In a 2022 interview on the Full Send Podcast, Luke Combs was asked who the biggest country superstar in the world is, and his answer was between himself and Morgan Wallen. That might sound like a bold statement, but when you look into the data it’s hard to argue with what he’s saying.
Luke has never had a single peak outside the top 5 on the U.S. Country chart, and each of his four albums has been certified gold or better. He has long been a radio darling, with all 16 singles of his career reaching number one on country radio, and he’s no slouch on streaming either.
Here’s a look at the top streaming songs from each of Combs’ four studio albums.
A quick note: any songs released on the deluxe editions This One’s For You Too and What You See Ain’t Always What You Get are included under their respective albums. All numbers are from Spotify’s streaming data.
This One’s For You
Beautiful Crazy- 738.0 million
When It Rains It Pours– 712.7 million
Hurricane- 637.8 million
She Got the Best Of Me- 484.8 million
One Number Away- 358.6 million
Combs’ first record was one of the most successful debuts in country music history, hitting number one on the U.S. Country Album Chart and being certified 6x platinum to date. The album’s success was carried by the popularity of its three singles, including “Beautiful Crazy” off the deluxe version This One’s For You Too, which is Combs’ most streamed song to date.
All five singles hit number one on Country Airplay, and together combined to garner a staggering 40 platinum certifications, including “Beautiful Crazy” joining the prestigious diamond certification club for reaching 10x platinum. The argument can be made for this being the single most successful debut country album of all time, and it laid the foundation perfectly for Combs’ ascention into superstar status.
What you See Is What You Get
Beer Never Broke My Heart- 484.4 million
Forever After All- 431.0 million
Better Together– 317.2 million
Even Though I’m Leaving– 236.9 million
1, 2 Many– 192.4 million
The pressure was on to follow up the success of This One’s For You, and while What You See Is What You Get didn’t have a mega hit like “Beautiful Crazy,” Luke’ sophomore record saw more success across the album than its predecessor. The project has an impressive ten songs with over 100 million streams to date, and saw all seven singles released crack the U.S. Country chart top 5.
The album also gave Combs his first top 20 and top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Even Though I’m Leaving” and “Forever After All” respectively. Combs caught lightning in a bottle on his first record, but the success of What You See Is What You Get, both commercial and critically, cemented that he was going to be one of the biggest names in the genre going forward.
Growin’ Up
The Kind of Love We Make- 384.0 million
Going, Going, Gone– 151.3 million
Doin’ This– 132.6 million
Tomorrow Me– 49.0 million
Outrunnin’ Your Memory– 44.6 million
Calling Growin’ Up a commercial disappointment wouldn’t be fair given the album still hit number one on the U.S. Country Album chart, but following the success of his previous two projects it certainly was a step down from a streaming perspective. The album is the shortest in Combs’ discography at only twelve tracks and gave rise to just a single country number one with “The Kind of Love We Make.” Only the three singles have cracked over 50 million streams.
Growin’ Up felt like Luke taking more creative risks now that he was firmly entrenched as a superstar. The album is my personal favorite of his, and I think this record went a long way in showing how layered he can be as a performer. This might not be the best selling record in his catalog, but if a down year for you is a number one album and a platinum certification, you are officially a star.
Gettin’ Old
Fast Car– 350.1 million
Love You Anyway– 127.6 million
5 Leaf Clover– 70.8 million
Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old– 60.7 million
Where the Wild Things Are- 59.0 million
Combs’ most recent entry is still in the middle of its album cycle, but it appears to be a major rebound when it comes to streaming. “Fast Car” was a smash hit, and its connection to Tracy Chapman’s beloved original will only continue to help its numbers. “Love You Anyway” marked Combs’ 16th number one on Country Airplay, and his current single “Where the Wild Things Are” seems to be picking up steam.
It will be interesting to see what song Combs chooses to send to radio next, if any. “5 Leaf Clover” and “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” both had the benefit of early releases, but my bet is on “You Found Yours.” It has the mix of layered yet accessible songwriting and an ear worm of a hook that have marked Combs’ most successful singles.
Take a listen to the top streamed song from each of Luke’s albums: