George Strait

Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds the RIAA record for most certified albums by any artist, with 33 different albums that are certified platinum or gold. Considering singles and albums, he has a total of 20 multi-platinum, 33 platinum and 24 gold certification. According to the RIAA, Strait is the 12th best-selling album recording artist in the United States overall selling over 70 million records across the United States.

He is credited for pioneering the neotraditional country style in the 1980s, famed for his authentic cowboy image and roots-oriented sound at a time when the Nashville music industry was dominated by country pop crossover acts. Given his influence on the genre, Strait has been nicknamed the "King of Country Music" by writers and music critics. He currently holds the record for the most number one songs on all charts by an artist, in any genre of music.

Strait's career in country music began performing with his band Ace in the Hole in Texas honky-tonks in the 1970s, recording tracks for the Dallas-based independent record label D Records. Strait's success began when his first single "Unwound" was a hit in 1981, helping introduce the neotraditional movement to the mainstream. During the 1980s, seven of his albums reached number one on the country charts. In the 2000s, he was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music, elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and won his first Grammy award for the album Troubadour. Strait was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 1989, 1990 and 2013, and ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1990 and 2014. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist.

Strait has been known for his touring career beginning when he designed a 360-degree configuration and introduced festival style tours. His final concert for The Cowboy Rides Away Tour at AT&T Stadium drew 104,793 people, setting a new record for the largest indoor concert in North America. In mid-2024, Strait set the record for the largest ticketed concert for a single act in U.S. history, with over 110,905 people at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. He additionally was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the same year for its class of 2025.