The feat comes eight years into his career
Luke Combs is now the highest RIAA-certified country artist in history with 168 million units sold. He surpasses Garth Brooks, who now falls to second place with 162.5 million units. Combs’ total includes digital singles, while Brooks’ total is based solely on albums, as he doesn’t sell singles.
“When my team first told me about this, my initial reaction was, ‘Are you sure? There’s no way.’ It was only eight years ago that I got my first plaque for ‘Hurricane’ going gold. I knew then, without a doubt, I had the best fans in the world. The song had gone platinum before they could even give me the gold plaque. I’m super humbled by the fans’ belief in me and support of my music today and over the years. I know this does not happen without them. This achievement is more so theirs than it is mine. All I ever hoped and dreamed of from the beginning of this crazy ride was to make music that made people feel something and I can’t wait to continue making country music for the rest of my life,” Combs shares.
Combs is a multi-diamond, award-winning artist from Asheville, NC. In the midst of yet another triumphant year, Combs released The Prequel last week, a new three-song collection featuring “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “15 Minutes” and “Days Like These,” and is nominated for three awards at the 2025 CMA Awards: Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year (“Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma”).
The new music follows Combs’ current single, “Back in the Saddle,” which is No. 8 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and continuing to rise, as well as “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” which recently earned Combs his 19th No. 1 single. Adding to his unprecedented success at country radio, this achievement gives Combs the most consecutive No. 1 singles of any artist to start their career and led him to spend 53 cumulative weeks atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. He also recently became the first country artist with two songs earning a billion streams on Spotify and the first with four singles certified RIAA diamond. These accomplishments follow Combs’ latest album, Fathers & Sons, which reflects on his experiences as a dad and the unique bond between parents and their children.
A Grand Ole Opry member and 11-time CMA, four-time ACM, six-time Billboard Music Award-winner, Combs has recently collaborated with artists such as Post Malone (“Guy For That” and “Missin’ You Like This”), Bailey Zimmerman (“Backup Plan,” the 2025 SEC Network anthem), Jon Bellion (“Why”) and Alex Warren (“Ordinary (Live at Lollapalooza)”), and partnered with Opry Entertainment Group to open Category 10, an entertainment complex in downtown Nashville.
Known for his electric shows, Combs recently made history as the first country artist ever to headline both Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Combs is also set to headline Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend, after topping the bill at all-genre festivals such as Newport Folk Festival and New Orleans JazzFest earlier this year. Combs also performed an unforgettable duet of “Fast Car” with Tracy Chapman at the 66th Grammy Awards and joined forces with Eric Church, Billy Strings, and James Taylor to headline Concert for Carolina, a special benefit show that raised over $24.5 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.
