Luke Combs has established himself as one of the premier acts in country music along side of giants such as Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan. With 17 #1 hits and over two dozen platinum singles, Combs has proven to be an absolute powerhouse since his debut in 2014.
With that being said, there have been a lot of hits (and a few misses) along the way for the Beautiful Crazy singer. There have been 81 officially released songs by Combs as the lead artist, ranging from his #1 hits to a track from the animated film, The Angry Birds Movie 2.
Here are all 81 songs ranked worst to best.
81. Let’s Just Be Friends (From “The Angry Birds Movie 2”)
80. South On Ya
79. Blue Collar Boys
78. Out There
77. Ain’t Far From It
76. Beer Can
75. The Way She Rides
74. My Kinda Folk
73. Don’t Tempt Me
72. Let the Moonshine
71. Any Given Friday Night
70. Better Back When
69. All Over Again
68. Middle of Somewhere
67. The Other Guy
66. On the Other Line
65. New Every Day
64. Cold As You
63. Tomorrow Me
62. Call Me
61. A Long Way
60. Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old
59. Can I Get an Outlaw
58. Houston, We Got a Problem
57. Tattoo on a Sunburn
56. Dive
55. What You See Is What You Get
54. Used to You
53. Reasons
52. See Me Now
51. Used To Wish I Was
50. Nothing Like You
49. Must’ve Never Met You
48. Six Feet Apart
47. Moon Over Mexico
46. Every Little Bit Helps
45. Sheriff You Want To
44. Better Together
43. Doin’ This
43. A Song Was Born
42. Angels Workin’ Overtime
40. Going, Going, Gone
39. The Beer, the Band, and the Barstool
38. Greystone Chapel
37. Fox in the Henhouse
36. 5 Leaf Clover
35. Back 40 Back
34. Hurricane
33. Still
32. She Got the Best of Me
31. Lonely One
30. Hannah Ford Road
29. The Part
28. Lovin’ on You
27. My Song Will Never Die
26. I Know She Ain’t Ready
25. The Kind of Love We Make
24. Memories Are Made Of
23. You Found Yours
22. Dear Today
21. Does to Me (feat. Eric Church)
20. Honky Tonk Highway
19. Take You With Me
18. Joe
17. Beer Never Broke My Heart
16. Be Careful What You Wish For
15. Forever After All
14. Even Though I’m Leaving
13. 1, 2 Many (feat. Brooks & Dunn)
12. Beautiful Crazy
11. Fast Car
It feels like I’m cheating putting a cover of one of the best songs ever written in the top 10; however, it’s hard to ignore how impactful this song has been for both Combs and Tracy Chapman.
While I wouldn’t say it surpasses the masterpiece that the original is, it is a fantastic cover. There’s a bit more production present compared to the original, but it serves the song well without being distracting. Chapman’s poignant lyrics and Combs vocals shine through the added instrumentation and ultimately make this song a worthy cover.
I know it might seem crazy to put it this high, but as someone who’s been a fan of the song long before Combs covered it, I truly think that it deserves the placement. The cover comes from a place of love and respect for Chapman and the song, and it absolutely shows here.
10. Outrunnin’ Your Memory (feat. Miranda Lambert)
I’m of the opinion that everything that Miranda Lambert touches turns to gold, and Outrunnin’ Your Memory is no exception to this rule.
This is the first and only duet Combs has released with a female singer, and it sounds incredible. His and Lambert’s vocals pair incredibly well on the chorus. I particularly love the way that the two trade off lines and harmonize on the second verse before diving into the chorus.
Conceptually, it’s a pretty straightforward song about thinking about your ex, but Combs and Lamberts’ delivery coupled with some fantastic inclusions of steel throughout make Outrunnin’ Your Memory a joy to listen to, especially if you’re a fan of both artists.
9. One Number Away
As a huge John Mayer fan, referencing him in the first verse automatically gives this song a bonus point. Jokes aside, One Number Away is one of the strongest songs from Combs from a melodic standpoint.
The way he builds up from the pre-chorus to the chorus feels so satisfying.Once the chorus kicks in, the strong melody and vocal runs from Combs simply beg you to sing along with it.
