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• Luke Bryan

• Alan Jackson

• Kenny Chesney

• Faith Hill

• Tim McGraw

• George Strait

• Toby Keith

• Shania Twain

• Garth Brooks

• Dolly Parton

Highlights

• Toby Keith, who died of stomach cancer of February 5th, was among the richest country artists, and posthumously dominated the charts.
• Country music, once dismissed as as "Hillbilly" music, has evolved into a global genre.
• Country artists like the late Toby Keith and Dolly Parton amassed substantial wealth from their successful careers.
• The wealthiest country artists have a combined net worth exceeding $2.3 billion.

Country music's roots can be traced to the Southern and Southwestern regions of the United States – but its influence has transcended borders, evolving into a global phenomenon and finding fans the world over.

Once known as "Hillbilly" music, country music gained popularity in the 1940s, around the time radio became a popular source of entertainment.

The genre seems to reinvent itself continually. In 2009, in the United States, country music was the most listened to rush hour radio genre during the evening commute.

In 2018, country music ranked as the third most popular genre in the United States, with more than 49 percent of Americans actively engaging with the style of music and its culture.

Along with mainstream fame, many country music artists have achieved immense financial success, gained global recognition, and accrued hefty bank balances which rival those of the biggest names in the music industry as a whole.

The ten wealthiest country artists have a combined net worth exceeding $2.3 billion.

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10 Luke Bryan

Net Worth: $160 Million

Luke Bryan's career began in the early 2000s, and he has since become one of the most popular country music artists in the world.

Bryan has released twelve studio albums, which produced 30 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

He has also won numerous awards, including five Academy of Country Music Awards, two Country Music Association Awards, and six American Music Awards.

Having sold over 75 million records, Luke Bryan has a net worth of a whopping $170 million.

Bryan's touring revenue is particularly significant. His 2014 Dirt Road Tour presented 72 shows, and pulled in over $61 million in revenue.

9 Alan Jackson

Net Worth: $160 Million

Alan Jackson is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 75 million records worldwide, with 44 million sold in the United States alone.

From his humble beginnings in rural Georgia to his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson has blazed a remarkable path in the world of country music.

Sixty-six of his songs have appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart; he has won two Grammy Awards, 16 CMA Awards, 17 ACM Awards, and has been nominated for multiple other awards. J

ackson signed with record label Arista Nashville and released his debut album, Here In The Real World, which marked the start of his meteoric rise to fame.

On average, Jackson's first three studio albums sold over ten million copies, increasing his asset base drastically due to sales revenue.

In addition to record sales and touring, Jackson also earns income through endorsements, songwriting royalties, and publishing rights.

Considering all the awards he has won, the millions of records he has sold, and the tours he has headlined, it comes as no surprise this cowboy's net worth is $160 million.

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8 Kenny Chesney

Net Worth: $190 Million

With over 30 million albums sold worldwide and 32 number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, Kenny Chesney is a titan of the country music genre.

His talent caught the attention of Capricorn Records, which released his debut album, In My Wildest Dreams, in 1994. Chesney's breakthrough came with his sophomore album All I Need To Know in 1995.

Chesney has received twelve Country Music Association Awards (including the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year honor four times), and eleven Academy of Country Music Awards (including four consecutive Academy of Country Music Awards for Entertainer of the Year from 2005 to 2008), as well as six Grammy Award nominations.

His 2007 Flip-Flop Summer Tour was the highest-grossing country road trip of the year, second only to that of The Police. Most of Chesney's net worth was generated through his tours and concerts.

He received the Billboard Touring Award for tours held between 2005 and 2008. His most recent Tour, the Here And Now Tour held in 2022, generated over $130 million in revenue after selling over a million million tickets,

7 Faith Hill

Net Worth: $200 Million

Faith Hill is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold almost 50 million albums worldwide.

She is critically acclaimed in the industry, having won numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, and fourteen Country Music Association Awards.

Hill was signed to Warner/Reprise Records in 1993 and released her debut album, Take Me As I Am, the same year. In 2001, Hill recorded There You'll Be for the Pearl Harbor soundtrack, which was commercially successful; it remains her best-selling single in Europe.

Hill has also seen success in her entrepreneurial ventures. She has her own clothing line, perfume line, and production company.

In 2009, Hill released her first fragrance, Faith Hill Parfums. Her net worth is estimated to be around $200 million.

Hill earns money through record sales, touring, merchandising, endorsements, and songwriting royalties, and she is one of the highest-paid country music artists in the world.

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6 Tim McGraw

Net Worth: $200 Million

Not often do you get to see couples who not only share a love for the same type of music but have also seen commercial success.

However, this is the case with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw – who are not only paired through their marriage, but also feature side by side on this list of wealthiest country music artists.

The couple's Soul2Soul II Tour was one of the highest-grossing tours in country music history and one of the top five among all genres of music.

Tim McGraw is one of the most talented artists in the industry. The three-time Grammy Award winner is also a record producer and actor.

He has released 16 studio albums, ten of which have reached number one on the Top Country Albums chart, with his 1994 breakthrough album Not A Moment Too Soon being the top country album of 1994.

