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Regardless of how people feel about this one specific genre, country stars have had tons and tons of success over the course of their careers, and that amounts to a lot of moolah.
Even if you don"t listen to country music that often, you probably know at least a few of the big names that have been shaping the industry for decades. Shania Twain, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, and a few more are some names that might come to mind. You can probably even take a guess at some of the most successful artists or even the wealthiest artists in the country music industry. They might sing about simple pleasures and old-town values, but these music stars are worth millions upon millions.
Or, if you"re curious, maybe you don"t know who is at the top of the country music payroll, we"re more than happy to inform you. There could be a giant itemized list of the richest country stars, but for the sake of your patience (and ours), we"ll only cover 40 of these super-rich country megastars. Running from half a billion dollars to a little over 60 million dollars, these are 20 country stars with the highest net worth to date.
Net worth: $17 million
Wondering why he’s here? He’s scooped up this cash in less than 10 years on the country music charts and he’s just getting started. Church is also a prolific songwriter and touring with top names like Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts.
Net worth: $50 million
Blind from birth, Milsap saw crossover success between the 70’s and 80’s with songs like “It Was Almost Like A Song”, “Any Day Now” and “Stranger in My House”. He also wrote for the acclaimed duo Ashford & Simpson.
Net worth: $60 million
Emmylou Harris was not only a solo artist, she was a backing vocalist and prolific songwriter for dozens of acts. She saw success in the form of 14 Grammys during the mid-80s and performed with legends Roy Orbison, Levon Helm and Johnny Cash.
Net worth: $65 million
Loretta Lynn has received numerous award and accolades for her groundbreaking role in country music. Having sold more than 45 million albums worldwide, it"s no surprise she made this list. She"s one of the most celebrated musicians in the industry.
Net worth: $74 million
Any list of the richest country music artists certainly includes George Jones- a pioneer in the industry with ballads. His best-known song, “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, still stands as a classic in the genre. Charting more than 160 singles, its no wonder that he was called the “Rolls Royce of Country Music”.
Net worth: $75 million
This Australian native is one of the country"s highest-paid performers. He earned $22 million in 2017 alone, acted as an American Idol judge, and has his own guitar line to help him bring in some extra cash.
Net worth: $75 million
These gals ain’t afraid to ruffle some feathers as performers or activists. Their unique sound has put them at the top of the Grammy awards with 13 little gramophones and the resounding “Goodbye Earl” about a murdered abusive husband.
Net worth: $75 million
Willie Nelson is a living legend who will always be on our minds. The braided gentleman with a passion for helping America’s farmers and tinny voice is recognized the world over. He enjoyed a two-tier career, first hitting it big in early "70s and then enjoying a revival in the mid-"80s.
Net worth: $80 million
Jason Aldean has been nominated four times for the ACM"s Entertainer of the Year and has won it three times. He has released eight albums since he stepped onto the country music scene in 2005 and has had 11 number-one singles on the Country charts. In addition to his music popularity, he also owns a hunting company with several former MLB players to help bring in an extra bit of cash.
Net worth: $80 million
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, her country megastar husband, began an extended world tour in 2017, which has had 80 sold-out shows in North America. Hill has won five Grammys and nominated for 12 more. She"s also acted as the voice of NBC"s "Sunday Night Football" opening.
Net worth: $80 million
“Hello, Darlin”, Twitty’s biggest solo hit with his deep voice and distinctive styling propelled him to the top of the charts. But it"s his duos with country grand dame Loretta Lynn that garnered all the awards.
Net worth: $85 million
Carrie Underwood is the most awarded woman in the history of CMT, with 18 awards since she won American Idol in season four. Not to mention, she has seven Grammy awards and 14 nominations.
Net worth: $85 million
Tim McGraw has been named the American Music Awards favorite country male artist four times and countless other titles during his two-decade career. McGraw is also one of the handfuls of country stars to successfully cross into acting, which adds a nice bit of extra cash.
Net worth: $90 million
Luke Bryan is easily one of the biggest concert draws in country music, but it"s not only music that"s helping him land on this list. Bryan has had endorsement deals with Miller Lite and Chevrolet, was a judge on American Idol, and he co-owns a hunting company with Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson.
Net worth: $90 million
You can’t have country music without Tanya Tucker and vice versa. This dynamo burst onto the scene in 1972 with her smash hit “Delta Dawn” and continued to have hit after hit- taking her career from childhood to adulthood. She enjoyed a revival in the 90s during the great country crossover.
Net worth: $95 million
Reba McEntire is a groundbreaking icon in the world of country music. She has 15 nominations and three Grammy awards, 59 top 10 hits, and 24 number one singles over the course of her 40-year career.
Net worth: $95 million
Alan Jackson is in a class all his own with albums running the gambit of genres, including gospel, Christmas, bluegrass, and even more. With two Grammys, 50 top 10 Billboard Hot Country hits, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it"s not hard to see why Jackson is a country music star.
Net worth: $95 million
A household name for his music and a well-known, hilarious commercial with former NFL star Peyton Manning, Brad Paisley is a staple in country music. Over his years in the industry, Paisley has won three Grammy Awards and earned 18 nominations.
