Luke Combs snags 17th career No 1, makes Billboard Country Airplay chart history

Combs lands the top two spots on the Billboard Country Airplay chart

Luke Combs continues to make history as he snags the top two spots on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, dated September 9th. Combs’ “Love You Anyway” marks his 17th No. 1 chart-topper while his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which was previously at No. 1, sits in the second slot.

This marks the first time any artist has held the No. 1 and 2 slots with separate solo songs in the 30-year history of the Country Airplay chart, according to WYRK on-air personality Chris Owen. Morgan Wallen and Luke Bryan have come close to that feat. Wallen has appeared twice in the Top 5 before while Bryan’s “Play It Again” landed at No. 1 and “This Is How We Roll” with Florida Georgia Line was at second.

The feat marks the longest consecutive streak for an artist since their debut as he achieves a No. 1 single with each song he’s released. In March, Combs scored his 15th consecutive No. 1 single with “Going Going Gone,” marking Combs one of the fastest to accumulate 15 No. 1s along with Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Alabama.

Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” is still dominating the charts three months after its release. The song continues Combs’ successful run with the single as it was recently certified 2x Platinum just five months after its release and has garnered over 435 million global streams to date. “Fast Car” recently spent No. 1 on the Hot AC chart for two consecutive weeks and five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, marking Combs’ 16th consecutive No. 1 at country radio and yet another historic feat. “Fast Car” is the first song by a male solo artist to ever top both the Hot AC and Country Airplay charts. The song also makes Chapman the first black woman to score a No. 1 solo country song as the sole writer.

In late June, Morgan Wallen and Combs made history as the first time in 42 years that two country hits occupied the top two spots of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Wallen’s “Last Night” and Combs’ “Fast Car” were in the top two spots. In early August, country was still dominating the charts as Jason Aldean, Wallen and Combs nabbed the top three spots, with Aldean’s controversial “Try That In A Small Town” on top followed by Wallen and Combs.

For the second time in a month, country reigned on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart as viral sensation Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Wallen and Combs topped in at No. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. It’s the second time in the chart’s 65-year history that the top three spots are country artists/songs.

Combs is currently in the midst of his massive World Tour with 16 North American stadium shows that all sold out immediately. With 39 shows across three continents and 16 countries, the record-breaking run is the largest tour ever for a country artist. The trek includes shows in Australia, New Zealand, The UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Belgium.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

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