Nashville recording artist, sitcom superstar, frequent CMA Awards host and all-around entertainer Reba McEntire remains a creative force in country music. The Oklahoma legend charted her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1982, and she hasn't slowed down in the 40-plus years since.
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Musically, McEntire became one of the genre's leading neo-traditionalists with a string of hit albums, starting with 1984's aptly-titled My Kind of Country. That period of success paid off a long climb in the mainstream that began in the mid-'70s. She's remained on that mountaintop since, with acting roles and additional hits that suited the '90s country boom making McEntire a transcendent pop culture figure. Living legend status has been solidified by more memorable music and such opportunities as a coaching role on "The Voice" and a chance in 2024 to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl.
Notably, McEntire's Super Bowl gig came 50 years after a similar opportunity at a rodeo in Oklahoma City led to her being discovered as a potential country star.
These 40 McEntire songs exemplify the varied career and celebrated talents of one of the most endearing and enduring voices in country music lore.
Terry Wyatt/WireImage Real recognized real when Cody Johnson connected with McEntire for this duet. Both country singers have rodeo backgrounds. Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Gateway Celebrity Fight Night Foundation McEntire speaks for regular folks who don't give up in hard times, even when there's no quick fix for life's many challenges. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Our first of several throwback-style tunes, McEntire and an ace team of studio musicians brought the tastes of Texas and Oklahoma to this Nashville creation. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images McEntire's late '80s run of commercial and critical success brought us this heartbreaker about a devastating breakup song. Chris Weeks/FilmMagic McEntire adjusted to the times over the years without losing her voice. Here's an example of an early aughts selection that sounded fresh at the time while still sounding like classic Reba. Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA The newest entry on our list might be the most personal in McEntire's catalog. As its music video establishes, McEntire's wishing for a very brief stay in the afterlife so she can reconnect with her late mother, Jacqueline Smith. M. Caulfield/WireImage For this song about the realities facing divorcees with kids, McEntire recruited one of the most successful country stars to follow her bootsteps in Kenny Chesney. Paul Natkin/Getty Images McEntire's reign atop country music continued well into the '90s. Here, she tells yet another heartfelt tale of heartbreak that hit home for many of the country queen's fans. Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage At times, McEntire embraced the same '90s country oomph that drove the songs of Faith Hill, Martina McBride and other women who'd likely heard McEntire's hits from a young age. Nicky J. Sims/Redferns The slower, "grab your tissues" types of hits that marked McEntire's career in the '80s didn't go away after she began embracing the winds of change in the '90s and beyond. Instead, she still excelled with that type of material well into the 21st century. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images Another high-octane country stunner, McEntire proved she's no less of a vocal powerhouse than Trisha Yearwood with this '90s deep cut. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images McEntire punctuated her life-changing '80s run and promised there's more of that to come in the '90s with "You Lie" and other standout tracks off Rumor Has It. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images McEntire's first high-tempo stunner of the '90s was recorded two years later by obscure country band Dixiana as its debut single. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Before the hits kept on coming, McEntire's iconic voice fit more traditionally country tunes. There's no shortage of worthy listens. For an entry point, press play on "Make Me Feel Like a Woman Wants to Feel." Beth Gwinn/Getty Images McEntire's first truly great album —if not her greatest LP, period— pushed her to the one yard line of household name status. With this and other selections from the time, McEntire joined Randy Travis, The Judds and others in bridging the past and present of country music. