The Secret To Luke Combs' Chart-Busting Success

10/08/20 • 30 min

It’s difficult to find Luke Combs’ equal. Not now, not 10 years ago, not 30 years ago. Maybe not ever. The no-nonsense country singer and songwriter with a ‘90s country bent has released 9 singles to radio. Every one has reached No. 1. All but one has stayed there for multiple weeks. Since May of 2017 he’s spent 26 weeks at the top of the country charts — that’s a half year! — and I’m talking about the more illusive airplay chart, not the Hot Country Chart which is a mix of airplay, sales, streaming and witchcraft.

A decade ago Florida Georgia Line went seven out of 8. In 1989 and ’90 Clint black went five of seven. Garth Brooks? He batted closer to 500 for his first 10 singles. Is what we’re experiencing real? Or is Luke Combs just a product of right time, right place? Is he what happens when the field narrows and country music radio shaves away all its rough edges? Is he a radio star who can’t really get it done elsewhere or worse ... is a poised for a big fall?

My guest this week may know the answer.
Chris Owen is a country chart expert who can recall just about every forgettable country song you throw at him, and the label, and how far it went on the Billboard or Mediabase country airplay chart. I like the way his mind works because he leans hard into stats and logic and not so much on emotion. Chris is an even hand in Twitter sea of screamers and criers and he’s uniquely capable of find perspective as we watch Combs go No. 1 with the frequency of a 9-year-old who sucked down too many Coca Colas.

Are we making too big a deal of what Luke Combs is quietly accomplishing? Is it fair to compare him to Garth or anyone? What is he doing that nobody else is? Let’s find out, during Ep. No. 4 of the Country Music Media Podcast.
Follow Chris Owen on Twitter.
After the interview, it's "Pick-A-Hit."
Chris' picks:
Robert Counts, "What Do I Know"
Larry Fleet, "Where I Find God"
Runway June, "We Were Rich"
Billy's Picks
Priscilla Block, "Just About Over You"
Cody Johnson, "Dear Rodeo"
Elvie Shane, "My Boy"
Finally, it's a postscript and this week's numbers.

Previous Episode

Is Country Radio Ready to Forgive Taylor Swift?

Historically, when young female pop artists break up with country, country doesn’t come crawling back. But this time they are.
Taylor Swift's "Betty" is a Top 40 hit and her performance at the 2020 ACM Awards felt as comfortable as you could hope if you're among those hoping she'll soon take back her crown as queen of country . My guest this week will explain why — after all she and the genre have been through since her last country hit ("Red" in 2013) — the timing may be right.
Emily Yahr is an entertainment and pop culture reporter with The Washington Post who has, in my opinion, a fascinating assignment. She’s led with grounded, fact-based news articles and editorials about women in country music, and now — as important conversations about the lack of persons of color on Music Row take center stage — she’s asking the industry to confront its race issue. She’s another writer that doesn’t need Nashville to like her to pay the bills but she doesn’t take advantage of that.
She's also followed Swift since the singer's mid-2000s debut and is, admittedly, a fan.
Follow Emily on Twitter @EmilyYahr
Here's her piece in the Washington Post on Taylor's ACM Awards performance of "Betty."

Next Episode

Which Morgan Wallen Is the Real Morgan Wallen?

Maybe we’re being too hard on Morgan Wallen. Maybe we’re not being hard enough. Fans responded with varying degrees of empathy and patience when Saturday Night Live gave him the boot after he broke COVID-19 protocols. Wallen, for his part, took the high road and took responsibility during a two-and-a-half-minute video on social media.
Is the "Whiskey Glasses" singer the hard-partying troublemaker that's made TMZ several times in 2020? Or is he the humble kid from East Tennessee he appeared to be in his apology video. Most importantly, what's next?
Tricia Despres is going to help us figure it out. She's a professional journalist with a deep resume who's spoken with him several times in two years. She's also a mother to college-aged kids and as such she's skilled at smelling stink from miles away. So don't persecute or praise this country singer quite yet.
After the interview, how Morgan's troubles spotlight another problem in country music, and By the Numbers.
Follow Tricia on Twitter and Facebook.
Three interviews referenced in this podcast episode.
American SongwriterPeopleTaste of Country