Discover the career path of Carrie Underwood, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Carrie Underwood is an American singer-songwriter who gained fame after winning American Idol in 2005. Her debut single, "Inside Your Heaven," made her the first country artist to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album, Some Hearts (2005), became the best-selling debut album by a solo female country artist and earned her three Grammy Awards. Subsequent albums like Carnival Ride (2007) and Play On (2009), featuring hits such as "Cowboy Casanova," further cemented her success in the country music scene, securing her place as a prominent and successful artist in the industry.
In mid-2004, Carrie Underwood auditioned for American Idol in St. Louis, Missouri, marking the beginning of her journey on the show.
On March 22, 2005, Carrie Underwood's performance of "Alone" on American Idol led Simon Cowell to predict she would win and outsell previous winners.
On May 25, 2005, Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol, marking a major turning point in her career.
On June 14, 2005, Carrie Underwood released her first single, "Inside Your Heaven", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first country artist to achieve this since the chart policy changed.
On November 15, 2005, Carrie Underwood released her debut album, Some Hearts, which sold 315,000 copies in its first week and became a chart-topping success.
Carrie Underwood's debut in 2005 marked the beginning of a highly successful career, earning her praise from veteran artists and music critics alike.
In 2005, Carrie Underwood appeared in a Skechers global advertising campaign, marking one of her early endorsement deals.
In 2005, Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of American Idol, launching her career. In 2005, her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the first country artist to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also in 2005, her debut album, Some Hearts, became the best-selling debut album by a solo female country artist.
In April 2006, Carrie Underwood started her first headlining tour, "Carrie Underwood: Live 2006", with dates across North America.
In 2006, Carrie Underwood performed the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game.
In 2006, Carrie Underwood's album, Some Hearts, was the best-selling album of the year across all genres in the United States, marking a significant achievement.
On April 11, 2007, Carrie Underwood released "Wasted", which became another chart-topping single.
In July 2007, Carrie Underwood released "So Small", the first single from her album Carnival Ride. The song reached number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
In October 2007, Carrie Underwood released her second album, Carnival Ride, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. It sold over 527,000 copies in its first week.
In 2007, Carrie Underwood appeared in Target advertisements promoting her album Carnival Ride.
In 2007, Carrie Underwood performed "I'll Stand By You" at the Idol Gives Back concert, with her version debuting at number six on Billboard's Hot 100.
In 2007, Carrie Underwood performed at Game 3 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies.
In 2007, Carrie Underwood released her second album, Carnival Ride, which sold over half a million copies in its first week and won two Grammy Awards, further solidifying her success.
In 2007, Carrie Underwood topped five Billboard Year-End charts, including Billboard 200 Artist of the Year and Country Artist of the Year. She also won three American Music Awards.
In 2007, Some Hearts continued its success, becoming the best-selling country album for the second consecutive year.
In January 2008, Carrie Underwood started a joint tour with Keith Urban called the Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride Tour.
In February 2008, "Before He Cheats" became the first country song to be certified multi-platinum, marking a significant milestone for the song and Carrie Underwood.
In February 2008, Carrie Underwood started her headlining tour, the Carnival Ride Tour, across North America.
On March 15, 2008, Randy Travis invited Carrie Underwood to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
On May 10, 2008, Garth Brooks officially inducted Carrie Underwood into the Grand Ole Opry.
In 2008, it was reported by Forbes that Carrie Underwood earned over $9 million between June 2007 and June 2008, being number 79 on the Top Celebrity 100 list.
In July 2008, Carrie Underwood released "Just a Dream" from Carnival Ride, which later peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart.
In August 2008, Carrie Underwood joined other female artists to record the song "Just Stand Up!" to benefit cancer research.
In August 2008, the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" ringtone was certified Platinum, making Carrie Underwood the first country artist to have two songs hit Platinum Mastertone status.
In November 2008, Carrie Underwood recorded a virtual duet with Elvis Presley on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" for his album Christmas Duets.
On December 14, 2008, Carrie Underwood concluded her Carnival Ride Tour, playing to 1.2 million fans and being named the top-selling country female touring artist of 2008.
In 2008, Carrie Underwood partnered with Nintendo for the launch of their Nintendo DS, appearing in various television commercials. That same year, she became the spokesperson for Vitamin Water.
In 2008, Carrie Underwood was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry for her many accomplishments in country music, a prestigious recognition in the genre.
In 2008, Carrie Underwood won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards for the 2nd consecutive time. Also in 2008, she co-hosted the Country Music Association Awards with Brad Paisley for the first time.
In February 2009, Carrie Underwood released "I Told You So", a duet with Randy Travis, as a single from Carnival Ride.