He has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time, irrespective of genre.

McGraw's net worth of $200 million comes mainly from his album sales; most of his albums have gone platinum. He has amassed sales of more than 40 million units, making him one of the best-selling country artists of all time.

In 2019, McGraw ranked thirteenth on the Forbeslist of highest-paid country performers, raking in $18 million that year.

5 George Strait

Net Worth: $300 Million

George Strait's music career kicked off during his college days.

His love for music did not abate even during his time in the military, as he joined an Army-sponsored band while serving as an infantryman in the United States Army. Strait has over 30 studio albums to his name.

He has won numerous awards, including 13 Academy of Country Music Awards and 22 Country Music Association Awards.

Strait has been certified as the twelfth best-selling artist in American history, with career record sales of 70 million in the United States.

Strait's touring career is a revenue generating machine; his tours earned him $99 million in three years.

He is credited with designing a 360-degree configuration, which introduced more festive-style tours.

The Grammy Award-winning artist toured for the last time in 2012; the tour was immensely successful and set a new record for the highest-grossing single-show concert, with earnings of over $18 million in a single performance.

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4 Toby Keith

Net Worth (At The Time Of His Death): $370 Million

Toby Keith was one of the most popular and best-selling artists in country music.

Updated, February 2024: Toby Keith died on February 5th, at the age of 62, two years after he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

On February 14th, Billboard reported that Keith had posthumously "made history," as the first artist to occupy nine of the ten slots on the magazine's Country Digital Song Sales Chart. Luke Combs' massive crossover hit cover of "Fast Car" was the only song on the chart not by Toby Keith:

"The only song not by Keith in the top 10: Luke Combs’ 'Fast Car,' at No. 2, up 1,185% to 17,000 sold after he performed it – with its writer, Tracy Chapman, whose original version hit the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 in 1988 – at the Grammy Awards Feb. 4."

According to Billboard, Keith's 35 Biggest Hits concurrently topped the Billboard 200 chart, as well as the Top Country Albums chart.

Keith's fame extended beyond music; he was notorious for his gambling habit, as well as an array of successful business ventures which catapulted him into the ranks of the wealthiest country music artists in the world, with a net worth of $370 million at the time of his death.

After signing to DreamWorks Records in 1998, Keith released his breakthrough single "How Do You Like Me Now?!," which ushered him into the spotlight and topped several charts.

Keith released 19 studio albums and five compilation albums, totaling worldwide sales of over 40 million albums. Keith was a shrewd businessman; he had bars and restaurants in many states nationwide.

Keith established a clothing line in 2009 and launched Wild Shot (an alcoholic drink) in 2011.

In a 2013 Forbes feature, it was revealed that he raked in $65 million in the previous twelve months, consistently maintaining a yearly income of no less than $48 million over the past half-decade.

3 Shania Twain

Net Worth: $400 Million

Shania Twain's musical career has been immensely lucrative, marked by the sale of over 100 million records.

She is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and the best-selling female artist in country music history. Twain has won numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards and 27 American Music Awards.

Twain began singing in bars and clubs to support herself after her parents died in a car accident. Her debut album was unsuccessful, but her sophomore album sold over $18 million copies and gained her notoriety.

The Queen of Country Pop released her third album, Come On Over, and went on a global tour. Deemed one of the most anticipated of the 1990s, the tour became the highest-grossing tour by a female country artist at the time.

In the end, Twain drew over two million spectators, and earned over $80 million. She has diversified her portfolio with several successful business ventures, significantly bolstering her substantial net worth.

Twain is the highest-grossing female country touring artist, with $421 million grossed from her concert tours alone.

2 Garth Brooks

Net Worth: $400 Million

In his impressive career, Garth Brooks has achieved nine diamond-certified albums, the only artist in any genre to achieve this feat.

The two-time Grammy Award winner has a net worth of $400 million. He earns money through record sales, touring, real estate, endorsements, and songwriting royalties.

Brooks's touring revenue is particularly significant. The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour launched in March 2019 and broke attendance records in 15 cities, attracting nearly 1.2 million fans and generating over $97 million in gross revenue.

Brooks' investment in real estate has yielded remarkable profits; he has invested in and sold up to eight properties nationwide.

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1 Dolly Parton

Net Worth: $650 Million

With a career spanning over fifty years, Dolly Parton has been described as a "country music legend" and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all time.

The eleven-time Grammy Award winner is worth $650 million, thanks to her music, acting, songwriting, film productions, and business and branding ventures.

Parton has released 52 studio albums and achieved 26 number one hits on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Parton still owns nearly all publishing rights to her own music, reportedly earning between $6 million and $8 million in royalties every year.

Parton has profitable investment stakes in theme park Dollywood. Parton's 50 percent stake in the park is worth about $165 million. Parton also co-owns the DreamMore Resort and Spa, with a stake worth $15 million.

Dolly Parton is well known for her generous charity work through The Dollywood Foundation, which she founded in 1988; she gives away more than two million books to children monthly. Nor is this singer and part-time actress looking to slow down any time soon – and she could see her net worth hit $1 billion in no time.

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