Erin P. Hernandez 
Special report
Country music is rooted in a variety of musical traditions, including American and British folk, jazz, blues and rhythm and blues, cowboy song, Appalachian string bands, and church music from South. It began to coalesce from these influences and become its own thing in the early 20th century, and by the 1920s it had become a viable commercial genre in its own right.
This genre has changed considerably over the last century, becoming more popular than ever as it has expanded to include variations such as Western swing and later “outlaw country” and “outlaw country”. of the party,” embraced studio-crafted production values and opened up to collaborations with pop. , folk rock and even hip-hop.
To determine the 100 most popular country music albums of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index based on the number of weeks spent on an album. Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart and its certified U.S. sales under the Recording Industry Association of America. Only albums with at least a Platinum certification from the RIAA or unit sales of at least one million were considered. (For a different ranking, check out All Country Music Albums of the Year Since 1967.)
Click here to see the 100 most popular country music albums of all time
The findings span over half a century, from 1968 to the present day. Artists featured include cultural icons like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson; numerous “hats” (so named for their on-stage headgear) including Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Toby Keith; and country queens like Shania Twain, The Chicks and Taylor Swift (whose latest music is now much more pop than country) – among many others. (Here are the 50 greatest country music stars of all time.)
Regardless of the details, these albums represent one of America’s greatest musical traditions.
