Garth encouraged Trisha to see herself as a songwriter — even when she doubted she could be one. Continue reading…

It’s not Christmas until I watch “The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show.” Back in 2019, country star Kacey Musgraves released her first, and only (so far), Christmas special, which is a sparkling, festive film full of fun cameos and appearances from some great artists, as well as beautiful renditions of some of the songs from her 2016 A Very Kacey Christmas album. The special was directed by Chris Howe, and features a star-studded guest list including Lana Del Rey, Camila Cabello, Zooey Deschanel, and the Radio City Rockettes even make an appearance, too, which is of course a holiday staple. Not only is the music fantastic, but the set design and wardrobe is spectacular, and very vintage-inspired, giving it a really warm and nostalgic holiday feel. You’ll see that Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy plays narrator, as his bits with Kacey tie the story together, as she roams through different rooms in what looks like a life-sized dollhouse, which finds Kacey searching for her Nana’s heirloom Christmas tree star. In a behind-the-scenes video, Kacey gave some insight on the process, saying the idea came to her during a conversation with her band leader, when they realized they wanted to bring her Christmas album to life: “Last Christmas, I was sitting on the bus with my band leader, and we had this late night idea about bringing the Christmas album to life. So from there, the ideas just started snowballing.” The team shared about how much work went into the making of the set, and of course the gorgeous wardrobe, which is honestly my favorite part. It’s just stunning in every way from a visual perspective, and that in and of itself makes it worth the watch. Kacey also noted how important the fashion was to the special: “There are so many great fashion moments that I’m really proud of. So for the past year, this whole team has been working really hard creating something really memorable, really classic, bur also, something that feels, like, very me. I hope you like it.” It’s very campy, very quirky, and very Kacey, and if you haven’t seen it before, it really is the perfect thing to add to your holiday watch-list. It’s also family-friendly, so if you are looking for something different and fun to watch with your relatives, this is it. The full special is available on Amazon Prime Video, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you get tired of some of the cheesy, or repetitive Christmas movies that are on every year, Kacey’s special is a fun departure from that and it’s one of my favorite things to watch every holiday season. The Christmas special thing is becoming more popular among music stars, pop star Sabrina Carpenter put one out last year, but nothing tops Kacey’s in my humble opinion. Back in the day, it used to be really popular for country artists to do them, and people like Dolly Parton has several she did during the height of her career, and Kacey did an incredible job keeping that tradition alive. Here are some of my favorite songs: “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” “Glittery” “Christmas Makes Me Cry” Here’s the behind-the-scenes video: The post “The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show” Is One Of The Most Underrated Country Holiday Specials first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Rob + Michele Reiner's son has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with their brutal deaths. Continue reading…

The highest-selling artists in history. For years, it seemed as if Garth Brooks‘ status as the highest-selling country artist would never be beaten. With nine platinum-certified albums, an additional 31 platinum certifications and 32 gold records to boot, the “Friends in Low Places” singer has sold a staggering 162.5 million units throughout his career as of today. Like any statistic/record, as it is with sports, they’re meant to be broken, however. And Luke Combs did just that back in October. Grabbing a hefty 34 certifications, Combs would surpass Brooks by only one million units (163.5), in turn, receiving diamond certifications for hits such as “Beautiful Crazy,” “When It Rains It Pours” and “Hurricane.” Though it was an incredible accomplishment for Combs, anyone who has been paying attention to chart success and streaming numbers knew that it was inevitable that reigning Billboard Artist of the Year and all-around superstar, Morgan Wallen, was bound to smash this record and then some. And he did just that today. Just when you thought the “Whiskey Glasses” singer was done breaking records this year, he etched his name in the history book by not only becoming the highest-selling country artist of all time according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) but also the third-highest-selling artist in history, all-genre. Receiving a mind-blowing 80 new certifications this morning, Wallen has now sold over 240 million units in his career, third only to global superstars Taylor Swift (247.5 million) and Drake (331.5 million). Additionally, he has now sold the second-most singles by any artist in history and has totaled an incredible 26 million albums sold. Notably, Wallen is now the first country artist in history to own five separate certified-Diamond songs with “Heartless” (10x platinum), “Whiskey Glasses” (13x platinum), “Chasin’ You” (10x platinum), “Wasted On You” (12x Platinum) and “Last Night” (12x platinum), all selling over 10 million units. For comparison, Combs is now in second place with four separate songs while Zach Bryan is in third with two (“Something in the Orange” and “I Remember Everything”). While all of this sounds great, the RIAA (and its subsequent certification process) can be a bit confusing, so let me explain how it all works. Starting with their background, the RIAA is a trade organization consisting of major record labels and distributors that aims to “support and promote the creative and commercial vitality of music labels in the United