Each and every Luke Combs record is nothing short of spectacular, releasing four studio albums — This One’s For You, What You See Is What You Get, Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old — in his career thus far, but which tunes are the best of the best?
All four albums have some obvious fan favorites, as well as some hidden gems, and Country Chord took the time to pinpoint the top five songs from each record and rank them from “worst” to best. Keep scrolling to see for yourself…
This One’s For You (2017)
This One’s For You Too (2018)
5. “This One’s For You”
It felt wrong pinpointing the top five songs on This One’s For You, as well as its deluxe edition, without the title track itself securing a spot. Coming in as one of Combs’ most sincere songs to date, he sings to those who helped him make his debut album possible — his friends, his family, his team and more — ultimately serving as the perfect time capsule that captures the state of life that the talented singer/songwriter was in at the time of its release. Even in 2024, where Combs tends to tell different stories than he did back in 2017, the song is still sensational.
4. “When It Rains It Pours”
If you love classic country music, “When It Rains It Pours” is the song for you, reminding each and every listener of the tunes that they know and love from the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Telling a silly story from start to finish — one of a man who gambles and tries to get phone numbers at Hooters to cope with a breakup — “When It Rains It Pours” is by no means as lyrically complex as the three songs that outrank it, but with its overall danceability and fun-loving nature, it needed to secure a spot in the top five songs on This One’s For You and its deluxe edition.
3. “Hurricane”
Serving as the first ever single to come from Luke Combs, we needed to place “Hurricane” in the top three for sentimental reasons alone. “Hurricane” is much more than a mere milestone in Combs’ country music career, as it is a song that details an unexpected encounter with an ex-lover, comparing the ex-lover to a hurricane and his emotions to the damage said hurricane causes. Because of this symbolism, “Hurricane” is seriously one-of-a-kind when it comes to Combs and his discography.
2. “She Got the Best of Me”
While Combs has his fair share of lovey dovey songs, “She Got the Best of Me” is seriously a breath of fresh air, as he sings about something almost everyone on planet Earth has experienced at least once: heartbreak. Described as a “soaring power ballad,” Luke sings about how he was played by his ex-lover and now he is unable to stop thinking about her. Filled with raw emotion, as well as a strong, sing-along chorus, we cannot get enough of “She Got the Best of Me” — even in the year 2024 — however, there is still one song that outranks it.
1. “Beautiful Crazy”
As superfans would know, Combs is seriously head over heels in love with his wife, Nicole Combs (formerly Hocking), and “Beautiful Crazy” describes this unconditional love to a T. Describing all of her quirks and the things that make her “crazy,” Combs sings that he will love his significant other through thick and thin, telling a truly heartwarming story that is sure to have listeners shedding a tear upon hearing it for the first time. I have said since its release that “Beautiful Crazy” will be a part of my wedding day, so it would be absurd for me to put this beautiful ballad anywhere below first place on this album ranking.
What You See Is What You Get (2019)
What You See Ain’t Always What You Get (2020)
5. “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
While some of the other songs on this list are considered deeper cuts, it would be a crime not to rank the oh-so popular “Beer Never Broke My Heart” in at least the top five songs on What You See Is What You Get, as well as its deluxe edition. Almost instantaneously upon its release, this tune became a beer-slinging party anthem for individuals all across the globe, one that is still one of Combs’ most notable songs in the year 2024. While it is lacking some of the lyrical depth that fans have grown to know and love from the North Carolina native, “Beer Never Broke My Heart” is still a great song nonetheless — and one that will likely remain a smash hit for several years to come — however, it is not considered the best of the best.
4. “The Other Guy”
While “The Other Guy” is not one of the most popular songs on What You See Is What You Get and its deluxe edition, it is truly a hidden gem. Throughout the tune, Combs sings about a lost love who has seemingly moved on, packing raw emotion into each and every lyric. Given the vulnerability shown throughout “The Other Guy” — as well as its oh-so relatable story from start to finish — I had no choice but to give the track a spot in the top five for being spectacular (to say the least).
3. “Refrigerator Door”
“Refrigerator Door” is as unique as can be, as Combs sings about everyday items found taped to his refrigerator door that portray some of his fondest memories, making for a song that is unlike anything that has been heard within the genre thus far. Turning mundane and relatable items into lyrics that are jam-packed with wisdom and beauty, “Refrigerator Door” was a breath of fresh air upon its release, sharing a slightly different story than Combs has told time and time again. While “Refrigerator Door” is my personal favorite Luke Combs song, there are still some tracks on What You See Is What You Get and its deluxe edition that outrank it. Nonetheless, it felt wrong to put my most beloved tune anywhere below the top three.
2. “Forever After All”
Much like “Beautiful Crazy” and “Love You Anyway,” two songs that are also featured on this list, Combs sings about the unconditional love he has for his wife throughout “Forever After All,” ultimately creating another song I want to be a part of my wedding day. “Forever After All” was the first song Combs wrote after he and his wife moved into their Tennessee home, detailing how their love will last “forever” — even through death — throughout the tune. It is sure to make any listener who is madly in love shed a tear, and only being outranked by another lovey dovey song, it takes the second spot on our list.
