The Fame, Fortune, and Trailblazing Success of the Richest Female Country Singers Country music has always given us memorable tales of love and loss and life's everyday ups and downs while channeling the American spirit. While the genre boasts many talented artists, there is a select group of women who have not only achieved immense fame but also accumulated considerable wealth due to their remarkable talents.
From trailblazing icons to contemporary chart-toppers, these women are the richest female country singers of all time.
15. Maren Morris Born: April 10, 1990
From: Arlington, Texas
Net worth: $8 million
* Net worth numbers are up-to-date through May 2023.
Bottom Line: Maren Morris The youngest star to make this list, Maren Morris is making waves in the country music community. Morris started performing in public as a preteen and began releasing albums shortly after. She released her major-label debut LP, "Hero," in 2016, which spawned the immediate classics "My Church" and "The Middle."
At just 33, Morris has already won five Grammys, five ACMAs and five CMAs, and she is one of the most popular country artists of her generation. She is a staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights, women's rights and mental health awareness.
13. Wynonna Judd (Tie) Born: May 30, 1964
From: Ashland, Kentucky
Net worth: $12 million
Bottom Line: Wynonna Judd One-half of the acclaimed country duo, the Judds, Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi, became country superstars in the 1980s. With a string of hit singles, including "Mama He's Crazy," "Why Not Me" and "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)," they earned five Grammys and nine CMAs before disbanding in 1991.
Wynonna struck out on her own and has maintained that success over the decades with several studio albums and hit singles, including "She Is His Only Need," "I Saw the Light" and "No One Else on Earth." On her own, she's earned two Grammys and nine CMAs and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
She is a strong advocate for mental health awareness — her mom, Naomi, died by suicide in 2022. A documentary about her life after the death of her mother, "Between Hell & Hallelujah," is streaming on Paramount+.
RELATED: 45 Richest Country Singers in the World
13. Kacey Musgraves (Tie) Born: Aug. 21, 1988
From: Golden, Texas
Net worth: $12 million
Bottom Line: Kacey Musgraves Kacey Musgraves has been racking up the awards since her debut and is one of the few younger country artists on this list who is making a splash in the genre. She released her debut, "Same Trailer Different Park" in 2013. It was an immediate critical and commercial success and earned her a Grammy for Best Country Album.
Her second album, "Pageant Material," and third release, "Golden Hour," were also both critical and commercial successes and earned Musgraves three more Grammys. Musgraves' sound blends elements of country, pop and folk, but it's her lyrics, many of which tackle social and political issues, that get people talking.
12. Natalie Maines Born: Oct. 14, 1974
From: Lubbock, Texas
Net worth: $40 million
Bottom Line: Natalie Maines One-third of the Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks), Natalie Maines, along with sisters Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, released the album "Wide Open Spaces" in 1998 to massive success. It was certified 12x platinum and spawned several hit singles, including "There's Your Trouble" and the title track. Their subsequent albums, such as "Fly" and "Home," also achieved commercial success and received critical acclaim.
The careers of the Chicks took a detour when, in 2003, Maines made critical comments about then-President George W. Bush; nevertheless, the Chicks continued releasing albums and maintained much of their fan base. In summer 2023, the trio heads out on the road in support of their most recent album, 2020’s "Gaslighter." One of the stops will be a six-night residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
11. Martina McBride Born: July 29, 1966
From: Sharon, Kansas
Net worth: $45 million
Bottom Line: Martina McBride Martina McBride has been a country music darling since the early 1990s, and it was her 1993 sophomore LP, "The Time Has Come," that helped her gain widespread recognition. Her next LP, "The Way That I Am," continued that success with popular tracks such as "My Baby Loves Me" and "Independence Day."
10. Miranda Lambert Born: Nov. 10, 1983
From: Longview, Texas
Net worth: $60 million
Bottom Line: Miranda Lambert Miranda Lambert rose to prominence after finishing third in the reality competition, "Nashville Star," in 2003. Her debut album, "Kerosene," was released in 2005 and produced several hit singles, including the title track. Since then, she has released several successful albums, such as "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," "Revolution," "Four the Record" and "Platinum." Some of her most well-known hits include "Gunpowder & Lead," "The House That Built Me," "Mama's Broken Heart" and "Vice."
Lambert has won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Country Album and Best Female Country Vocal Performance. As of this writing, she's been nominated for two Academy of Country Music Awards and has a residency in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
9. Loretta Lynn Born: April 14, 1932 (Died Oct. 4, 2022)
From: Butcher Hollow, Kentucky
Net worth: $65 million
Bottom Line: Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn was called "The Queen of Country Music" for a reason. She was a chart-topping artist for over six decades and was known for her iconic hits "Coal Miner's Daughter," "You Ain't Woman Enough," "Fist City" and "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)." Her autobiography inspired the biopic "Coal Miner's Daughter" in which she was portrayed by Sissy Spacek (who won a Best Actress Oscar for the role.)
Lynn broke barriers as a female artist in the traditionally male-dominated industry. She addressed topics that were unheard of at the time and became a voice for women's empowerment and the struggles of the working class. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 for contributing to American culture.
8. Sheryl Crow Born: Feb. 11, 1962
From: Kennett, Missouri
Net worth: $70 Million
Bottom Line: Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow is widely known in the pop/rock community, but she's been veering toward a more country sound for the past decade. She released her first full-fledged country album, "Feels Like Home," in 2013, which spawned the hit singles "Easy" and "Halfway There" and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Album.