In March 2009, Carrie Underwood tracked a cover of Mötley Crüe's ballad "Home Sweet Home" for the American Idol season eight farewell theme.
In 2009, Forbes reported that Carrie Underwood was the top earning American Idol alumnus from June 2008 to May 17, 2009, with estimated earnings of $14 million.
In September 2009, Carrie Underwood released "Cowboy Casanova", the first single from her album Play On.
On November 3, 2009, Carrie Underwood released her third studio album, Play On, which debuted atop both the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts.
In December 2009, Some Hearts was named the number-one Country Album of the 2000 Decade by Billboard, and Carrie Underwood was the top-ranked female artist on Billboard's Best Country Artists of the 2000 Decade list. Also Carrie Underwood had her very own CMT Invitation Only and also hosted a Christmas special.
In 2009, Carrie Underwood established the Checotah Animal, Town, and School Foundation, which supports causes and services in the Checotah area.
In 2009, Carrie Underwood received two nominations at the CMA Awards and co-hosted the ceremony with Brad Paisley for their second consecutive year.
In 2009, Carrie Underwood released her third studio album, Play On, which included the chart-topping single "Cowboy Casanova," demonstrating her continued success in the music industry.
In 2009, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Last Name" for the third year in a row.
In 2009, Carrie Underwood's foundation "Checotah Animal, Town & School Foundation" and the Academy of Country Music foundation "ACM Lifting Lives" partnered to donate new instruments for music programs for the students in Checotah, Oklahoma.
In January 2010, Carrie Underwood partnered with Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, visiting the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
On February 7, 2010, Carrie Underwood performed the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIV.
On March 11, 2010, Carrie Underwood's Play On Tour started its first leg in Reading, Pennsylvania.
In March 2010, Carrie Underwood appeared on How I Met Your Mother, playing the role of Tiffany. This episode was the second highest rated episode for season five.
On March 29, 2010, Carrie Underwood and Pedigree partnered to donate $10,000 to a New York City Animal Shelter.
In April 2010, at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood was named Entertainer of the Year, making her the first woman to win this award twice. Host Reba McEntire presented Underwood with the "ACM Triple Crown Award".
On September 25, 2010, the second leg of Carrie Underwood's Play On Tour started in Portland, Oregon.
On October 2, 2010, Carrie Underwood sold out the prestigious Hollywood Bowl.
On December 3, 2010, Carrie Underwood was honored by the CMT Artists of the Year special as one of the 5 top Artists of the year in country music.
In December 2010, Pollstar.com ranked the Play On Tour one of the Top 50 tours of 2010, at number one on the North American ranking, and number 31 worldwide.
At the turn of the 2010 decade, Billboard named Carrie Underwood the top female country artist.
In 2010, Carrie Underwood became the spokesperson for the Pedigree adoption drive.
In 2010, Carrie Underwood launched the Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives Temporary Home Fund to benefit victims of the Tennessee floods of early 2010.
In 2010, Carrie Underwood reached ten career number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, leading to her being named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the female country artist with the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart since 1991, tied with Reba McEntire.
In 2010, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for "I Told You So" with Randy Travis.
On January 1, 2011, Carrie Underwood's Play On Tour ended in Detroit.
On January 4, 2011, official statistics revealed that Carrie Underwood played to over 1 million fans throughout the Play On Tour, resulting in her being named again as the top-ranked female country touring artist of the year.
On February 11, 2011, Ottawa radio station 105.3 KISS-FM announced it would stop playing Carrie Underwood's music due to her husband's trade to the Nashville Predators, but apologized later due to fan backlash.
In February 2011, Carrie Underwood donated $140,125 to Save the Children, inspired by the "36 cents" lyric in her song "Change".
In March 2011, Carrie Underwood sang John Lennon's "Instant Karma!" at the NBC's special All Together Now – A Celebration of Service, which honored former President George H. W. Bush.
In April 2011, Carrie Underwood made her film debut in Soul Surfer, playing Sarah Hill, the church youth leader.
In April 2011, Carrie Underwood opened the Happy Paws Animal Shelter in her hometown.
In May 2011, Carrie Underwood was honored at the Academy of Country Music's Girls' Night Out: Superstar Women of Country special for being the first and only female artist to win Entertainer of the Year twice.
Since May 2011, Carrie Underwood is the Biggest American Idol Earner, with tour revenues and record sales combined.
At the 2011 Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood sang with Steven Tyler both her song "Undo It" and Aerosmith's "Walk This Way".
Between 2011 and 2014, Carrie Underwood expanded her Guinness Book record by scoring four more number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, for a total of fourteen number-ones.
During the 2011 holiday season, Carrie Underwood's foundation donated $350,000 to the Checotah schools.
