10 Most Important Country Artists of the Last 10 Years, Ranked

The most important country artists of the last 10 years did more than just rule radio, streaming and sales charts. They helped shape the next generation.

Nowhere is that more obvious than at No. 10.

We'll go ahead and spoil this one: Eric Church is to country men today what Alan Jackson and Toby Keith were 20 years ago. He's more than a singer and songwriter — he's a guiding principle.

He's also one of two (maybe three) artists on this list whose commercial peak came before the timeframe for this list began. We've zoomed in on mid-2015 to mid-2025 and considered factors like CMA Awards and Grammys, No. 1 songs, streaming success, pop culture impact and pure country talent in ranking these artists.

Related: The 25 Best Country Songs of the Last 25 Years

This list of 10 names is significantly different from our list of the 26 Most Important Artists of the Last 25 Years. Newer artists like Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen fare a bit better here, while legends George Strait won't be found.

There's no doubt we left someone off this latest list that you feel should be included — Miranda Lambert, perhaps?

To debut this list, Taste of Country's Billy Dukes took to YouTube for a Livestream video reveal and conversation with fans and subscribers. Share your reaction in the comments section there. The ToC team isn't afraid to be put on blast or defend a point of view. If you like this format for a conversation, let us know and we'll repeat it with regularity.