Luke Combs earns his 19th No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Back in the Saddle” gallops three spots on the ranking dated Nov. 1, up 23% to 30.8 million audience impressions Oct. 17-23, according to Luminate.
The single is expected to appear on Combs’ sixth studio album, due in early 2026. His latest leader extends one of the most consistent radio runs in recent history – dating to his first week at No. 1 in May 2017, with “Hurricane” he and Morgan Wallen are tied for the most Country Airplay leaders.
“Back in the Saddle” is also Combs’ 18th Country Airplay No. 1 as a co-writer and eighth as a co-producer. (His only leader as a recording artist that he didn’t write: his 2023 cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”)
Combs’ strategic social media teasers have helped power the success of “Back in the Saddle,” from pre-release cryptic clips featuring NASCAR icons Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty to an acoustic preview that quickly went viral with fans. The rollout built steady anticipation and framed the song as a crowd-pleaser before it ever hit radio. Its official video added to the momentum with behind-the-scenes footage further spotlighting the NASCAR tie-in.
Beyond Combs’ 19 Country Airplay No. 1s, he’s logged six on Billboard’s multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, four on Country Streaming Songs and 11 on Country Digital Song Sales.
New Top 10s for McCollum, Parmalee
Both Parker McCollum and Parmalee break into the Country Airplay top 10. McCollum’s “What Kinda Man” rises 11-8 with 17.1 million audience impressions (up 8%), marking his fifth appearance in that range. The Conroe, Texas, native has earned three No. 1s.
Plus, Parmalee’s “Cowgirl” climbs 12-10 (17 million, up 9%). The four-man band collects its eighth top 10, a run that includes four No. 1s dating to its first, “Carolina,” in 2013. All five of the group’s Country Airplay entries this decade have hit the top 10.
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