In 2023, she'll be an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was recently seen onstage at the Hollywood Bowl celebrating Willie Nelson's 90th birthday.
7. Reba McEntire Born: March 28, 1955
From: Kiowa, Oklahoma
Net worth: $95 million
Bottom line: Reba McEntire Reba McEntire broke out as a chart-topping star in the early 1980s with hits like "Fancy," "You Lie" and "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia." She has sold nearly 100 million records worldwide. She has 13 No. 1 albums under her belt and 24 No. 1 singles. Dolly Parton is the only female country artist to have surpassed this success.
McEntire is also a successful film and TV actress. She even had her own hit sitcom "Reba" from 2001 to 2007. Among her many accolades, McEntire has won three Grammy Awards, 16 AMAs and 5 CMAs. She has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
6. Carrie Underwood Born: March 10, 1983
From: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Net worth: $140 million
Bottom Line: Carrie Underwood Carrie Underwood gained nationwide recognition as the winner of the fourth season of "American Idol" in 2005. She is the richest alum of the show.
Following "Idol," Underwood launched her music career with the release of "Some Hearts" in 2005. It was a multi-platinum smash and produced hit singles like "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats." Her subsequent albums continued to achieve commercial success and critical acclaim. She's since sold 85 million records worldwide.
Underwood released her latest album "Denim & Rhinestones" in 2022 and currently has a residency called "Carrie Underwood: Reflection" at Resorts World Las Vegas.
5. Faith Hill Born: Sept. 21, 1967
From: Ridgeland, Mississippi
Net worth: $200 million
Bottom line: Faith Hill While Faith Hill's net worth is combined with husband Tim McGraw's, she very much a success in her own right. Her 1993 album, "Take Me as I Am," was a triple-platinum success, thanks largely to the single "Wild One," which sold 3 million copies alone.
Her 1998 album, "Faith," was an even bigger smash (six times platinum) and produced the classic singles "This Kiss" and "Breathe." She has since sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Hill is also an actress — she starred in "1883," the prequel to "Yellowstone," opposite her husband.
2. Trisha Yearwood (Tie) Born: Sept. 19, 1964
From: Monticello, Georgia
Net worth: $400 million
Bottom Line: Trisha Yearwood In 1991, Trisha Yearwood's self-titled debut LP featured her first No. 1, "She's in Love with the Boy." Her subsequent notable albums "Hearts in Armor," "Thinkin' About You" and "Real Live Woman" (2000) spawned hit singles such as "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)," "How Do I Live" and "I Would've Loved You Anyway."
Yearwood took a few years off from music to work on her best-selling culinary books and her successful show, "Trisha's Southern Kitchen," which won an Outstanding Culinary Emmy for the Food Network. The show ended in 2018 (there have been rumors that she would revive it, but nothing yet so far.) She released "Every Girl" in 2019, which is her most recent studio album, to critical and fan acclaim.
Yearwood's net worth is combined with that of her husband Garth Brooks, but it is notable enough that we've included her on this list.
RELATED: Garth Brooks' Net Worth Is Off the Country Charts
2. Taylor Swift (Tie) = Born: Dec. 13, 1989
From: West Reading, Pennsylvania
Net worth: $400 million
Bottom Line: Taylor Swift We know Taylor Swift has transitioned to pop, but we can't forget her country success. Swift gained prominence in the country music world right out of the gate with her self-titled debut album, released in 2006. The singles "Tim McGraw" and "Our Song" topped the country charts. Her next two albums, "Fearless" and "Speak Now," solidified her position in the country music world, producing hit songs like "Love Story," "You Belong with Me" and "Mean."
By 2012's "Red," she had made the transition to pop, but her country roots aren't ever far behind her. She has successfully crossed over to a broader audience and is recognized as one of the most influential pop singers of her generation. Also, by the time you read this, her $400 million net worth may be even bigger — Swift's massive "Eras" tour was a complete success, with a showing in theaters that only added money to her bank account.
2. Shania Twain (Tie) Born: Aug. 28, 1965
From: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Net worth: $400 million
Bottom Line: Shania Twain Shania Twain, known as the "Queen of Country Pop," grew up dirt poor and went onto become one of the biggest country stars of all time (think Taylor Swift before Taylor Swift.)
In 1995, her second studio album, "The Woman in Me," catapulted her to superstardom in both country and pop, selling over 20 million copies worldwide. Her third album, 1997's "Come On Over," sold double that and featured instant classics like "You're Still the One," "From This Moment On" and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"
Among her numerous awards and accolades are five Grammy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She released her first new album in five years, "Queen of Me," in February 2023 and is currently on tour.
1. Dolly Parton Born: Jan. 19, 1946
From: Pittman Center, Tennessee
Net worth: $650 million
Bottom Line: Dolly Parton Dolly Parton has come a long way since her days as Porter Wagoner's sidekick. She's not only the richest female country singer of all time, but she's also the richest, period. Of her 48 studio albums, 41 have made the top 10. She's had 25 No. 1 singles and has sold over 100 million records worldwide.
And these numbers do not include the millions of units sold by people who have covered her songs, particularly Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You," which Parton wrote for Wagoner when striking out on her own. Parton has invested much of her fortune in philanthropic causes and in her home state. Her theme park, Dollywood, welcomes over 3 million visitors annually.
She's the reigning queen of country music and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. She also has a rock album coming out in 2023 (appropriately titled "Rockstar"), featuring collaborations with the likes of Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Elton John and Lizzo.
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