Eight-time Grammy Award-winner Carrie Underwood has become the highest RIAA-certified female country artist in U.S. history. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and the MCA (Music Corporation of America) announced the news in a joint Instagram post with Underwood on Thursday, Oct. 30.
“MCA and the Recording Industry Association of America announce that Multi-Platinum, 8-time GRAMMY Award winner Carrie Underwood,” said the post, “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) in the US alone across solo titles and collaborations. Congratulations, Carrie! 🎉.”
“Accomplishments like this are more than I would have ever dared to dream of when I was starting out,” said Underwood in a statement. “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.”
Carrie Underwood Achieves Career Milestone
Carrie Underwood’s career launched in earnest after she won the fourth season of “American Idol” in 2005. Underwood had a full circle moment when in 2024 she was announced as the judge who would replace Katy Perry on the popular TV series.
After winning “American Idol,” Underwood released the single, “Inside Your Heaven,” which debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, making her the first country artist to do so. She followed that success with her debut album “Some Hearts,” which included the breakthrough single “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”
“Some Hearts” became the best-selling debut album of all time by a solo female country artist. Underwood subsequently achieved sustained commercial and critical success and has become one of the best-selling music artists in history.
Carrie Underwood is known for being vocal about her Christian faith. She released the gospel album, “My Savior,” in 2021. In an interview with CBS News about that album, she said that she heard the hymn “Just as I Am” (which is featured on the album) every Sunday in church. As an adult, that song took on a new meaning for her.
Eight-time Grammy Award-winner Carrie Underwood has become the highest RIAA-certified female country artist in U.S. history.Click to Post“All the times we sang that song, I never thought much of it, ’cause it was always there,” she said. “And now, as an adult, ‘Just as I am: He loves me just as I am.’ All my flaws, all my insecurities, all my mistakes: he loves me, and that is such a huge, huge realization as an adult.” In 2024, Underwood joined the worship team at her home church in Tennessee, Rolling Hills Community Church, to sing “Goodness of God.”