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Before a similar formula elevated Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson, McEntire helped set the blueprint for crossing rocking country tradition with modern production with this stomper that kept the spirit of the '90s burning into the 2010s. Taylor Hill/Getty Images Another example of McEntire adapting to changes in country music, the added oomph needed to stand out in 2015's pop-country landscape suited the legend's mighty voice and storytelling skills. Paul Morigi/WireImage Sticking with more modern (yet no less story-driven) material, "All the Women I Am" is a powerful 2010 anthem about why being emotionally vulnerable doesn't sacrifice fierce independence for McEntire or her listeners. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images With a title like this, you're guaranteed something as sentimental as a Dolly Parton original. Instead, it's McEntire's final single of the '80s. It's less about childhood nostalgia and more about how following parental advice would cut down on the heartbreaks that come with adulthood. Gary Gershoff/Getty Images McEntire's first single to reach No. 1 was released by Mercury Records in 1982, and it has aged quite well as other hits rolled in. Stylistically, its boogie-woogie feel sounds like something that could've charted in the '90s, making it ahead of its time. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images The strongest example of McEntire's vocal range and artistic adaptability came when she covered an old Etta James classic. The single allowed McEntire to revisit music she likely heard as a child. James Crump/WireImage Just as McEntire's take on country suited the charts at a time when such old souls as Randy Travis ruled the airwaves, her mighty voice met the '90s country moment. This 1996 hit sounded at home on the radio in the glory days of Trisha Yearwood and other vocal powerhouses. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images The best song on classic neo-traditional album My Kind of Country (1984) serves as a textbook example of why McEntire deserves to be considered in the same storytelling stratosphere as Parton. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images McEntire drastically changes the pace and tone of this Everly Brothers classic. Instead of a teeny-bopper dance number, the classic oldie becomes a slower tempo country song about a fool with an honest heart, pursuing an ill-advised relationship. Jason Kempin/ACMA2018/Getty Images for ACM Mighty voices and music genres converged for the ideal pop crossover duet. It demonstrates McEntire's ability to change with the times, as the duet matched the sound of the mainstream country charts circa 2007. Janette Pellegrini/WireImage Another 21st century selection that taught today's old souls how it's done, McEntire earned her longest-reigning No. 1 when this 2009 single spent a whole month on top. It's one of several pieces of evidence that McEntire never rested on her fame and continued successfully chasing career-defining hits. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images The title track from one of McEntire's best albums establishes her as more than just a once-in-a-generation vocalist. As this list will continually prove, she's a consistently empathetic voice, particularly for the women in her audience. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images McEntire's deeper cuts prove she's more than a singles artist. Here, she tackles a western swing song that could've been a George Strait chart-topper. Paul Natkin/Getty Images Songwriting certainly ranks among the most important tools in a country singer's toolbox, but let's not sleep on the importance of masterfully interpreting others' songs. McEntire demonstrates that talent here, bringing new life to an old Vicki Lawrence hit. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images McEntire spoke for many who've lost a father in one of the most touching singles in recent memory. The greatest songs resound with listeners on a deep emotional level, and this one should hit home for all fans, even if Dad still lives there. Beth Gwinn/Getty Images McEntire introduced a new generation of listeners to arguably the second greatest song by Bobbie Gentry. This tale of a mother wanting more for her daughter further cemented McEntire as a talented interpreter of songs. "Fancy" has become one of McEntire's signature songs and a major reason why the studio album its from, 1990's Rumor Has It, got a 30th anniversary reissue. (Photo by Sims/Redferns McEntire left another mark on country music's story-song tradition by painting a vivid picture of a premature baby who grew up to survive again as a single mother. It's one of the great anthems about personal triumph in a catalog chock full of such tunes. Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images Linda Davis might lack the star power today of other singing partners on this list, but her duet with McEntire remains a high point in both singers' careers. The song became a recurring part of McEntire's repertoire whenever the situation called for a duet with another talented woman. It's from MCA's 1993 compilation Greatest Hits Volume Two. M. Caulfield/WireImage Vince Gill's smooth vocal delivery provides the ideal call-and-response to McEntire in this tale of would-be lovers. Both artists represent a whole generation of talents with an ear for the past and ambitions to reshape the then-current landscape of country music. Also, who doesn't love this one's music video? James Crump/WireImage Whom sings as powerfully as McEntire? Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn fame makes the short list, for sure. Here, two once-in-a-generation talents share a mutual secret love for each others' character. In the video, their secrets are safe with Brooks. Bettmann / Contributor Marriages that don't line up with Forever Love are as much a part of country songwriting as d-i-v-o-r-c-e. McEntire explores the frustrations of a married woman tempted to slip off that "little rock" on her finger and find a new love. Paul Natkin/Getty Images This song and its accompanying video allowed McEntire to flaunt her comedic talents. Think of both as the country music equivalent of a really good and sarcastic romantic comedy. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images On this Grammy Award-winning title track (Best Female Country Vocal Performance), McEntire plays the suspicious wife, wondering why her husband takes so many business trips to New England. Touchingly, she doesn't harbor a single thought about leaving, keeping the door open for another return home. Paul Natkin/WireImage McEntire maintained her spot atop country music in a new decade with another song that's relatable to her fellow small-town dreamers. It's an inspirational song for nontraditional students and others that've made a new life for themselves . Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images McEntire tackled a hot-button issue of the '80s and '90s head-on with this song about a narrator who got HIV from a one-night stand. She proved to be the right country singer to fully emote the heartbreak, loss and uncertainty associated at the time with the virus."Dear Rodeo" (With Cody Johnson) (Single, 2020)
"Somehow You Do" ("Four Good Days" Soundtrack, 2021)
"One Promise Too Late" (What Am I Gonna Do About You, 1986)
"The Last One to Know" (The Last One to Know, 1987)
"He Gets That From Me" (Room to Breathe, 2003)
"Seven Minutes in Heaven" (Not That Fancy, 2023)
"Every Other Weekend" (Feat. Kenny Chesney) (Reba Duets, 2007)
"And Still" (Read My Mind, 1994)
"The Fear of Being Alone" (What If It's You, 1996)
"Forever Love" (If You See Him, 1998)
"I'd Rather Ride Around With You" (What If It's You, 1996)
"You Lie" (Rumor Has It, 1990)
"Waiting For the Deal to Go Down" (Rumor Has It, 1990)
"Make Me Feel Like a Woman Wants to Feel" (Out of a Dream, 1979)
"He's Only Everything" (My Kind of Country, 1984)
"Turn on the Radio" (All the Women I Am, 2010)
"Going Out Like That" (Love Somebody, 2015)
"All the Women I Am" (All the Women I Am, 2010)
"Little Girl" (Sweet Sixteen, 1989)
"Can't Even Get the Blues No More" (Unlimited, 1982)
"Sunday Kind of Love" (Reba, 1988)
"How Was I to Know" (What If It's You, 1996)
"Somebody Should Leave" (My Kind of Country, 1984)
"Cathy's Clown" (Sweet Sixteen, 1989)
"Because of You" (Feat. Kelly Clarkson) (Reba Duets, 2007)
"Consider Me Gone" (Keep on Loving You, 2009)
"The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, 1994)
"One Thin Dime" (Whoever's in New England, 1986)
"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" (For My Broken Heart, 1991)
"The Greatest Man I Never Knew" (For Your Broken Heart, 1991)
"Fancy" (Rumor Has It, 1990)
"I'm a Survivor" (Greatest Hits Volume III- I'm a Survivor, 2001)
"Does He Love You" (feat. Linda Davis) (Reba McEntire's Greatest Hits, Volume 2, 1993)
"The Heart Won't Lie" (Feat. Vince Gill) (It's Your Call, 1992)
"If You See Him, If You See Her" (Feat. Brooks & Dunn) (If You See Him, 1998)
"Little Rock" (Whoever's in New England, 1986)
"Why Haven't I Heard From You" (Read My Mind, 1994)
"Whoever's in New England" (Whoever's in New England, 1986)
"Is There Life Out There" (For My Broken Heart, 1991)
"She Thinks His Name Was John" (Read My Mind, 1994)
This story previously ran on Aug. 8, 2023. It was updated on Feb. 13, 2024.