In 2011, Carrie Underwood became the first celebrity brand ambassador for Olay skin care, appearing in the global advertising campaign for their facial wash.
In 2011, Carrie Underwood was featured on "Remind Me" with Brad Paisley, which hit number one on Billboard Hot Country Songs, marking her eleventh number-one single. She also had duets with Tony Bennett and Randy Travis. Additionally, she headlined the iHeartRadio Music Festival, which took place on September 23 and 24, 2011.
On May 1, 2012, Carrie Underwood released her fourth album, "Blown Away", which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the Country Albums Chart, and the Digital Albums chart in the US.
On June 21, 2012, Carrie Underwood started the first leg of her Blown Away Tour at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which sold out in 90 minutes.
In July 2012, Carrie Underwood publicly endorsed same-sex marriage, expressing her belief that everyone should have the right to love and marry the person they want.
In 2012, Carrie Underwood donated $1 of every ticket sold on the North American leg of the Blown Away Tour to the Canadian and American Red Cross.
In 2012, Carrie Underwood released her fourth album, Blown Away, which was the second best-selling release by a woman in 2012 and won a Grammy Award.
On January 21, 2013, "Can't Stop Lovin' You", a song by Aerosmith featuring Carrie Underwood, was released as a single.
In February 2013, Carrie Underwood began the second leg of her Blown Away Tour, with shows in Ireland, England, and North America.
In late May 2013, Carrie Underwood wrapped up the Blown Away Tour, playing to one million fans across three continents and six countries.
On May 24, 2013, Carrie Underwood donated $1 million in proceeds from her recent Blown Away Tour to the Red Cross for relief efforts in response to the Oklahoma tornado.
In August 2013, Carrie Underwood confirmed she began planning a new album and would start prep work sometime in 2014.
On December 5, 2013, Carrie Underwood played Maria von Trapp in NBC's The Sound of Music Live!.
In January 2014, Carrie Underwood signed a deal with Nicole by OPI to launch 14 new nail lacquers and also signed a deal to serve as Almay's global brand ambassador.
On December 1, 2014, Carrie Underwood fronted U2's World AIDS Day (RED) Concert, alongside U2, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay's Chris Martin, and Kanye West.
Between 2011 and 2014, Carrie Underwood expanded her Guinness Book record by scoring four more number-one singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, for a total of fourteen number-ones.
In 2014, Carrie Underwood released her compilation album, Greatest Hits: Decade #1, which broke multiple chart and sales records and featured the Grammy-winning single "Something in the Water."
In 2014, Carrie Underwood released her first greatest hits compilation, Greatest Hits: Decade #1. The lead single, "Something in the Water", became a crossover success, reaching number one on the Hot Country Songs chart.
In 2014, Carrie Underwood was honored by the Country Radio Broadcasters' Board of Directors with the CRB Artist Humanitarian Award at the 2014 Country Radio Seminar.
Since 2014, Carrie Underwood has been the top-earning American Idol alum of all time.
In March 2015, Carrie Underwood released a fitness clothing line named CALIA by Carrie Underwood in collaboration with Dick's Sporting Goods.
On October 23, 2015, Carrie Underwood's fifth studio album, Storyteller, was released.
In 2015, Carrie Underwood earned $26 million, ranking among Forbes' list of highest-paid country music acts.
In 2015, Carrie Underwood released her fifth studio album, Storyteller, making her the only country artist to have her first five studio albums reach number one or two on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2015, Carrie Underwood ventured into fashion by releasing her fitness clothing line, Calia by Carrie.
In January 2016, Carrie Underwood launched the Storyteller Tour, her fifth headlining tour. Billboard named it the top country tour for the first half of the year.
In August 2016, Carrie Underwood released "Dirty Laundry" as the fourth single from her album. The song eventually peaked at number two on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Billboard ranked Underwood as the top female country artist for the year.
In September 2016, Carrie Underwood was the first artist to receive the ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber Award for her continuous work with charities.
In December 2016, Carrie Underwood joined Keith Urban for a series of concerts in Australia and New Zealand.
In January 2017, Carrie Underwood took time off to spend time with family and potentially begin writing for her next album.
In March 2017, Carrie Underwood signed with Universal Music Group's Capitol Records Nashville after being with Arista Nashville for nearly twelve years.
In 2017, Carrie Underwood earned $20 million, ranking on Billboard's Top 50 Money Makers list.
In 2017, Carrie Underwood met songwriter/producer David Garcia, with whom she began co-producing her new album.
In 2017, Carrie Underwood sang the National Anthem for the Nashville Predators prior to their victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In January 2018, Carrie Underwood released "The Champion", a promotional duet single featuring Ludacris for Super Bowl LII, marking her first song under the pop genre.