1. “Better Together”
This other lovey dovey song is the one and only “Better Together,” one that is lyrically complex and jam-packed with analogies. Within the tune, Combs compares he and his wife to other necessary couplings, such as “a cup of coffee and a sunrise,” “Sunday drives and time to kill,” “good ole boys and beer” and more. Due to its unique lyricism and angelic, awe-striking melody, “Better Together” trumps “Forever After All” ever so slightly, taking the top spot on What You See Is What You Get and its deluxe edition.
Growin’ Up (2022)
5. “Middle of Somewhere”
While it might not be the most popular song on Growin’ Up, “Middle of Somewhere” is definitely one of the best tunes that the album has to offer, paying tribute to small town America. “When you’re driving through nowhere / To us that’s the middle of somewhere,” Combs sings in the chorus, reminding the listener that the United States is so much more than just big cities. Opening the listener’s eye to parts of the country that they may deem to be unimportant, “Middle of Somewhere” tells a different story than the love, heartbreak and beer-slinging songs we have grown to know and love from Combs, causing it to land in the top five songs on Growin’ Up due to its uniqueness alone.
4. “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” feat. Miranda Lambert
What’s better than Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert? Combining two of the biggest and best artists within the country music community, “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” takes a spot in the top five on Growin’ Up, simply due to how iconic this duo is. As one can assume, the song itself is a banger, but it is still outranked by three other tunes on the album.
3. “The Kind of Love We Make”
It might be controversial that “The Kind of Love We Make” is not taking the top spot on our list, but it is still considered a solid song from Combs, undoubtedly landing a spot in the top three. “The Kind of Love We Make” is a fan favorite, using a catchy, danceable tune to tell a sultry story about NSFW activities in the bedroom. Due to its lack of lyrical depth, we were unable to rank “The Kind of Love We Make” any higher on our list, however, it is safe to say that the tune is a staple on our pregame playlists nonetheless.
2. “Going, Going, Gone”
While “Going, Going, Gone” is essentially a heartbreak song, it uses different themes and imagery than we’ve seen from other heartbreak songs from Combs, notably “She Got The Best of Me” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” Rather than singing about anger and the use alcohol to cope with the pain, “Going, Going, Gone” sees Combs accepting that a love has been lost, something that we have yet to see from talented singer/songwriter. Said to be inspired by Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” — and marking the first song in Combs’ country music career where he plays his own guitar without support from his band — no wonder the tune is terrific!
1. “Doin’ This”
“Doin’ This” shows a much more introspective side to Combs than fans are used to, ultimately taking the top spot on Growin’ Up. Given the fact that Growin’ Up — as well as its counterpart, Gettin’ Old — describe the growth that Combs has experienced throughout his country music career thus far, “Doin’ This” exemplifies this theme perfectly, as Combs sings about his love for country music as a whole, regardless of his achievements. Throughout the tune, he reveals that even without the glitz, glam and overall success that he has been so lucky to have, he still would be singing, ultimately showing Combs’ overall passion and gratitude for his career. He is truly as humble as can be!
Gettin’ Old (2023)
5. “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old”
“Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” needed to be in the top five tunes on Gettin’ Old, as it serves as the perfect opening song and segway from the album’s predecessor, Growin’ Up. The tune tells a tale of not only how far Combs has come over the years, but also elements of maturing and growing up as a whole, ultimately creating a coming-of-age song that seriously anyone can relate to. If it was not obvious, the title speaks for itself…
4. “See Me Now”
Coinciding with the message told throughout “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” “See Me Now” essentially tells the same story, but instead with a larger emphasis on Combs and his country music career, specifically. Said to be singing to his paternal and maternal grandfathers, the North Carolina native wishes that his loved ones who have passed away could see how successful he is nowadays, both personally and professionally. Tugging on the heartstrings and serving as a beautiful body of work, “See Me Now” is seriously something special, however, Gettin’ Old still has some better songs that outrank it.
3. “Love You Anyway”
Serving as another song that details the fact that Combs head over heels in love with his wife, “Love You Anyway” is arguably the most beautiful ballad to come from Combs — with the exception of the iconic “Beautiful Crazy” — expressing his unconditional love for his significant other. Telling a similar story as its counterpart from This One’s For You, as well as its deluxe edition, Combs sings throughout “Love You Anyway” that he will love his wife through the good, the bad, and the ugly, using elements of satire to tell a truly heartwarming story. How sweet is that?
2. “Fast Car”
It feels wrong to put a cover at the top of our list, but we cannot ignore the streaming success that Combs earned with his cover of one of the greatest tracks of all time, “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman, ultimately causing the tune to fall into the second spot. With Gettin’ Old often being defined by the country crooner’s cover of “Fast Car” — which was even nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards — Combs managed to redefine a smash hit all across the globe into a country classic, proving that he is a true trailblazer within the genre. Losing some points for lack of creativity — after all, he did not write the tune — the 34-year-old’s cover of “Fast Car” was a massive feat within the country music community nonetheless, so we just needed to rank it high.
1. “Where The Wild Things Are”
If you were to ask a true Luke Combs fan, myself included, what their favorite song of his is, my money would be placed on “Where The Wild Things Are.” Packed to the brim with raw emotion and imagery, as well as a catchy tune, the track is just too good to be true, naturally taking the second spot on our Gettin’ Old album ranking. To put it simply, the song is seriously nothing short of spectacular!
To check out these 20 songs, plus so many more, country music lovers can check out Luke Combs and all of his tunes on their favorite music streaming service.