Luke Combs Becomes The First Artist This Century To Replace Himself At No.1 On Country Radio Chart
Combs is following in the footsteps of country music icon Willie Nelson with his latest chart feat.
Luke Combs;Luke Combs; Photo by Andrew Wendowski, Music Mayhem Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Luke Combs earned his 18th No.1 single this week as “Where the Wild Things Are” claimed its place atop the Mediabase Country Airplay Chart and he made history along the way.
According to country radio insider Chris Owen, this marks the North Carolina native’s 18th solo single to reach No.1 and his 20th No.1 overall including collaborative features such as “Cold Beer Calling My Name” with Jameson Rodgers and “Different ‘Round Here” with Riley Green, which topped the chart just last week.
Chart History
With this feat, Combs has made history as the first artist this century to replace himself at No.1 on the Mediabase chart, according to U.S. Radio Updater on X.
This accomplishment puts the superstar in a league with country music legend Willie Nelson, who managed to replace himself at the top spot on the chart not once, but twice, in 1976 and 1982, as noted by radio insider Chris Huff.
The most recent instance of an artist surpassing their own No.1 position occurred in 1982 when Nelson’s cover of “Always On My Mind” was overtaken by his collaborative track with Waylon Jennings, titled “Just To Satisfy You.”
Who Wrote “Where The Wild Things Are” by Luke Combs?
“Where The Wild Things Are” was co-written by Randy Montana and Dave Turnbull and had been circulating Nashville for a few years. In fact, the song was almost recorded by one of his musical heroes, Eric Church, before landing in Combs’ hands.
Combs ultimately cut the song for his latest project, Gettin’ Old, and the rest is history.
Show-Stopping GRAMMYs Performance
It may be only February but 2024 is already shaping up to be another wildly successful year for Luke Combs. Earlier this month, he made headlines with his incredible GRAMMY Awards performance alongside the incomparable Tracy Chapman.
This performance was a dream-come-true moment for the singer/songwriter and an overall highlight of the GRAMMY Awards ceremony.
Following the history-making performance of “Fast Car,” Combs reflected on the moment in a heartfelt Instagram post.
“What an unreal Grammy week to say the least. There were so many laughs, tears, hugs, and cheers that it almost doesn’t seem real. From the hotel hangs and rehearsals, to the dinners and post show pizza, the vibes were HIGH,” he wrote. “I want to thank my whole team for working tirelessly to make this happen and my wife for always being by my side, I love you.”
Of the performance, Combs admitted, “It’s still hard to process how amazing it really was to be up there on that stage.”
He went on to call it a “defining moment” of his career before showcasing his gratitude toward Chapman.
“Tracy, I want to send my sincerest thanks to you for allowing me to be a part of your moment. Thank you for the impact you have had on my musical journey, and the musical journeys of countless other singers, songwriters, musicians, and fans alike. I hope you felt how much you mean to the world that night. We were all in awe of you up there and I was just the guy lucky enough to have the best seat in the house.”
A Post Malone Collaboration Is In The Works
It was recently revealed that Combs had teamed up with Post Malone for a new country collaboration, which will likely be released sometime this year.
Additionally, the father of two is preparing for the upcoming launch of his highly anticipated 2024 stadium tour. Kicking off on April 12, the upcoming trek will find Combs playing back-to-back nights at several stadiums across the U.S., including New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium, Santa Clara’s Levi’s® Stadium, Houston’s NRG Stadium, and Phoenix’s State Farm Stadium.
Who Is Touring With Luke Combs In 2024?
The Friday night shows include special guests Cody Jinks, The Avett Brothers, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters, and The Wilder Blue, while the Saturday shows will feature Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Drew Parker, and Colby Acuff.
“We got an opportunity to do two shows in some U.S. markets on the World Tour, but when I found out we were going to be able to do two shows for most all of the cities on the 2024 tour, I decided I wanted each show to have their own unique set up of openers, as well as my own unique setlist. I thought this would give people an opportunity to come to both nights if they want, but see two completely different shows,” the two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year previously shared in a statement.
Does Luke Combs Have A Bar In Nashville?
Later this year, Combs will embark on an entirely new journey within his career with the grand opening of his Nashville bar and entertainment venue, Category 10. While an official grand opening date has yet to be announced the establishment, which will occupy the space where the iconic Wildhorse Saloon once sat, is expected to open its doors this summer.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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