Top 10 Country Artists Who Broke into Pop Music

#10: Faith Hill

The late 1990s and early 2000s were a prime era for country music crossovers. Faith Hill had some pretty huge success on the country charts with her first two albums, but it was 1998’s “Faith” that kicked off her pivot into the mainstream. The follow-up, “Breathe,” bolstered by the title track, was an even bigger success, going on to become one of the biggest selling country albums of all-time. Faith Hill clearly evolved her sound into something that was suitable for mass consumption, but she never forgot where she came from. Like any great country-crossover, her roots are deep within her home genre.

#9: The Chicks

The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, shot into the public eye during the late 90s, taking the country formula and updating it for the modern audience. During their initial run of major releases between 1997 and 2002, they were mainstays on the country charts. However, even though criticisms of the former U.S. president George W. Bush hurt their sales with their original audience, they rebounded in a huge way with “Not Ready To Make Nice.” It was their biggest mainstream hit up to that point, and proof that they had room to grow with their sound.

#8: Kacey Musgraves

All the way from her early days as a self-released artist, this star was country through and through. A stint on the singing competition “Nashville Star” and a Grammy for Best Country Album only reinforced that. But, in her 2018 release, “Golden Hour,” Musgraves began to experiment with her sound. To great effect, we might add! Musgraves earned raves for her pop-inspired direction, and kept the train rolling all the way into her more recent releases. While she hasn’t completely abandoned her southern roots, Musgraves blended it with traditional pop, and arguably found more mainstream success than ever before.

#7: Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John was responsible for one of the wildest career pivots imaginable. She began in the early 70s, with a clear country direction. These albums did reasonably well, but nothing could prepare us for how her starring role in the 1978 film “Grease” would affect her trajectory. From that moment on, Newton-John was a bona fide mainstream star. Then, after a decade in the business, she completed her pop-music pivot with her biggest selling album yet, “Physical.” The title track was a revelation, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for ten consecutive weeks. It was as dramatic a reinvention as can be, but the numbers proved that it was the right move to make.

#6: Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell’s versions of songs like “Rhinestone Cowboy” and “Wichita Lineman” have well and truly transcended the genre they were recorded in. When Campbell started hitting the top spot on the U.S. Country charts, he just so happened to be charting high on the regular charts as well. His best-known songs became standards across multiple genres and by the time his career was through, he had released more than 80 songs that had made it onto various charts in the United States. As a singer, guitarist, actor and even as a songwriter from time to time, Glen Campbell proved he could truly do it all.

#5: Kenny Rogers

Is there a more perfect country song than Kenny Rogers’ magnum opus, “The Gambler?” Well, no matter where you fall in that conversation, it was clear that Rogers had some serious crossover appeal - as evidenced by the fact that he is one of the biggest selling artists of all-time. However, he didn’t kick off his career with a firm foundation in the country music genre. No, Rogers bounced around from place to place, eventually landing his first major hit with the song “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In). That song had more of a classic rock and psychedelic edge to it than his later country stuff, proving just how versatile he was.

#4: Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash and his distinctive voice are synonymous with country music, but he was always capable of nailing other styles. Cash hit the big time in the 1950s, thanks to singles like “I Walk The Line” and “Big River” and the crossover success he achieved was consistently there. He was country at his core, but there were shades of rock and roll, folk, outlaw music, and even some big band stylings from time to time. When he made a dramatic resurgence in the 1990s alongside Rick Rubin for the “American” series of albums, he flexed his talents a little more. Cash was a lot more than a one-genre kinda man, and his long career proves it.

#3: Shania Twain

If you’ve earned yourself a title like the “Queen of Country Pop,” you know you’re doing something right. After the failure of her first studio album, Shania Twain changed course and produced a far more polished and confident follow-up, “The Woman in Me.” However, it was her third album, “Come On Over,” in 1997 that saw her bulk up her sound with more electric guitars and bigger instrumentation. All of a sudden, Shania was impossible to pin down to one genre, and the record would go on to become one of the biggest selling albums of all time. Twain well and truly earned her crown as queen, that’s for sure.

#2: Dolly Parton

Is there a more prolific songwriter in country than Dolly Parton? It should come as no surprise that the woman who supposedly wrote “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” on the same day is one of the defining artists of the 20th century. Parton could do straight country better than anyone, she could weave heartwrenching ballads with ease, and her pop sensibility was truly as good as it got. Parton has been one of country music’s brightest lights ever since her debut album in 1967, but it was the mid-70s and early-80s when she started to break into the mainstream. A tune like “9 to 5” clearly has country roots, but it stands the test of time as a near-perfect pop song.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Willie Nelson

One of the Genre’s Most Enduring Singers

Darius Rucker

The Former Hootie & the Blowfish Frontman’s Stellar Solo Run

Patsy Cline

As Good a Vocalist as Country Music Ever Produced

Garth Brooks

Arena-Ready Country Music at Its Very Best

#1: Taylor Swift

There might not be a more impactful genre crossover in any area of music quite like the one pulled off by Taylor Swift. Once seen as a rising star in the world of country, Swift became a household name long before she decided to expand her horizons. She had already registered some pretty huge successes with country-tinged hits like “Our Song” and “Love Story,” but even her most devoted fans couldn’t predict her career trajectory. Starting with 2012’s “Red,” Swift began to flex her pop muscles. To say that the results were immediate would be putting it lightly. The album went straight to number one and its singles all charted highly - in particular the number one hit, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”

But what iconic country music crossover stands out for you? Let us know in the comments below.