States.” With that being said, however, their primary feature, in terms of public discussion of music, is undoubtedly their tracking of artists’ sales. These sales, of course, are tracked in terms of “gold,” “platinum” and “diamond” certifications once a song or album hits the required criteria. RIAA Criteria When a single or album has sold at least 500,000 units, it is then eligible for a Gold certification; when it hits 1 million, it is eligible for Platinum certification. And finally, a song or record must sell 10 million units for it to be certified Diamond. There are currently only 23 songs certified Diamond in country music history. And keep in mind, the RIAA doesn’t just keep a running tab on these awards and hand out plaques… an artist’s label will actively pursue certification by applying, submitting some stats, and paying a few hundred bucks to undergo an audit to verify the sales. And then… you have to buy a plaque for every person involved. Well, only if you want to… As for what constitutes as a “unit,” there are distinctions between sales regarding both singles and albums. Starting with singles, one paid download or 150 on-demand streams constitutes a unit. Albums, on the other hand, are a bit different. Given how popular streaming is in today’s age, there are three different ways an album can sell a single unit: 1) a permanent digital album or physical album sale, which basically means someone bought the record; 2) 10 permanent track downloads from the album, which laughably wouldn’t even be 1/3 of a Morgan Wallen album these days; or 3) 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video streams from the album. Of course, streaming is how a bulk of the units are earned these days. With all of that being said, here are the 30 highest-selling country artists of all time, according to the RIAA as of December 2025. #1 Morgan Wallen Total Units: 240 Million Gold Certifications: 102 Platinum Certifications: 96 Diamond Certifications: 5 Best-selling album: One Thing At A Time/Dangerous: The Double Album (9x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Whiskey Glasses” (13x Platinum) #2 Luke Combs Total Units: 163.5 Million Gold Certifications: 57 Platinum Certifications: 38 Diamond Certifications: 4 Best-selling album: This One’s For You (8x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Beautiful Crazy” (15x Platinum) #3 Garth Brooks Total Units: 162.5 Million Gold Certifications: 32 Platinum Certifications: 31 Diamond Certifications: 9 Best-selling album: Double Live (23x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Lost In You” (Gold) #4 Luke Bryan Total Units: 119 Million Gold Certifications: 46 Platinum Certifications: 36 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Crash My Party (6x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Play It Again” (8x Platinum) #5 George Strait Total Units: 113.5 Million Gold Certifications: 77 Platinum Certifications: 56 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Strait Out of the Box (8x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Amarillo By Morning” (4x Platinum) #6 Kenny Chesney Total Units: 100.5 Million Gold Certifications: 68 Platinum Certifications: 45 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (5x Platinum) Best-selling song: “American Kids” (5x Platinum) #7 Tim McGraw Total Units: 94.5 Million Gold Certifications: 52 Platinum Certifications: 37 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Not a Moment Too Soon (6x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Live Like You Were Dying” (5x Platinum) #8 Zach Bryan Total Units: 90 Million Gold Certifications: 66 Platinum Certifications: 34 Diamond Certifications: 1 Best-selling album: American Heartbreak (3x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Something in the Orange” (12x Platinum) #9 Chris Stapleton Total Units: 87 Million Gold Certifications: 40 Platinum Certifications: 26 Diamond Certifications: 1 Best-selling album: Traveller (7x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Tennessee Whiskey” (17x Platinum) #10 Carrie Underwood Total Units: 85.5 Million Gold Certifications: 42 Platinum Certifications: 33 Diamond Certifications: 1 Best-selling album: Some Hearts (9x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Before He Cheats” (11x Platinum) #11 Blake Shelton Total Units: 65 Million Gold Certifications: 47 Platinum Certifications: 33 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Based On a True Story… (3x Platinum) Best-selling song: “God Gave Me You” (5x Platinum) #12 Shania Twain Total Units: 61.5 Million Gold Certifications: 17 Platinum Certifications: 12 Diamond Certifications: 3 Best-selling album: Come On Over (2x Diamond) Best-selling song: “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” (3x Platinum) #13 Toby Keith Total Units: 61.5 Million Gold Certifications: 44 Platinum Certifications: 25 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Unleashed (4x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” (5x Platinum) #14 Eric Church Total Units: 60.5 Million Gold Certifications: 36 Platinum Certifications: 27 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Chief (4x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Springsteen” (8x Platinum) #15 Alan Jackson Total Units: 59 Million Gold Certifications: 26 Platinum Certifications: 22 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (7x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Remember When” (4x Platinum) #16 Kane Brown Total Units: 57.5 Million Gold Certifications: 30 Platinum Certifications: 19 Diamond Certifications: 2 Best-selling album: Kane Brown (3x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Heaven” (11x Platinum) #17 Thomas Rhett Total Units: 57.5 Million Gold Certifications: 32 Platinum Certifications: 25 Diamond Certifications: 1 Best-selling album: Tangled Up (2x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Die a Happy Man” (Diamond) #18 Alabama Total Units: 56.5 Million Gold Certifications: 35 Platinum Certifications: 26 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Mountain