Luke Combs has been named the highest RIAA-certified country artist in history, with 168 million units sold. The achievement surpasses all other country artists in recorded music sales.
Reflecting on the milestone, Combs expressed disbelief, recalling his first gold certification for “Hurricane” eight years ago. “I’m super humbled by the fans’ belief in me and support of my music,” he said, crediting his audience for the record-breaking accomplishment.
The Asheville, North Carolina, native continues a prolific year with the release of The Prequel, a three-song collection featuring “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “15 Minutes,” and “Days Like These.” Combs is also nominated for three 2025 CMA Awards: Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Single of the Year for “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma.”
Combs’ current single, “Back in the Saddle,” ranks #8 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, following “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” his 19th #1 single. This milestone marks him as the artist with the most consecutive No. 1 singles to start a career, with 53 cumulative weeks atop the chart. He is also the first country artist with two songs reaching a billion streams on Spotify and four singles certified RIAA Diamond.
This year, Combs diversified his portfolio a bit collaborating with Post Malone, Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Bellion, and Alex Warren, and partnered with Opry Entertainment Group to open Category 10, an entertainment complex in downtown Nashville. He made history as the first country artist to headline both Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza and is set to perform at Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend, following appearances at Newport Folk Festival and New Orleans JazzFest.
Though he’s stood firm in his convictions as an affable everyman, and has scarcely changed his sound in the name of “boundary pushing” since his debut, Luke’s opportunities continue to get bigger and brighter, from stadium tours to headlining slots at music’s biggest festivals in and out of country music. Even while laying relatively low in 2025, it still feels like a big year for him, especially with the arrival of The Prequel ahead of his next LP.
