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18 country and Americana artists with success outside the mainstream
Erika Goldring/FilmMagic

18 country and Americana artists with success outside the mainstream

In the world of country music, there are generally two camps: those who love what's on country radio, and those who hate it. Those latter fans have helped a new generation of artists that bring distinct styles and perspectives to the table and flourish on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. 

Flip through the slideshow below for a list of 18 artists who've found a major audience outside the world of country music, from Americana stalwart Jason Isbell to newcomers like Charley Crockett and Billy Strings. 

 
1 of 18

Tyler Childers

Tyler Childers
Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images

This Kentucky-born artist is one of the top-selling musicians in all of country music, a major feat for someone whose music is rarely played on the radio. Childers has built a cult following since his 2017 album Purgatory, which is still in the top 10 of the iTunes chart years after its release. 

 
2 of 18

Zach Bryan

Zach Bryan
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Arguably country music's biggest breakout star over the past few years, Zach Bryan is a talented songwriter and vocalist who's also incredibly prolific. In 2022 alone, the artist released a 34-song double album and a surprise EP, both of which have been major chart successes despite minimal mainstream airplay. 

 
3 of 18

Colter Wall

Colter Wall
Gary Miller/Getty Images for Shock Ink

Known for his distinctive vocals and evocative songwriting, Canadian Colter Wall is a real-deal cowboy with a herd of cattle on his ranch in Saskatchewan. He's also had major success as a country artist with albums like 2020's Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs

 
4 of 18

Sturgill Simpson

Sturgill Simpson
Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

A musical outlaw whose work spans rock, bluegrass, hard country, and the blues, Sturgill Simpson's music is impossible to categorize. Despite winning a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2017, his songs have been largely ignored by mainstream country. And that seems to be just fine with Simpson, who famously busked outside the CMA Awards that year with his Grammy after he wasn't invited. 

 
5 of 18

Aaron Watson

Aaron Watson
Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

A Texan with a fierce independent streak, Aaron Watson built a successful music career in his home state long before he ever charted his first songs on the Billboard country charts. His music finally began to earn attention from Nashville in 2015, when his album The Underdog shot to the top of the country charts. 

 
6 of 18

Jason Isbell

Jason Isbell
Jeff Hahne/Getty Images

Technically more of an Americana artist than a straightforward country singer-songwriter, Jason Isbell is still beloved by many country fans thanks to his commitment to the genre's most fundamental belief: all you need is three chords and the truth to make great music. 

 
7 of 18

Margo Price

Margo Price
Lorne Thomson/Redferns

A Grammy winner, Margo Price has been fiercely outspoken about how female artists like herself have been marginalized by the powers that be in Nashville. But that hasn't stopped her from finding her own audience far away from country radio, thanks to her distinctly twangy sound and deeply relatable songwriting. 

 
8 of 18

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Before she was a crossover pop star, Kacey Musgraves was a country traditionalist who, despite winning a Grammy award, never actually got much airplay on country radio even as she built a massive fanbase and experimented with blending pop, disco, and other sounds into her distinct musical vibe. 

 
9 of 18

Cody Johnson

Cody Johnson
Keith Griner/Getty Images

Also a Texan with deep roots in the state's thriving music scene, Cody Johnson recorded six successful, full-length albums — including one that hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts — before ever making his major-label debut. 

 
10 of 18

Turnpike Troubadours

Turnpike Troubadours
Keith Griner/Getty Images

This Oklahoma-born band has built a massive fanbase over the past several years, despite being totally independent and on a years-long hiatus. When the five-piece announced its return in 2022, tens of thousands of fans clamored for tickets, crashing multiple venue websites. That all speaks to the band's deep appeal to country traditionalists. 

 
11 of 18

Corb Lund

Corb Lund
Mark Horton/WireImage

After releasing three albums that have since been certified gold in his native Canada, Corb Lund has also found a substantial fanbase in the United States, even if mainstream country radio hasn't paid much attention to his evocative songwriting. 

 
12 of 18

The Chicks

The Chicks
Rick Kern/WireImage

Perhaps no artist has been more publicly exiled from a genre, especially country music, like the band formerly known as the Dixie Chicks. Following controversial comments from frontwoman Natalie Maines in 2002, the band was summarily dropped from radio stations across the country. But by 2006, it became clear that they'd found a massive audience outside of country music with the Grammy-winning album Taking The Long Way.

 
13 of 18

Sierra Ferrell

Sierra Ferrell
Erika Goldring/WireImage

This West Virginia native's sound blends bluegrass, country, gypsy jazz, and hints of calypso music into a sound that is distinctly Sierra Ferrell's. Instead of country radio, Ferrell's found her audience on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where videos of her performances — and hauntingly gorgeous vocals — have racked up millions of views. 

 
14 of 18

Charley Crockett

Charley Crockett
Gary Miller/Getty Images

A real-life troubadour who's busked his way from New Orleans to New York, Charley Crockett's sound is deeply rooted in traditional country stylings. Fans who aren't familiar can start with his latest release, The Man From Waco.

 
15 of 18

Billy Strings

Billy Strings
Erika Goldring/WireImage

Though he likely considers himself a bluegrass artist, there's no denying the appeal of Billy Strings' virtuosic guitar playing for country fans. A Grammy award winner in 2021, Billy Strings has collaborated with artists across various genres, from country star Dierks Bentley to jam band Widespread Panic.

 
16 of 18

Amanda Shires

Amanda Shires
Erika Goldring/Getty Images

Both as a member of The Highwomen and as a solo artist, Amanda Shires has been responsible for some of the finest fiddle playing in country music while holding the genre to task for failing female artists. Her 2022 album Take It Like A Man decidedly veers outside the traditional Americana format but is definitely worth a listen. 

 
17 of 18

Rhiannon Giddens

Rhiannon Giddens
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach

A former member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and a formidable solo artist in her own right, Rhiannon Giddens' sound straddles country, blues, bluegrass, and traditional songs. She's currently signed to Music Maker Records, a nonprofit label committed to preserving the history of Southern music. 

 
18 of 18

Cody Jinks

Cody Jinks
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Stagecoach

An artist who's a little bit metal, a little bit country, Texan Cody Jinks has sold tens of thousands of albums without ever being signed to a major label. Country fans who aren't familiar with his work can start with "Cast No Stones" or "I'm Not The Devil" to taste Jinks's distinct style. 

Amy McCarthy is a Texas-based journalist. Follow her on twitter at @aemccarthy

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