Music (5x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Song of the South” (2x Platinum) #19 Keith Urban Total Units: 56.5 Million Gold Certifications: 49 Platinum Certifications: 28 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Be Here Best-selling song: “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (6x Platinum) #20 Sam Hunt Total Units: 54 Million Gold Certifications: 21 Platinum Certifications: 15 Diamond Certifications: 1 Best-selling album: Montevallo (4x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Body Like a Backroad” (11x Platinum) #21 Jason Aldean Total Units: 51.5 Million Gold Certifications: 36 Platinum Certifications: 27 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: My Kinda Party (4x Platinum) Best-selling song: “You Make It Easy” (6x Platinum) #22 Reba McEntire Total Units: 50.5 Million Gold Certifications: 36 Platinum Certifications: 23 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Greatest Hits, Volume II Best-selling song: “Fancy” (3x Platinum) #23 Kenny Rogers Total Units: 49.5 Million Gold Certifications: 32 Platinum Certifications: 17 Diamond Certifications: 1 Best-selling album: Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits (12x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Islands In the Stream” (3x Platinum) #24 Florida Georgia Line Total Units: 45 Million Gold Certifications: 25 Platinum Certifications: 19 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Here’s to the Good Times (2x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Cruise” (14x Platinum) #25 The Chicks Total Units: 45 Million Gold Certifications: 15 Platinum Certifications: 11 Diamond Certifications: 2 Best-selling album: Wide Open Spaces (13x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Cowboy Take Me Away” (2x Platinum) #26 Rascal Flatts Total Units: 42 Million Gold Certifications: 24 Platinum Certifications: 16 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Feels Like Today (5x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Life Is a Highway” (8x Platinum) #27 Lee Brice Total Units: 41 Million Gold Certifications: 18 Platinum Certifications: 16 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Hard 2 Love (2x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Rumor” (6x Platinum) #29 Dierks Bentley Total Units: 41 Million Gold Certifications: 34 Platinum Certifications: 22 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album: Modern Day Drifter (Platinum) Best-selling song: “Drunk On A Plane” (4x Platinum) #30 Zac Brown Band Total Units: 40.5 Million Gold Certifications: 22 Platinum Certifications: 17 Diamond Certifications: 0 Best-selling album:  The Foundation (5x Platinum) Best-selling song: “Chicken Fried” (9x Platinum) The post Morgan Wallen Just Became The Highest-Selling Country Artist Of All Time — Here’s The Rest Of The Top 30 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Giving back during the holiday season. ‘Tis the season to shower your loved ones with gifts, eat great meals, drink cocktails, and enjoy the company of friends and family. Each holiday season consists of creating precious memories with those you love. But for some, the holiday season does not look like that. The season might look like picking up extra shifts to make sure food is on the table, missing out on these cherishable moments with family and friends, or spending the holidays alone because you don’t have family nearby. It’s a season of very high highs for some and low lows for others. Every holiday season, it’s always incredible to see those who are very fortunate give back to the community in order to help ease some of the burdens that come with the holidays. Over Thanksgiving, we saw artists like Tracy Lawrence, Jelly Roll, Bunnie Xo, and Post Malone give back to their communities. And that giving spirit is being carried into the Christmas season as well. Most recently, Jon Pardi gave a generous charitable contribution while out on his Christmas tour. Jon Pardi is halfway through his Christmas tour in Florida, performing a long list of holiday tunes like “Please Come Home for Christmas,” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Beer for Santa,” “Merry Christmas from the Keys,” and “400 Horsepower Sleigh” alongside all of the other hits from his catalog. View this post on Instagram In honor of the holiday season, spreading cheer offstage, Pardi has donated $40,000 to support local charities in each city he visited: St. Augustine Youth Services and St. Augustine Art Association, Little Smiles located in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and A Kids Place of Tampa Bay. Pardi donated this money via his established Starlight Fund. The Starlight Fund is “dedicated to supporting general youth enrichment, especially in trade, agriculture, and construction.” Jon and Summer Pardi hope to empower and enrich the next generation, creating a strong workforce of members that make meaningful contributions to their respective communities. Founded in 2024, the Startlight Fund’s mission is to “provide resources and opportunities to organizations supporting those in need, with a focus on those pursuing hands-on skills and education in these important fields.” Jon Pardi is spreading holiday cheer on and off the stage, and this generous donation does not go unnoticed. Seeing celebrities and other public figures giving back is also a reminder of all the reasons for the season. Whether it’s donating a few dollars to the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign or participating in the Angel Tree program, there are countless ways to give back to others this holiday season. Fire up a few Christmas tunes from the California cowboy while you’re here: “Beer For Santa” “Please Come Home For Christmas” THE CHRISTMAS SHOW 2025 Dates 12/18/2025 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood 12/19/2025 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hard Rock Event CenterThe post Jon Pardi Spreads Holiday Cheer On His Christmas Tour By Donating $40,000 To Various Florida Charities first appeared on Whiskey Riff.