Luke Combs just broke a record previously held by Garth Brooks. Combs is officially the highest-certified country artist in history by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Combined, Combs has sold and streamed a total of 168 million units (as albums or singles) per Billboard.
Combs’ 168 million beats Brooks’ current 62.5 million units sold. Brooks has held the record for more than 20 years.
“When my team first told me about this, my initial reaction was, ‘Are you sure? There’s no way,'” Combs admits. “It was only eight years ago that I got my first [RIAA] 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,” he continues. “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.”
Luke Combs Releases ‘The Prequel’
Combs has been hard at work on a new record. He just released The Prequel, three new songs ahead of the full project.
“Still working on my new album that’ll be out early next year, but three songs from it are ready now, and I couldn’t wait to get y’all some new music,” Combs announced ahead of its release. The three songs are “Days Like These,” “15 Minutes,” and “My Kinda Saturday Night,” the latter of which is also the title of his next tour.
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Luke Combs’ Current Single, “Back In The Saddle”
In addition to the three songs on The Prequel, Combs also released “Back In The Saddle” from his next set of tunes. The song is written by Combs, along with Jonathan Singleton and Dan Isbell. For Combs, it’s also the perfect way to introduce his next project.
“The thing that made me want to make ‘Back In The Saddle’ the lead single for my next record is, I think, that’s kind of what this song’s about,” Combs tells Audacy. “It’s about being in the studio, just getting back in the swing of things, letting people know that you’ve got new music coming out. I’m excited about being around and being on tour, and being in the studio and writing songs. Just being around, and I’m excited for people to check it out.”
After taking much of 2025 off, the father of two, with one on the way, says “Back In The Saddle” is the perfect song to introduce his next set of tunes.
“Jonathan and Dan had sent me the chorus to this thing,” Combs recounts. “They’re like, ‘Is this in the right direction…? And I remember being like, ‘Dude, this is a me thing for sure.’ Came in a few days later, got together with those guys, and woodshedded this thing. It’s just fun. I got to write this song with two of my best friends. That’s just such a unique thing to get to do. And to feel so confident in the writing process, and being able to trust those guys, and those guys being able to trust me. It turned out really great. I think it’s going to be a huge tune for me. I really, really do.”