Every artist, at one point, stands at the genesis of his or her career, ready to launch that first-ever album into the world. For some, the beginning is slow: Year after year, they gain a little bit of traction, until they find themselves well-known. For others, however, that debut disc arrives with a bang, landing on the charts and garnering the attention of the public.

And, for a few, it's even better than that: Their debut record hits No. 1. It's happened to a number of artists in country music throughout the years. Their names probably won't surprise you, as they're big stars now -- but remember, they were unknowns back then.

Flip through the photo gallery above to learn more about 20 debut country albums that hit No. 1. Of course, there are more that landed in the top spot than those in the gallery, but these 20 are especially big, "Here I am, world!" kind of projects.

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