Reba McEntire has been a fiery force in country music for more than 40 years. The Oklahoma native has earned multiple No. 1 hits, No. 1 albums, Grammy Awards, and Entertainer of the Year Awards (CMA 1986, ACM 1995).
Reba is No. 8 on our list of the Top 20 Best-Selling Country Artists of All Time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Reba has sold more units than any female artist in the country genre—sans our No. 6 artist (coming in two weeks) and No. 3 artist (coming in five weeks).
The RIAA tracks domestic album sales in the U.S. with its rock-solid certifications: Gold (500,000 units), Platinum (1 million units), Multi-Platinum (2 million units and more), and Diamond (10 million units).
- No. 20: Carrie Underwood
- No. 19: Johnny Cash
- No. 18: Vince Gill
- No. 17: Toby Keith
- No. 16: Faith Hill
- No. 15: Brooks & Dunn
- No. 14: Linda Ronstadt
- No. 13: Kenny Chesney
- No. 12: Willie Nelson
- No. 11: The Chicks
- No. 10: John Denver
- No. 9: Tim McGraw
No. 8: Reba McEntire
- 41 Million Units Sold
- 9 Multi-Platinum Albums
- 10 Platinum Albums
- 8 Gold Albums
- 1 Platinum Singles
- 4 Gold Singles
The Great & Powerful Reba
Reba has an astounding nine Multi-Platinum albums and 10 Platinum albums to her name. Her 1993 album, Greatest Hits Volume Two, has been certified 5X Platinum for sales of 5 million units. Reba’s best-selling studio album is 1991’s For My Broken Heart. Buoyed by the No. 1 title track and No. 1 single “Is There Life Out There,” For My Broken Heart has been certified 4X Platinum for sales of 4 million units.
Fancy Work
Reba’s best-selling single is also her signature hit, “Fancy.” The tune is Reba’s only single that has been certified Platinum for sales of 1 million units. Released in 1991, “Fancy” became a Top 10 hit for Reba. It is also the tune that Reba sings as an encore for most of her live performances. In addition, Reba can claim four Gold singles: “Does He Love You,” “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” “Because of You,” and “Consider Me Gone.”
In Defense Of Reba
Reba McEntire’s career is an allegory of tenacity and talent. After releasing more than a dozen singles, Reba didn’t reach the top of the charts until 1983’s “Can’t Even Get the Blues.” She can now claim 24 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Reba didn’t score a No. 1 album until her 10th studio album, Whoever’s in New England, in 1986. Reba can now claim 13 No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Many artists would have packed it up after toiling away in anonymity, but not Reba McEntire.
