Adding to its legacy.
Love it or hate it, you simply cannot deny the legacy of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.” As we all know at this point, the song was originally recorded by David Allan Coe in 1981, but at the time, it was nothing more than a middling single for Coe and peaked at #77 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Two years later, George Jones experienced quite a bit of success with the track, scoring a #2 hit in the fall of 1983. Given the success of Jones’ cover, “Tennessee Whiskey” became synonymous with the Possum.
From 1981 to 2015, “Tennessee Whiskey” was obviously a popular song in the genre thanks to Jones’ version, but it was still nowhere near a staple. Of course, that all changed on November 4, 2015, when Stapleton performed it alongside Justin Timberlake at the 49th Annual CMA Awards.
As we look back 11 years later, that was the night Stapleton became an icon in the genre. While you can dive into a full-blown thesis-level analysis on how important Stapleton’s rise and its aftermath were on country music til today, in this case, all you need to know is that this set the stage for “Tennessee Whiskey” to become what is now the most successful country song of all time.
Following the performance on CMA night, it would fly up Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart just two weeks later, reaching #1 for two straight weeks from November 21st to December 4th despite not being sent to radio as a single.
It’s “Tennessee Whiskey’s” incredible long-term success that ultimately defines it, however. As of 2026, it is the fifth-highest-streamed country song of all time on Spotify with a staggering 1.399 billion streams on the platform alone. Most importantly, however, the track is now the only country song IN HISTORY (and only the third song ever) to sell over 20 million units and obtain double-diamond status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Recently, Chart Data, one of the leading chart and streaming trackers on X (formerly Twitter), released the most-streamed song per decade in 2025. While the list is ultimately dominated by classic rock songs from the 1960s through 2000s, Stapleton’s cover of “Tennessee Whiskey” made it as the only country song to make it appearance, being the most-streamed song all-genre released in the 2010s.
- 1960s – “Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
- 1970s – “Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac
- 1980s – “Don’t Stop Believing” – Journey
- 1990s – “Iris” – Goo Goo Dolls
- 2000s – “Mr. Brightside” – The Killers
- 2010s – “Tennessee Whiskey” – Chris Stapleton
- 2020s – “Ordinary” – Ordinary
Keep in mind, this is an all-genre list, so “Tennessee Whiskey” edged out the likes of worldwide pop hits such as Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” and a plethora of other smash hits that still receive attention until today. It’s hard to imagine another country song any time soon that will have such mass appeal and long-lasting success as Stapleton’s rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey” has, 11 years later.
Fire it up for ‘ol times’ sake before you go.
All-American Road Show Tour Dates
May 23 – Nashville, Tennessee – Nissan Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
June 11 – Jacksonville, Florida – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena with Allen Stone
June 13 – Tampa, Florida – Raymond James Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
June 17 – Burgettstown, Pennsylvania – The Pavilion at Star Lake with Allen Stone
June 20 – Charlotte, North Carolina – Bank of America Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
June 24 – Hershey, Pennsylvania – Hersheypark Stadium with Grace Potter
June 26 – North Charleston, South Carolina – North Charleston Coliseum with Grace Potter
July 8 – Mountain View, California – Shoreline Amphitheater with Molly Tuttle
July 10 – Chula Vista, California – North Island Credit Union Amphitheater with Molly Tuttle
July 17 – Portland, Oregon – Providence Park with Grace Potter
July 22 – Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena with The Teskey Brothers
July 24 – George, Washington – The Gorge with Grace Potter
July 29 – Shakopee, Minnesota – Mystic Lake Amphitheater with Allen Stone
August 1 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Paycor Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
August 6 – Toronto, Ontario – Rogers Stadium with Zach Top & Allen Stone
August 8 – Detroit, Michigan – Ford Field with Lainey Wilson & Allen Stone
August 14 – Boston, Massachusetts – Fenway Park with Zach Top & Allen Stone
August 18 – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater with Maggie Rose
August 21 – Atlanta, Georgia – Mercedes-Benz Stadium with Lainey Wilson & Ashley McBryde
August 26 – Wantagh, New York – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater with Carter Faith
August 28 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion with Carter Faith
October 2 – Bristow, Virginia – Jiffy Lube Live with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
October 7 – Lincoln, Nebraska – Pinnacle Bank Arena with Nikki Lane
October 9 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater with Nikki Lane
