Some people think country music is the most amazing genre in the world. When country music is compared to other genres like pop and hip-hop, it stands alone for its ability to tell intricate stories poetically. Country music has been around since the late 1910s with historical roots that trace back several centuries. The first country song to be recorded on a commercial level was in 1922. Eck Robertson and Vernon Dalhart came together to make magic happen in the studio with a couple of unforgettable songs they knew listeners would cherish.
They released “Arkansas Traveler” and “Sallie Gooden” – and changed the music world forever. Currently, millennials are fully aware of how incredible country music can be. As of 2024, millennials are between 28 and 43 years old. This group was born between 1981 and 1996. Before millennials, the Gen X generation was born. After the millennials, Gen Z was born. Millennials are smack dab in the middle with several things in common with the generations above and below them.
When it comes to their music taste regarding country stars, millennials can resonate with Gen-Xers and baby boomers in a big way. Most of the beloved country music artists millennials adore tend to be a bit older. Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, and George Strait are some examples. While we’re on the topic of country music, click here to uncover 20 country music one-hit wonders.
To compile this list of the most popular country music singers among millennials, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a survey conducted by YouGov.
1. Johnny Cash
When people think of Johnny Cash’s career, they often also think about Elvis Presley. That’s because Cash’s career came to be on the tail end of Presley’s. As a reminder, his big break came with “Cry! Cry! Cry!” and “Hey Porter” in 1955. At the time, Cash was considered one of the most promising young artists of his generation.
Other catchy hits from Cash that millennials still enjoy include “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” “The Man Comes Around,” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” While he was alive and active, Cash won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, and the Academy of Country Music Awards Cliffie Stone Icon Award.
2. Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton in publicity portrait for the film 'Rhinestone', 1984. (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images)
Dolly Parton has been inspiring country music lovers for years. Even though she’s currently in her late 70s, millennials are still happy to listen to her music on a regular basis. Parton’s big break occurred in 1959 with the song “Puppy Love.” Despite the fact that the song didn’t land on any charts, it was enough to pave the way for the rest of her impeccable career.
Some of the biggest songs from Parton have been “Islands in the Stream,” “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That,” and “Love Is Like a Butterfly.” Parton’s most noteworthy awards include the Grammy Award for Best Country Song, the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, and the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year. As Miley Cyrus’s godmother, she’s also recorded duets with the young singer for millennials to sing along to.
3. Shania Twain
Music from Shania Twain will never get old, especially in the eyes of millennials. Over the course of her career, Twain has sold more than a million records. Beyond the country genre, she happens to be one of the best-selling artist in the entire world. With songs like “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” and “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?” as part of her discography, it isn’t surprising that her career has been so successful.
Some of the awards she’s won include the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, and the Billboard Music Award for Top Female Artist. Twain has affectioately been dubbed the “Queen of Country Pop.”
4. Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood made a huge impact on “American Idol” as the first musician to take home the gold as a country singer. When she achieved that, it gave country music lovers something to get thoroughly excited about. The fourth season of “American Idol” was her time to shine, but she’s gone on to record incredible music since then.
Some of her biggest songs include “Before He Cheats,” “Something in the Water,” and “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” She won the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year, the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and the Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year in the past.
5. Tim McGraw
Millennials are inspired by music that comes from Tim McGraw as a country music star. There’s a reason he’s accrued a net worth of $200 million since getting started in the industry. He was born and raised in Louisiana, but people know him all around the globe at this point.
Some of his undeniable hits have been “Where The Green Grass Grows,” “Live Like You Were Dying,” and “She’s My Kind of Rain.” McGraw is in award-winning artist with the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year, the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Artist, and the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year under his belt. It’s easy to spot him with his cowboy hats and microphones.
6. Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire is another country music star who has millennials feeling awesome about the country music genre as a whole. McEntire’s music career is a huge reason why. Another massive reason is that she’s starred in some interesting movies and TV shows over the years. The show “Reba” aired from 2001 until 2007 shedding light on the difficult life of a single mother.
As far as music goes, though, McEntire’s biggest songs have been “Does He Love You,” “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” and “What Am I Gonna Do About You.” Her list of awards is extensive including the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Artist.
7. Faith Hill
Faith Hill is a country music star with a net worth of $200 million. It’s clear that her career in the music industry has taken her quite far. Plenty of millennials have been loving Hill since 1993 when she released her first album “Take Me As I Am.” She followed that album up with a sophomore project called “It Matters to Me” in 1995.
As far as awards go, he has been the winner of the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, the Country Music Association Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Artist. Her biggest songs have connected with country music fans around the globe. These hits include “The Way You Love Me,” “Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me,” and “The Rest of Our Life.”
8. Willie Nelson
The most obvious reason millennials adore Willie Nelson is that he’s got incredible country songs people can resonate with. The singer, songwriter, and guitar player is the brilliant mind behind songs like “Seven Spanish Angels,” “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” and “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.”
He’s collaborated with talented musicians like Orville Peck and Ray Charles in the past as well. Some of Nelson‘s awards include the Grammy Award for Best Country Song, the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year, and the American Music Award for Favorite Country Album.
9. Brad Paisley
With an impressive net worth of $120 million, it shouldn’t come as a shock that Brad Paisley is adored by millennials. The country music star is a singer, songwriter, and guitar player who knows how to rile up his audiences whenever he’s on stage. He released his first single in 1999 titled “Who Needs Pictures.” Success didn’t stop there for him, though.
