Longest Country Music Careers

[lady𝓐fan]

Seeing George Strait reach the top 20 after nearly 40 years in the business piqued my interest in how long artists usually last on country radio, so I made a list!

Some of the rules for this chart:
1. This is a radio relevance chart, in that this counts the years in which an artist was relevant at radio. For any song, the artist must be the main factor for radio playing it. This rule makes everything more accurate because, for example, Dolly Parton was not relevant at radio between 1995 (her last top 15/20) and 2005 (when "When I Get Where I'm Going" was released).
2. An artist must reach the top 20 at radio to be considered "relevant". I thought about capping it at top 30, but that would end up including the majority of hourly airplay debuts, which are manufactured and not an indication of actual interest for the most part. (Note: Unless there is more than 10 years between top 20 hits, I will count the time in between. Otherwise, the rule changes to top 30 and does not include the time in between, but the current and following years of possible hits).
3. The artist must have at least 15 years of top 20 hits to be eligible for this chart. Any artists who are close can be placed on the bubbling under section (if I feel like it).

[bigd79]

Thats a cool chart!

[bboat11]

 Martina's last hit was 2012. "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" hit the top 4 in 2012

[onebuffalo]

George Jones' years of having top 20 hits should be stretched to 42 years. His first was 1955's Why Baby Why (#4 in 1955). His final came in 1997 with You Don't Seem To Miss Me with Patty Loveless (#14 in 1997). His final top ten came two years after the 1988 you show with A Few Ole Country Boys with Randy Travis (#8 in 1990).

[Kanenrá:ke]

Awesome chart and I like that you cut it off at top 20’s as that seems to me the best place to do so!

One small quibble, Faith should get credit for “Speak To A Girl” no?

[lady𝓐fan]

Sept 12, 2019 7:34:31 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Awesome chart and I like that you cut it off at top 20’s as that seems to me the best place to do so!

One small quibble, Faith should get credit for “Speak To A Girl” no?

I thought about that, but since its debut was its peak, she hadn’t been in the top 20 since 2006, and I think the main reason country radio even played that album was because of Tim (unfortunately).

[jar7519]

Wouldn't Reba's Top 20 Hits "technically" span to 2011 since "Turn on the Radio" went number 1 January 1, 2011? Cool chart btw. Thanks.

[onebuffalo]

Sept 12, 2019 9:24:49 GMT -5 jar7519 said:

Wouldn't Reba's Top 20 Hits "technically" span to 2011 since "Turn on the Radio" went number 1 January 1, 2011? Cool chart btw. Thanks.

It would have hit the top 20 before that date.

[.indulgecountry]

Sept 12, 2019 18:19:08 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Sept 12, 2019 9:24:49 GMT -5 jar7519 said:

Wouldn't Reba's Top 20 Hits "technically" span to 2011 since "Turn on the Radio" went number 1 January 1, 2011? Cool chart btw. Thanks.

It would have hit the top 20 before that date.

Yes, but it means that the last time she was inside the top 20 would be January 2011.

[lady𝓐fan]

Made those changes to Martina and Reba, bboat11 jar7519 :)  

Please let me know if you see anything else I can change, thank you!

PS: I don't count features, because that wouldn't really be accurate especially for people like Dolly ("When I Get Where I'm Going") and Willie ("Beer For My Horses").

[Kanenrá:ke]

Sept 12, 2019 7:51:18 GMT -5 lady𝓐fan said:

Sept 12, 2019 7:34:31 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Awesome chart and I like that you cut it off at top 20’s as that seems to me the best place to do so!

One small quibble, Faith should get credit for “Speak To A Girl” no?

I thought about that, but since its debut was its peak, she hadn’t been in the top 20 since 2006, and I think the main reason country radio even played that album was because of Tim (unfortunately).

I sorta see what you're saying but she was a co-lead on the song not a feature so I think it'd be more accurate to include her.

Also Jake Owen has 12 years! :)

[bboat11]

Sept 12, 2019 20:26:30 GMT -5 Kanenrá:ke said:

Sept 12, 2019 7:51:18 GMT -5 lady𝓐fan said:

I thought about that, but since its debut was its peak, she hadn’t been in the top 20 since 2006, and I think the main reason country radio even played that album was because of Tim (unfortunately).

I sorta see what you're saying but she was a co-lead on the song not a feature so I think it'd be more accurate to include her.

Also Jake Owen has 12 years!

I don't know, this chart is meant to reflect years of radio relevance... Giving Faith credit for "Speak To A Girl" entering the top 20 in 2017 would bump her up to like 24 years... Almost 50% of which she didn't even release a single piece of new music  Even though she technically hit the top 20 with "Speak To A Girl", it would be entirely false to say that she suddenly had 24 years of radio relevance.

Also lady𝓐fan did you see buffalo's post about George Jones?

[lady𝓐fan]

I'll add 1 year for Faith just to make it fair, because it's true that she was a co-lead and part of the reason country radio played it so much was that she was on it. And yes, I did see buffalo's post. The thing about adding years for features is that radio most likely played the singles because of the other artists on the song, not Jones.

[josh]

Cool chart! Crystal Gayle could be added for 13 years. 1974-1987, I believe.

[.indulgecountry]

Brad Paisley is missing and he's got a good 18 year span (from 1999 to 2017) that would put him just below the top 50 in your list. ;)

[lady𝓐fan]

Sept 23, 2019 0:40:18 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Brad Paisley is missing and he's got a good 18 year span (from 1999 to 2017) that would put him just below the top 50 in your list. ;)

I knew something was missing, thanks. :)

[superdave3556]

Shouldn't Tracy Lawrence have 16 years? (1991 - 2007)  His last top 20, "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" was released
in 2006, but didn't hit the top 20 until April 7,2007 and peaked at #1 on June 23, 2007. 

[onebuffalo]

Apr 10, 2020 17:10:47 GMT -5 superdave3556 said:

Shouldn't Tracy Lawrence have 16 years? (1991 - 2207)  His last top 20, "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" was released
in 2006, but didn't hit the top 20 until April 7,2007 and peaked at #1 on June 23, 2007. 

A sixteen year span that will be ending in 2207? Interesting.

[superdave3556]

Apr 10, 2020 19:31:05 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Apr 10, 2020 17:10:47 GMT -5 superdave3556 said:

Shouldn't Tracy Lawrence have 16 years? (1991 - 2207)  His last top 20, "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" was released
in 2006, but didn't hit the top 20 until April 7,2007 and peaked at #1 on June 23, 2007. 

A sixteen year span that will be ending in 2207? Interesting.

Yes, that would be a very long 16 years!  Thanks for pointing that out. I corrected it.

[Marv]

Elvis' 'Hound Dog' hit #1 on the Pop, R&B & Country charts in 1956.

What was his last single to hit the country charts, although I'd guess it would have been in the early 1980s?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

To see Miranda is just 1 year apart of Carrie is crazy.

[gardyfan]

Apr 11, 2020 12:43:35 GMT -5 Marv said:

Elvis' 'Hound Dog' hit #1 on the Pop, R&B & Country charts in 1956.

What was his last single to hit the country charts, although I'd guess it would have been in the early 1980s?

Thanks!

1981 was his last top 30 with "Lovin' Arms". In 1983  "I Was The One/Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" was re-released and peaked at 92. A couple of Christmas songs charted since but really don't count as singles.

[Marv]

THANKS!!!!!!