Net worth: $95 million (For comparison, it was $40 million in 1985)
Haggard can go by his first name only- say Merle in the country world of music and everyone knows who you’re talking about. After a brief stint at Folsom, Merle got his life together and never looked back- staging comeback after comeback for 50 years until his death in 2016.
Net worth: $95 million
Mel Tillis has been around longer than bread, or so it seems. While he recorded music for 4 decades, he saw success in the late "50s and late "70s. Mel also enjoyed a hardy acting career, mostly playing himself.
Net worth: $95 million
With a signature straw hat and crooked grin, Dwight has been cranking out the singles for 30 years. Gravitating toward honky-tonk music at an early age, he scored hit with “Honky Tonk Man” and then adapted rock covers in his style.
Net worth: $100 million
There’s literally nothing that Linda Ronstadt can’t do. She writes, she sings, she produces. She hits all music genres including country rock, country and crossover. Sending 21 singles to the top forty as an artist, she is credited with writing songs for most successful artists including EmmyLou Harris and Dolly Parton.
Net worth: $100 million
Trisha certainly garners a mention without her uber-country-spouse Garth Brooks. Trisha smashed onto the scene in 1991 and continues to sing to this day. Her best know hits include “She’s in Love with the Boy” and “How Do I Live”.
Net worth: $105 million
This little author grew up belting out “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Southern Nights” in short pants, but Campbell’s bigger hits were in the late "60s. Campbell paid his dues in the industry, backing up some of the largest names: Ricky Nelson, Merle, Lou Rawls, Elvis, Nat King Cole, and Dean Martin.
Net worth: $107 million
Name a more iconic song than Patsy Cline’s “Crazy”. In her brief career, she sang favorites like “I Fall to Pieces” and “Walkin After Midnight”. The most tragic aspect is that Patsy Cline was 30 when she died, with albums to be released.
Net worth: $120 million
The man, the myth, the legend, Johnny Cash is one of the most notable names in country music. Cash received many awards from the Country Music Association Awards, Grammys, and was inducted into five music halls of fame. Johnny Cash"s career spanned almost five decades, and he rose to become an industry icon.
Net worth: $120 million
The duo was founded in 1990s and released 50 singles- 20 of which became number 1 hits. Their hit “Boot Scootin Boogie” helped popularize country line dancing.
Combined net worth: $122 million
This country music dynasty is rooted all the way back to 1937 when Hiram “Hank” Williams. Without Hank, we wouldn’t have such classics as “Your Cheatin Heart” or “Hey, Good Lookin”. His namesake who we know as Bocephus embraced the rowdy southern rock country that is “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”.
Net worth: $150 million
Technically a trio but their net worth reaches a total of $150 million, and they"ve definitely earned that money. Rascal Flatts has had nothing but success, including 12 number one Hot Country hits and millions of records sold.
Net worth: $190 million
Chesney isn"t just a heartthrob country superstar, he"s also one of the highest-earning country stars of this year. In the first half of 2019 alone, Chesney has pulled in $37 million, and in April he broke the record for most number-one songs on the Country Airplay chart.
Net worth: $241 million
Robbins brought the rockabilly music to the forefront, taking time out from driving NASCAR to do it. He recorded more than 500 songs and 60 albums. His largest hits included “El Paso”, “Don’t Worry” and “Big Iron”.
Net worth: $250 million
Kenny Rogers is one of the Top 10 Recording Industry Association of America best-selling male artists of all time with a whole other host of awards. It"s hard for anyone to hold a candle to Kenny Rogers.
Net worth: $300 million
With an insane 60 number-one singles (more than any across all genres), 70 million albums sold, and nominated for 16 Grammys, Strait"s more than 30 years in the industry has been nothing short of massive success.
Net worth: $320 million
Unless you"ve been living under a rock for the past several years, you probably know country-singer-gone-pop sensation, Taylor Swift. Swift constantly dominates the top of the charts and is the only artist in music history to have an album hit one million sales in the first week on three separate occasions.
Net worth: $330 million
Brooks has been a staple in the country music scene for the past 25+ years, and he"s sold more than 148 million albums. With that many albums sold, Brooks is just under The Beatles and above Elvis Presley in most albums sold.
Net worth: $365 million
Easily another major name in country music, Keith is a popular artist all across the globe. He"s a twice named entertainer of the year, twice named top male vocalist, and Billboard has named him the country artist of the decade.
Net worth: $400 million
Shania Twain has been a global country music phenomenon since the mid-"90s. She"s been named Entertainer of the Year by two different associations, inducted in two music halls of fame, and named Artist of a Lifetime by CMT.
Net worth: $400 Million
There was no country act bigger than Alabama from 1980 through 1989. The band set the U.S. on fire and the charts for 27 number 1 hits (21 in a row) and nabbed more than 200 awards from American Music Awards, Grammys, BMG, Billboard as well as Artist of the Decade.
Net worth: $500 million
Arguably the biggest star in country music history, Dolly Parton has been inducted into over 12 halls of fame and nominated for 47 Grammy Awards; of those, she"s won eight.
Net worth: $600 million
Randy broke through in the mid-eighties during the country music revival and went head to head with the likes of George Straight, Clint Black and Garth Brooks. Travis recorded 20 albums, charted more than 50 singles and helped establish the neotraditional country movement.