Carrie Underwood is a singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and bestselling author from Oklahoma. She has set the bar incredibly high for American Idol alumni and country artists. She has sold over sixty-six million records worldwide, has twenty-eight number-one singles, and seven albums that are certified platinum or multi-platinum. Carrie Underwood has grown from a promising American Idol winner to a multi-media superstar in under two decades.
Her debut album, Some Hearts, was released in 2005 and sported the iconic singles “Jesus, Take the Wheel” and “Before He Cheats.” The album debuted atop the Billboard Country Albums chart and at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. It is the best-selling album by an American Idol alumnus in the US and is certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA, the highest of any country artist since the year 2000. “Jesus, Take the Wheel” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and held that position for six consecutive weeks. “Before He Cheats” also hit the number-one spot on the same chart and held that position for five consecutive weeks, eventually becoming the first country song in history to be certified multi-platinum. It is now five-times platinum and the fourth best-selling country song in digital sales. The album Some Hearts won three Grammy Awards.
Her second album, Carnival Ride, had a remarkable opening week, was certified double platinum within just two months after its release, and won two more Grammys for Underwood. By her fifth album, Storyteller, she made history again as the only country artist to have their first five albums reach the top two spots on the Billboard 200 chart. With her sixth album, Cry Pretty Cry, she became the only woman to have four country albums reach the number-one position on the Billboard 200 chart. With a Christmas album in 2020 and a gospel album in 2021, Underwood marked her ninth consecutive album to top the Billboard Country chart.
Carrie Underwood returned to the country genre with her most recent album, Denim & Rhinestones. She is now the seventh-highest female artist of all time on the RIAA’s Top Artists for sales of digital singles and the female artist with the most number-one entries on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Billboard ranked her as the top female country artist of the 2000s and 2010s, and her debut album Some Hearts was ranked as the best country album of the 2000s. She is by far the most successful American Idol winner and the most prominent country artist of the 2000s.
The critically acclaimed performer has won over 150 awards worldwide, including eight of her sixteen Grammy nominations and five Guinness World Records. Her 2022 album, Denim & Rhinestones, marked her tenth consecutive album to reach the top ten of Billboard’s Top Albums chart. Not only has she dominated country charts, but she has also made a wide space for herself in American popular music. The reigning Queen of country music is currently on tour promoting Denim & Rhinestones. Upcoming dates and locations are listed below.