‘My Initial Reaction Was, ‘Are You Sure?”

Luke Combs has surpassed Garth Brooks as the highest-certified country artist in history by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Combs has sold and streamed a combined 168 million units (units can be albums or singles), according to RIAA. Brooks stands at 162.5 million and had held the record for more than 20 years.

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“When my team first told me about this, my initial reaction was, ‘Are you sure? There’s no way.’ It was only 8 years ago that I got my first [RIAA] plaque for ‘Hurricane’ going gold,” Combs said in a statement. “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 already held the record for the most Diamond-certified singles for a country artist with four. Diamond-certified singles have sold/streamed 10 million units, and Combs’ four to surpass that tally are “Beautiful Crazy,” “When It Rains It Pours,” “Hurricane” and “She Got the Best of Me.”

The news comes as Combs’ current single, “Back in the Saddle,” climbs to No. 8 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. On Friday, Combs released The Prequel, a three-song set with “My Kinda Saturday Night,” “15 Minutes” and “Days Like These” via Sony Music Nashville.

It’s already been a stellar year for Combs, who is up for three awards at November’s CMA Awards, including entertainer of the year, and recently announced that he and wife Nicole are expecting their third child. After his extensive worldwide tour in 2024, Combs has concentrated on playing festivals this year and is the first country artist to headline both Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Later this month, he will headline the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Drake is the RIAA’s highest-certified artist across all genres, with 298.5 units sold and streamed, followed by Taylor Swift at 242.5 million units. Combs now stands at ninth among all artists.

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