The road to stardom for country music icon Luke Combs wasn’t paved with gold—it was paid for with the sale of his pickup truck. Eight years ago, in a move that defines the Nashville dream, the aspiring artist sold his vehicle to finance his music. That gamble didn’t just pay off; it launched one of the most dominant streaks in country music history, and Combs insists he “doesn’t regret it for a second.
From a Sold Truck to a No. 1 Single
The decision, made around 2015-2016, gave Combs the crucial funds to record his earliest tracks. The most notable of these was his debut single, “Hurricane.”
The song initially made waves as an independent release, selling an impressive 15,000 copies in its first week. That immediate success caught the attention of Sony Music Nashville, which signed him and re-released “Hurricane” in 2017. The song stormed the charts, becoming his very first official No. 1 single
The Historic 8-Single Streak
That first number one was the start of an unprecedented run. Combs achieved what the initial report celebrated: eight consecutive number-one singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart right out of the gate. This historic streak, a testament to his immediate connection with fans, included:
- “Hurricane”
- “When It Rains It Pours”
- “One Number Away”
- “She Got the Best of Me”
- “Beautiful Crazy”
- “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
- “Even Though I’m Leaving”
- “Does to Me” (featuring Eric Church)
The single “Beautiful Crazy” was a particular phenomenon during this run, topping four separate country charts and cementing his status as a superstar.
A Record-Breaking Reign
The gamble on that truck continued to yield massive returns. Combs’s debut album, “This One’s for You” (2017), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and spent a staggering 50 non-consecutive weeks at the top. This tied the monumental record set by Shania Twain’s iconic album “Come On Over.”
And that eight-song streak? It was just the beginning. Combs went on to shatter records, extending his run to an unprecedented 18 consecutive No. 1 singles by early 2024, the longest-ever streak for an artist from their debut.
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Now a multiple-time CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year award winner, Luke Combs’s story is a powerful narrative of belief, sacrifice, and unparalleled success—all starting with the sale of a single truck.
