Special report
No one knows exactly where or when country music started. The first commercial country music album was recorded in 1922 and the genre’s popularity increased in 10 years, according to George Jones. Today it is a multibillion dollar part of the global music industry in America.
Garth Brooks, one of country music’s biggest stars, has sold 157 million albums so far in his career. His best-selling album and the best-selling country music album of all time is “Double Live”, released on November 4, 1997.
Even people who don’t listen to country music have probably heard of the Grand Ole Opry, the temple of country music artists, many of whom started their careers there. The Grand Ole Opry is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and is often referred to as “Music City”.
To determine the best-selling country album of all time, 24/7 Tempo examined data on sales of certified albums in the United States from the Record Industry Association of America. Country albums – albums identified as country by the RIAA or featured in Billboard Magazine’s Best Country Albums chart – were ranked based on lifetime unit sales in the United States. Data on certification also came from the RIAA. Historical chart data used to determine performance on the Billboard 200 was collected in October 2021.
The top-selling album list is mostly dominated by albums from the 1990s and 2000s, but there are more recent records. The 90s and 2000s were a golden era for country stars. Legends like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain generated megahits throughout the period. (These are the 50 greatest country music stars of all time.)
Taylor Swift has also scored several hits with her modern fusion of country and pop. As the sounds of the 90s and 2000s have transformed, country music is a vibrant and growing genre. (These are the best movies for country music fans.)
It’s impossible for a country album to show huge sales if it doesn’t top sales for several weeks – or in some cases, several months. Garth Brooks’ “Double Live” album, which sold 21 million copies, spent 56 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts, five of which were number one. Garth Brooks also dominates the list of best-selling albums.
Click here to view the best-selling country albums of all time