On September 14, 2018, Carrie Underwood released her sixth studio album, Cry Pretty, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. This made Underwood the first woman to hit the top of the Billboard 200 chart with four country albums.
On November 14, 2018, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley hosted the 52nd Annual Country Music Association Awards, where she picked up her fifth win as the CMA's Female Vocalist of the Year.
In 2018, Carrie Underwood received four nominations and one win for the CMT Music Awards, and she received a nomination for Choice Country Artist and "Cry Pretty" received a nomination for Choice Country Song for the Teen Choice awards, winning Choice Country Artist. She was honored with the Hero award from the Radio Disney Music Awards.
In 2018, Carrie Underwood released her sixth album, Cry Pretty, becoming the only woman to top the Billboard 200 with four country studio albums and achieving the biggest week for any album by a woman in 2018.
In November 2018, Carrie Underwood announced that she would kick off the Cry Pretty Tour 360 in May 2019, with a performance at the Glastonbury Festival included.
In July 2019, Carrie Underwood performed at the Glastonbury Festival as part of her Cry Pretty 360 Tour.
In February 2020, Carrie Underwood's album Cry Pretty was certified Platinum.
On March 3, 2020, Carrie Underwood released her debut book, Find Your Path, and went on a book tour.
In August 2020, Carrie Underwood hosted her own Apple Radio Show, entitled XO Radio.
In September 2020, Carrie Underwood won her third Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music, making her the first woman in history to achieve this milestone.
On September 25, 2020, Carrie Underwood released her first Christmas album, My Gift, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
On December 3, 2020, Carrie Underwood starred in and executive produced a holiday special airing on HBO Max, performing all of the songs from My Gift.
In December 2020, Spanish singer David Bisbal released his duet with Carrie Underwood, "Tears of Gold", featuring a music video.
In 2020, Carrie Underwood released her New York Times best-selling fitness and lifestyle book, Find Your Path.
In 2020, Carrie Underwood released her first Christmas album, My Gift, expanding her discography into holiday music.
On September 3, 2021, Carrie Underwood collaborated with Dan + Shay on a cover of "Only Us" for the soundtrack album of the 2021 film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen, released as a single.
On September 24, 2021, a special edition of Carrie Underwood's album 'My Gift' was released, containing three additional tracks.
In October 2021, Carrie Underwood achieved her 16th number one on the Country Airplay chart with the joint single "If I Didn't Love You."
In December 2021, Carrie Underwood launched her Las Vegas residency, Reflection, in collaboration with Resorts World Las Vegas. This marked a significant career milestone, showcasing her enduring popularity and stage presence.
In 2021, Carrie Underwood joined David Bisbal for the debut televised performance of "Tears of Gold" at the Latin American Music Awards. The pair were also nominated for Favorite Video of the Year.
In 2021, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album with her first gospel album, My Savior, showcasing her versatility.
On March 18, 2022, Carrie Underwood released "Ghost Story" as the lead single from her upcoming ninth studio album, 'Denim & Rhinestones.'
On April 3, 2022, Carrie Underwood won the Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album and debuted the performance of "Ghost Story" at the ceremony.
Due to high demand, six more shows were added to Carrie Underwood's Las Vegas residency, Reflection, extending it through April 2022, demonstrating its success and popularity.
In April 2022, Carrie Underwood won a Grammy for Best Gospel Album for 'My Savior' at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, recognizing her work in the gospel genre.
On June 10, 2022, Carrie Underwood released her ninth studio album, 'Denim & Rhinestones', marking another milestone in her successful career.
In July 2022, Carrie Underwood joined Guns N' Roses on stage during their concert in London, fulfilling a long-time dream and showcasing her versatility as a performer.
On November 9, 2022, Carrie Underwood received three nominations for the Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year.
In 2022, Carrie Underwood reinforced her country pop image with the release of her studio album, Denim & Rhinestones.
On March 10, 2023, Carrie Underwood released a new single, "Out of That Truck", marking a new addition to her discography.
As of 2023, Carrie Underwood has sold 85 million records worldwide, solidifying her status as one of the most successful artists in any musical genre.
In July 2024, it was announced that Carrie Underwood had extended her Las Vegas residency and would replace Katy Perry as a judge on American Idol in 2025.
In August 2024, Carrie Underwood added 18 more dates for her Vegas residency, Reflection, extending it through August 2024, signifying its ongoing success.
In September 2024, Carrie Underwood was featured on the duet "I'm Gonna Love You" with Cody Johnson, released to country radio and achieving significant chart success.
In 2025, Carrie Underwood is set to replace Katy Perry as a judge on American Idol, marking a new venture in her career.