Lainey Wilson Ties Luke Combs For The Most No.1s On U.S. Country Radio In 2023 So Far
The superstars and former tour mates are dominating the country radio charts.
Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs; Photo Courtesy Facebook, Luke Combs
Lainey Wilson and Luke Combs are currently tied for having the most songs to top the chart U.S. Country Radio this year.
On Sunday, October 8, U.S. Radio Updater took to Twitter to report the milestone achievements by both country stars, sharing that in this year alone, they have racked up three No. 1 hits each on the Mediabase Country Airplay chart. For Wilson, that includes “Watermelon Moonshine,” “Heart Like A Truck,” and “wait in the truck” with HARDY. As for Combs, 2023 has earned him a top spot on the charts with “Fast Car” and “Love You Anyway” off his latest album, Gettin’ Old, as well as “Going, Going, Gone,” which appears on his 2022 project, Growin’ Up.
This marks yet another incredible feat for the reigning ACM Female Artist of the Year who has continued to make history throughout the year with her position on the charts. Just a few days prior, the outlet revealed that “Watermelon Moonshine” secured the superstar her second week at No.1.
To celebrate, Wilson took to Instagram to share a compilation of clips from live performances, showcasing not only how much she enjoys singing the tune but also how much fans have come to love its catchy lyrics.
Her caption read, “Hearing y’all sing this song makes me realize I wasn’t the only one sipping on some watermelon moonshine growing up. Sometimes music is about dreaming and sometimes it’s about being nostalgic. This song is for the memories.”
She went on to share her gratitude for everyone who has played a part in getting this song to the top of the charts.
“Thank y’all for spinning the hell out of this and making it the #1 song on country radio this week!✨🍉”
With this news, Wilson joins Gabby Barrett and Maren Morris as the only female artists this decade to achieve the feat of having a solo song remain atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for multiple weeks, according to U.S. Radio Updater.
Barrett previously topped the charts for three weeks with “The Good Ones,” while Morris earned the No.1 spot for two weeks with “The Bones.”
Additionally, the nostalgic tune co-written by the Louisiana native alongside Jordan Schmidt and Josh Kear saw the fastest climb to No.1 for a solo female song at country radio since Carrie Underwood’s “Church Bells” in 2016.
Wilson currently has another tune working its way up the country radio charts – “Save Me,” her collaboration with Jelly Roll that is already sitting inside the Top 15.
Before Luke Combs reached the top position on the charts with his cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” the tune sat at No. 2 while he earned his 17th No. 1 single with “Love You Anyway,” the heartfelt tribute to his wife, Nicole Combs.
This was a historic feat by Combs as he was named the first artist to have two solo songs claim the No.1 and No.2 spot on the Billboard Country Airplay chart since its inception in 1990.
Both Lainey Wilson and Luke Combs are currently in the midst of massive tours, bringing their impressive catalog of hits to fans all over the world. Lainey Wilson is serving as support on HARDY’s the mockingbird & THE CROW fall tour while Luke Combs is overseas through the remainder of October for the final dates of his massive 2023 World Tour. He also recently announced his 2024 Growin’ Up and Getting’ Old Tour, which is scheduled to kick off on April 12 in Milwaukee, WI.
Along with their major touring dates, the country stars are gearing up for the 2023 CMA Awards, where the Bell Bottom Country queen is nominated for a whopping nine nominations and Combs, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, has collected four nods.
Fans can tune into the 2023 CMA Awards in November to see if Wilson and Combs will take home the trophies. Co-hosted by country superstar Luke Bryan and National Football League Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, the 57th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, November 8 at 8/7c on ABC.
Written by
Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.