net Worth: $365 million
Toby Keith is another one of the best-selling country artists of all time, having received Gold, Platinum, or Diamond certifications for his first five albums. One of his biggest hits was How Do You Like Me Now?!, released in 1999; previously, his best-known song was Should’ve Been a Cowboy, which was the most popular country song of the decade. He has sold more than four million albums around the globe and has had 42 Billboard Top 10 tracks. Although his musical career has been wildly successful, Keith has also earned an extraordinary amount of money through his business ventures, including a restaurant chain, several record labels, and a clothing line.
Next: The best men of country (top male country singers)
5. George Strait
Estimated Net Worth: $300 million
George Strait’s career began in the 1970s, during the heyday of classic country music. However, he struggled throughout the decade and was nearly ready to quit music altogether when he signed his first record deal in 1981. This kicked off a decade of consistent No. 1 hits throughout the 1980s. Strait continued to lead the country music genre through the 1990s and 2000s; in 2010 he was named on the list of Most Influential Country Artists of the Last 25 Years. He has sold more than 69 million albums in the United States, receiving many Gold and Platinum certifications — in fact, he is the third-most widely-selling artist in history, behind Elvis and The Beatles. He is also an investor in many business ventures, including a tequila brand.
Next: Wealthiest rock stars in the world
6. Kenny Rogers
Estimated Net Worth: $250 million
Kenny Rogers passed away in 2020 but remains one of the most successful musical artists of all time. Though he wasn’t exclusively a country singer, he was most closely associated with country music and inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. His songs consistently charted high on the Billboard Charts, including many No. 1 hits. He was best known for songs such as Lucille, She Believes In Me, Lady, The Gambler, and his famous duet with Dolly Parton, Islands in The Stream. Over the course of his career, Rogers recorded 69 albums, selling more than 120 million records. Outside his music career, Rogers was also an actor and photographer; he also founded the restaurant chain Kenny Rogers Roasters.
7. Kenny Chesney
Estimated Net Worth: $190 million
Kenny Chesney has the unique talent of being able to cross genres, making him popular in both the country and pop music industries. In addition to his many country hits, he has also had songs place on the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 40. This makes him one of the most widely-sold country crossover artists of all time. His career began in the early 1990s, and he has consistently remained popular ever since; he is known for playing in sold-out concert arenas. While many other singers make crossovers into acting, Chesney says he has no interest in appearing in films or television shows, despite being asked frequently.
8. Alan Jackson
Estimated Net Worth: $150 million
Alan Jackson broke into fame thanks to his unique fusion of modern pop country and classic honky-tonk. Over the course of his career, he has recorded 23 albums, including two Christmas albums and two Gospel albums. Jackson has received many awards, including two Grammy Awards and 17 CMAs; he is also one of the best-selling country artists of all time. In addition to his successful music career, Jackson has pursued a number of business ventures. He has a signature line of goods sold at the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel and has also partnered with Ford as a celebrity endorser. He also has a signature line of liquor, Silverbell Whiskey.
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9. Carrie Underwood
Estimated Net Worth: $140 million
Carrie Underwood exploded onto the scene when she won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Instantly recognized for her star power, Underwood is easily able to cross back and forth from country music to pop. She has had several songs chart on both the country charts and the Billboard Hot 100, even placing at No. 1 on the latter with Inside Your Heaven. She is among the most successful and influential female country music artists of all time, having won eight Grammy Awards and broken five Guinness World Records. Underwood has also partnered extensively with brands as a spokesmodel, including Skechers, Target, Almay, Nintendo, and others. Outside of music, she has partnered with Dick’s Sporting Goods to release a line of activewear; Underwood has also made several film and television appearances and released a highly successful lifestyle book.
Next: Greatest contestants on the show American Idol ever
10. Brad Paisley
Estimated Net Worth: $120 million
Brad Paisley is one of the best-known and most successful country musicians in the industry today. He has broken records for many consecutive singles to place at No. 1 on the US Billboard Country Airplay charts. Paisley has also won many awards, including three Grammy Awards and induction into the Grand Ole Opry. His career began in the late 1990s. Paisley found almost immediate fame, winning awards and Grammy nominations before his first record deal was two years old. He has also collaborated with many of country music’s best-known artists, including Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, and many others. Paisley has also written music for the movie Cars and written two books. He introduced a bourbon brand in 2021 called America Highway Reserve.
11. Blake Shelton
Estimated Net Worth: $100 million
Blake Shelton is known both for his successful country music career and his turbulent personal life, including his highly-publicized relationships with ex-wife Miranda Lambert and third wife Gwen Stefani. His career began in the early 2000s with several wildly successful albums; he has also appeared extensively on television as a judge on The Voice, Clash of The Choirs, and Nashville Voice. Shelton is also a partner in a chain of restaurants and entertainment facilities with locations in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Florida, and Nevada. Between his enormous success as a musician, his personal business ventures, and his television appearances, it is not hard to see why he is one of the wealthiest country singers in the industry.
12. Reba McEntire
Estimated Net Worth: $95 million
Reba McEntire may be the only musician who can battle Dolly Parton for the title of Queen of Country Music. Her career began in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1984, when she began to assert more control over her music, that she became widely successful. After forming her own entertainment company, she was able to explore more musical styles and consistently placed at the top of the charts. McEntire has also had a highly successful acting career, starting in the late 80s, and appeared both on Broadway and on film. She starred in a television series, Reba, which ran from 2001 to 2007. Reba is widely considered one of the most successful female country singers of all time and maintains an enthusiastic fanbase.
Next: Richest female singers in the world
13. Jason Aldean
Estimated Net Worth: $80 million
Jason Aldean has released 10 albums since signing his first record deal in 2005. His music has been incredibly popular, regularly placing at No. 1 on the Hot Country Song or Country Airplay charts. He has won many Country Music Awards and has been nominated for a number of Grammy Awards. Aldean’s only widely publicized business venture is partial ownership in Buck Commander, a hunting company. The majority of his wealth seems to come from his music career, making it even more impressive.
Next: The best overall country singers of all time
14. Keith Urban
Estimated Net Worth: $75 million
Keith Urban is a rare non-American country singer; he was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia. His parents were country music fans, helping him develop an interest in the genre from his earliest musical endeavors. In 1992, Urban moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and began to partner with various country music artists. His subsequent albums throughout the 90s and 2000s were highly successful. He also appeared as a judge on both The Voice Australia and American Idol. Urban’s other business ventures include a signature guitar and music equipment line.
15. Miranda Lambert
Estimated Net Worth: $60 million
Miranda Lambert’s career began in 2001 when she self-released her first album. She gained widespread attention when she won third place on the singing competition television show Nashville Star. Following her rise to fame, Lambert’s second album was certified platinum. She had a successful solo career before founding a country trio, The Pistol Annies, in 2011. In addition to her charitable endeavors and musical career, Lambert has also embarked on several business ventures. She partnered with Ram Trucks and Cotton Inc. as a spokesperson and opened a bar in Nashville; she also has several clothing lines, a boutique, and a wine brand.
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As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.
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