Strait rocketed to success after his debut single "Unwound" in 1981. While contributing to the neo-traditional movement of the 1980s, he amassed 18 number one singles and seven number one albums in the decade with hits such as "Fool Hearted Memory" and "Ocean Front Property." By the 1990s, Strait had influenced a new breed of performers while continuing his own successes with 17 number one hits including "Heartland" and "Blue Clear Sky." The next decade for which he was named Artist Of The Decade by the ACM, he was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame and won his first Grammy award for his hit album Troubadour. Strait continued his previous successes during this time, producing a more contemporary sound with moderate cross-over hits including "She'll Leave You with a Smile" and "You'll Be There."
Strait won CMA Entertainer of the year in 1989 and 1990 and ACM Entertainer of the year in 1990. He has been nominated for more CMA and ACM awards and has more wins in both categories than any other artist. As of 2009, he holds the record for the most Number One hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with 44 number one singles on that chart. Counting all other music charts, Strait has amassed a total of 57 number one hits overall, breaking a record previously set by Conway Twitty.
Strait's 38 hit albums (12 multi platinum, 22 platinum and four gold) rank him behind only Elvis Presley and The Beatles. The RIAA has certified his albums at 68× platinum, denoting shipments of 58.5 million in the United States. His best-selling album is Pure Country (1992), which sold 6 million (6× Multi-platinum). His highest certified album is Strait Out of the Box (1995), which sold 2 million copies (8× Multi-Platinum due to being a box set with four CDs). According to the RIAA, Strait is the tenth best-selling recording artist in the United States overall.
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