Carrie Underwood Becomes Highest RIAA Certified Female Country Artist

Over 95 Million Units Certified Including 22.5 Million in Albums & 72.5 Million in Singles 

Credit: Chris Hollo 

Left to Right: Robert Femia (COO & EVP Business & Legal Affairs, MCA), Jackie Jones (SVP Artist & Industry Relations, RIAA), Carrie Underwood, Mike Harris (President & CEO, MCA) Katie McCartney (EVP / General Manager, MCA) and Stephanie Wright (EVP / Head of A&R, MCA)

Carrie Underwood has been named the highest RIAA certified female country artist of all time. She has sold 95 million units (22.5 million albums and 72.5 million singles) in the US alone across solo titles and collaborations.

“Accomplishments like this are more than I would have ever dared to dream of when I was starting out,” says Underwood. “I owe everything to the fans, who have literally voted for me from the beginning of my career and have showed up and given me so much love for over 20 years. I feel truly blessed.”

“This monumental achievement solidifies Carrie Underwood’s legacy as a generational talent and a true titan of the music industry. Becoming the highest RIAA certified female country artist of all time is a testament to the unparalleled connection Carrie shares with fans and the enduring power of her artistry,” adds Mike Harris, President & CEO, MCA.

The MCA team presented Underwood with a plaque following her performance at the Grand Ole Opry last week to celebrate the accomplishment. Her highest RIAA certifications include her 9x Platinum debut album Some Hearts, singles “Before He Cheats” (11x Platinum), “Blown Away” (5x Platinum), “Cowboy Casanova” (4x Platinum), “All-American Girl” (3x Platinum), “Church Bells” (3x Platinum) and platinum and multi-platinum collaborations, including her most recent, “I’m Gonna Love You” with Cody Johnson (Platinum).

Additionally, Underwood’s original holiday song from her 2021 holiday album, My Gift (Special Edition), “Favorite Time Of Year,” has been certified Gold.

Underwood has won over 100 major awards including 8 GRAMMY® Awards, 16 ACM Awards including three for Entertainer of the Year (the first female in history to win twice and the only female ever to win three times), 25 CMT Music Awards (holding the record for the most award wins ever for the show), 17 American Music Awards, 10 People’s Choice Awards, and 7 CMA Awards. She has recorded 29 #1 singles (14 of which she co-wrote), and has eight albums that are certified Multi-Platinum or Platinum by the RIAA.  All 10 of her albums (including nine studio albums and her 2014 Greatest Hits: Decade #1) – three of which she co-produced – have debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200 chart for all genres, beginning with her 9x Platinum debut album, Some Hearts, which was released in 2005.

** OF NOTE **

I wonder if it is hard pure sales or stream units taken into account? 

REF: Carrie Underwood has become the highest RIAA Certified female country artist of all time with over 95 million units (22.5 million albums and 72.5 million singles) .

 According to RIAA, Reba McEntire has sold 41 million certified albums in the United States, making her the eighth best selling female album artist in the USA. 

How many did Taylor Swift sell when she was a tagged country artist? 

Canadian Shania's The Women In Me (12 million shipments throughout the United States.) & Come On Over (over 40 million copies).

Carrie not in top 100 on this list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-certified_music_artists_in_the_United_States

ABOUT CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Carrie Underwood is a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, film, and as a bestselling author and successful entrepreneur. She has been a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2008 and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018. 

She has also built a successful business portfolio inspired by her passion for health and wellness, as she founded and created the fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, and her first book, FIND YOUR PATH was an instant New York Times bestseller in 2020 when she also launched her popular fitness app, fit52. Carrie launched her exclusive year-round SiriusXM channel, CARRIE’S COUNTRY, in 2023, and created two additional channels, CARR-DIO by CARRIE’S COUNTRY and SAVIOR SUNDAY DAILY by CARRIE’S COUNTRY, both of which stream exclusively on the SiriusXM app.

She became the first artist to perform at the Resorts World Theatre in 2021, where her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency concluded its 72-show run on April 12, and her concert special, “CARRIE UNDERWOOD: REFLECTION,” is now streaming worldwide on Hulu and Disney+. She has starred in the show open for primetime television’s #1 program, NBC’s Sunday Night Football, for 13 consecutive seasons, and will return for a second season on the judges panel of the hit show “American Idol,” alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on ABC and Hulu, which she joined this year, marking the 20th anniversary of her winning the title.