Other top-notch songs from Paisley have been “When I Get Where I’m Going,” “He Didn’t Have to Be,” and “Last Time for Everything.” He’s taken home the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year, and the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in the past.
10. Keith Urban
Keith Urban is a country music star who’s highly respected by millennials everywhere. His millennial fanbase is part of the reason why he’s been able to accrue a net worth of $75 million. The first song he released was in 1990 titled “Arms of Mary.” The song was enough to set him on the right track in the music industry.
He went onto release hits like “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Only You Can Love Me This Way,” and “You Look Good in My Shirt.” Urban’s award list includes the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Artist, and the American Music Award for Favorite Country Album.
11. Garth Brooks
Millennials think of Garth Brooks as one of the most charming country music singers to listen to. That’s because he has songs that are fun, lighthearted, and catchy. Other songs from Brooks’s discography are deeper and more thought-provoking. His debut single was called “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old),” and he immediately followed it up with “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”
Other awesome songs from Brooks have been “If Tomorrow Never Comes,” “The Beaches of Cheyenne,” and “To Make You Feel My Love.” Brooks proved that he’s on the right track in the country music world after winning awards like the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Artist, and the Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year.
12. Martina McBride
Plenty of millennials can agree that Martina McBride is a solid country music star to keep up with. She was born in Kansas, but she later decided to relocate to Nashville, Tennessee. Nashville is known as a hub for country music, which means the relocation was one of the smartest things she could have done for her career. The first song released was called “Chances Are” in 1988.
She pressed on with her music career with other bangers like “I’m Gonna Love You Through It,” “’Til I Can Make It on My Own,” and “Pick Me Up on Your Way Down.” McBride is an award-winning musician who can claim the Country Music Association Award for Female Vocalist of the Year, the American Music Award for Favorite Female Artist in Country, and the Academy of Country Music Award for Female Artist of the Year.
13. John Denver
John Denver, who’s real name is Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., changed his name in honor of his favorite city in Colorado. The singer-songwriter splashed onto the music scene in 1971 with the song “Take Me Home Country Roads.” Denver went on release “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” “The Wings That Fly Us Home,” and “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
It’s easy to understand why Denver would have so many accolades under his belt. He won the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Artist — just to name a few.
14. Toby Keith
Toby Keith died on February 5, 2024, but before his death, he made a huge impact on the country music community. He died with a net worth of $400 million under his belt from his concert tickets sales and album sales. The beloved country music star topped the charts with his debut single “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in 1993.
Other songs that stand out from Keith discography include “Don’t Let The Old Man In,” “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue,” and “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This.” Before Keith’s death, he won the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year, the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Artist, and the Country Music Association Award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
15. Lady Antebellum
Where would the country music world be today without Lady A, former known as Lady Antebellum? The musical group is comprised of three talented individuals: Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood. Their biggest track released was back in 2010 titled “Need You Now.”
Other popular songs the group recorded have been “What If I Never Get Over You,” “Dancin’ Away With My Heart,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes off You.” Some of the awards Lady A’s taken home include the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Country Group, the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year, and the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
16. Kid Rock
Music from Kid Rock has a reputation for being fun, lighthearted, and energizing. The music’s high vibrational energy is a reason millennials are totally obsessed with Rock and everything he offers the country music world. The first song he released was during the winter of 1990, and it was called “Style of X-Pression.”
He followed it up with several other incredible hits like “Blue Jeans and a Rosary,” “Don’t Tell Me How to Live,” and “Midnight Train to Memphis.” Arguably, his biggest song of all time is “All Summer Long,” which he dropped in 2007. Some of the awards Rock has taken home include the Echo Award for Song of the Year and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Rock Song.
17. Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers has a career in the country music world that millennials are excited about. The first song he released was in the late 1950s. It was called “The Poor Little Doggie.” He was never destined to be a one-hit wonder, though. He pressed on in the country music world with songs like “If I Ever Fall in Love Again,” “Don’t Fall in Love With a Dreamer,” and “How Do I Break It to My Heart.”
As a reminder, Rogers is an award-winning musician. The Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year, and the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals are just a small handful of awards Rogers earned for himself over the course of his career.
18. Kenny Chesney
The first song Kenny Chesney released was back in 1994. It was called “I’d Love To Change Your Name,” and it certainly changed the trajectory of his life. Chesney went on to release other amazing songs for country music lovers to jam out too. Some of his bangers include “When the Sun Goes Down,” “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” and “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy.”
Millennials have a lot of respect for Chesney and his list of awards proves how talented he is. In the past, he’s taken home the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Artist.
19. Darius Rucker
Darius Rucker is another talented country music star who millennials absolutely adore. The first song Rucker released debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2008. It was his first solo single, “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It.” Beyond that song, Rucker’s also released hits like “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” and “Same Beer Different Problem.”
His list of awards is impressive including the Country Music Association Award for New Artist of the Year and the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance. Millennials have a lot of respect for Rucker and it shows. Just take a look at his 1.5 million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter.
20. George Strait
The first song to put George Strait on the map was “Unwound“ in 1981. The early 80s was a fabulous era for Strait who had every opportunity to make it in the mainstream country music world. He went onto release songs like “ Carrying Your Love with Me,” “When Did You Stop Loving Me,” and “The Cowboy Rides Away.”
Over the course of his career, he took home the Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year, the Academy of Country Music Award for Dick Clark Artist of the Decade, and the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The majority of these country music stars have proven that they can dominate in solo careers. What about incredible duos, though? Click here to find out more about the best country music duets of all time.