8. When It Rains It Pours
When It Rains It Pours feels like an early 2000s country song in the best way possible. It sounds very reminiscent of funny, early tracks from Brad Paisley such as I’m Gonna Miss Her.
Conceptually, the song is implausible and admittedly kind of dumb: a guy begins winning prizes, scratch-off tickets, getting numbers at Hooters all because he broke up with his ex. That being said, it’s the perfect dumb country song. It takes a relatable concept (a breakup) and builds a fun albeit implausible story around it.
You can easily nitpick this song to death, but what does it accomplish? It’s a type of dumb fun you don’t see too much nowadays in a genre that is oversaturated with self-serious ballads and overly-sentimental love songs.
7. The Great Divide (feat. Billy Strings)
Released in February 2021, The Great Divide feels like one of those songs that are going to age incredibly well. In a country that seems more politically divided by the day, the track will ultimately be as relevant in ten years as it was during its release.
Accompanied by some brilliant guitar work by Billy Strings, The Great Divide has an incredibly gothic bluegrass instrumentation.The instrumentation is contrasted by beautifully by a timely, encouraging message: find common ground and unite.
6. Refrigerator Door
Refrigerator Door feels like a songwriting exercise come to life for Combs and co-writer, Jordan Brooker. Building a song around all of the memories and everyday things found on your average refrigerator is so brilliantly simple, and most importantly, so country.
In my mind, there’s few things that exemplify country music better than taking something as mundane and relatable as having photos on a refrigerator door and crafting a narrative around it.
5. Without You (feat. Amanda Shires)
Combs’ humility is something that has always attracted me to his songs, especially regarding his deep cuts. Without You is no exception to this.
I’m a sucker for an evolving chorus in country song, and Without You does this perfectly. While the lyrics themselves don’t change, the way they’re framed does. Combs, along with co-writers, Wyatt Durrettee and Dan Isbell, does an incredible job re-framing the chorus with each accompanying verse.
He opens the song reflecting on his family’s support in the first verse, switches to praising his wife for the sacrifices she makes in their relationship, then closes by thanking his fans and everyone who comes out to his shows. It’s subtle, but the constant re-framing of chorus is such an excellent touch.
4. I Got Away With You
It’s no stretch to say that Combs has made a name for himself with his ballads. Whether it’s Beautiful Crazy, Forever After All or Better Together, some of his biggest hits to date have fallen into the archetype. With that being said, I’ve always viewed I Got Away With You as the most underrated of all of Combs’ love songs.
There’s something unique about the way Combs frames the song. In the chorus, he likens himself to a criminal the way he “got away” with his love. The contrast between him likening himself to a criminal and comparing his wife to the Mona Lisa and the Crown Jewels is a unique way to express the fact that he doesn’t think he deserves her.
3. Love You Anyway
Love You Anyway is the most unique ballad from Combs to me. While it’s clear that it’s about how much he loves his wife. The way he frames the song, almost in a negative light, is fascinating.
Lines such as “If your kiss turned me to stone, I’d be a statue standing tall in Ancient Rome” and “Even if I knew the day we met you’d be the reason this heart breaks, I’d love you anyway“ is such a romantic yet macabre way to express your love.
2. This One’s For You
The title track of Combs’ debut 2017 album remains one of the most sincere songs he’s written to date. This One’s for You feels like the perfect centerpiece for a debut album.
Much like Without You, the track ultimately feels like a love letter to everyone who helped Combs along the way and made the album possible for him. Instead of singling out specific people, the song feels more like a thank you to everyone: his family, friends, family and those lost along the way. It feels broad in the best possible way.
1. Where the Wild Things Are
When I first heard Where the Wild Things Are, I knew it was going to be one of my favorite songs from Combs. Bearing strong similarities to Cody Jinks’ David, the track is an emotional gut punch.
Written by Dave Turnbull and Randy Montana, Where the Wild Things Are takes its time building up the relationship between Combs and his fictional brother here, packing the song with a lot of great imagery and world building throughout.
The final chorus is one of my favorite moments in any song from 2023. Combs’ powerful vocal runs when he sings, “Them Indian Scouts, man, they’re build for speed. They said he hit that guardrail at half past three” gives me the chills nearly every time I listen to it. Like any form of media, a good twist has to catch you off guard, and Where the Wild Things Are’s did just that.