4 Country Artists Who Had One Pop Crossover and Never Looked Back

These four country artists earned one pop crossover hit and dropped head over heels into the genre. These artists might be country legends, but they are more undefinable now. Revisit these genre benders’ first brush with out-of-the-box musicianship below. These particular songs helped set the stage for their eventual turn to universal stardom.

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Shania Twain

Shania Twain is widely considered the modern driving force behind the crossover between pop and country artists. Many of her albums lived just as closely in the pop world as they did in the country one. Namely, “You’re Still The One” earned her status as a genre-bending artist.

This soft ballad cannot be bound by genre lines. It’s got a classic country swoon about it, but it’s digestible enough for the pop market. It’s just a Twain song. Any other qualifier obscures some of this song’s magic. It’s a universal kind of track that broke down barriers for Twain thereafter.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift followed in Twain’s footsteps, leaving her country artist roots behind in favor of the pop market. While Swift’s first few albums were country through and through, she continually sprinkled in the radio-friendly tones of pop, culminating in the full-blown pop album 1989.

Swift earned her first crossover hit early on in her career with “Teardrops on My Guitar.” This song did as well on the country charts as it did on the pop ones. This success didn’t immediately catapult Swift into pop stardom, but it certainly made her transition easier once she decided to take the leap.

Faith Hill

Faith Hill has also earned her fair share of pop crossovers. Though her sound was always distinctly country, that fact didn’t matter much to listeners. Pop audiences instantly fell in love with her tender, powerful voice.

“This Kiss” solidified Hill’s status as a crossover artist, and it’s not hard to see why. This song is easily digestible, relatable, and an undeniable upper. Hill might always be a country artist, but her pop appeal is easy to understand.

Dolly Parton

Before any of the first three artists were even thinking about blending genres, Dolly Parton was doing it effortlessly. Without ever denying her country artist roots, Parton earned pop crossover hits. Her first was “Here You Come Again.”

This pop-friendly track earned her many new ears, making her a global icon. That sense of newfound popularity translated into film roles and many more crossover hits. Once Parton was acquainted with the masses, she had them hooked for decades.

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