Billboard has picked the top 25 country artists from the past 25 years. The Top County Artists 1985-2010 ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Country Songs and Top Country Albums charts from January 5, 1985 to the Billboard issue dated May 29, 2010. Artists are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at the lower end of the chart earning the least.
25. LeAnn Rimes
24. Travis Tritt
23. Martina McBride
22. Dwight Yoakam
21. Ricky van Shelton
20. Brad Paisley
19. Keith Urban
18. Dixie Chicks
17. Vince Gill
16. Faith Hill
15. The Judds
14. Shania Twain
13. Hank Williams Jr.
12. Clint Black
11. Rascal Flatts
10. Brooks & Dunn
9. Alabama
8. Kenny Chesney
7. Toby Keith
6. Randy Travis
5. Tim McGraw
4. Alan Jackson
3. Reba McEntire
2. Garth Brooks
1. George Strait
See more about the list here.
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This is a cool writeup. Some of the choices are surprising though. How’d Tim, Clint, Travis and LeAnn place when the bulk of their popularity was ten years ago or more? Also really surprising to see Carrie and Taylor didn’t qualify, especially over someone like LeAnn, who was a medicore success story at her height, while Carrie and Taylor have traded off dominating much of the decade.
I was also sort of shocked to see that Rascal Flatts placed above the Dixie Chicks, considering they are the biggest-selling female group of all time.