40 Best Country Singers of All Time, Ranked

Some of the best entertainers of all time hail from the country genre. There are honky-tonk heroes, bluegrass belters, and rhythmic rockers. There are banjos, guitars, fiddles, and harmonicas. Country music can be a breath of fresh air, an escape to another world, or a righteous anthem. On this list, we celebrate the 40 best country singers of all time.

40. Tim McGraw

Many contemporary country music fans first heard of country crooner Tim McGraw from Taylor Swift, in her debut single named after the artist. However, Louisiana-born Tim McGraw has been topping charts since 1994, with his debut single, "It's Your Love."

Since then, McGraw has released 15 studio albums, ten of which have hit the number one spot on the Top Country Albums chart. McGraw is a versatile country artist, and collaborated with rapper and singer Nelly for 2004 hit "Over and Over."

39. John Denver

John Denver is a polarizing country singer, with many finding him just too peppy and pleasant to tolerate. Denver has numerous iconic tunes, including "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," and "Rocky Mountain High."

John Denver was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the '70s, and performed mainly with his acoustic guitar and a big smile. He had over 300 songs and composed around 200 of those himself. Tragically, Denver passed away aged 53 while piloting his own plane.

38. Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is a country artist that came to prominence on the popular talent show - American Idol - in 2005. Underwood's first single, "Inside Your Heaven," debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which is the first time a country single had done so. Underwood has some massive crossover hits, including "Jesus Take the Wheel," and single girl anthem "Before He Cheats."

Underwood hails from Oklahoma and is a seven-time Grammy Award winner. Rolling Stone called her "the female vocalist of her generation of any genre."

37. Brad Paisley

Born and raised in West Virginia, country star Brad Paisley has been making waves in the country music world since 1999 with his debut album, Who Needs Pictures.

Since then, not only has Paisley released tons of studio albums but he's also brought home three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards, and two American Music Awards. Now 49 years old, Paisley shows no signs of slowing down his music career anytime soon.