Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” Joins The Spotify “Billions Club”

The song that put Stapleton on the map.

Chris Stapleton was a songwriting mastermind long before his 2015 breakout album, Traveller. Once Stapleton released his debut album, he took off in the eyes of country music, pushing the boundaries of what defines the genre and capturing the hearts of listeners with his booming vocals and tender love lyrics.

One track of Traveller took off ahead of others, becoming a massive hit for the Kentucky native. “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Whether you love the song or hate it, given how much it is played these days, there is no denying that it’s arguably one of the most identifiable songs from Stapleton’s catalog. Many artists have since covered the track, which is also highly requested at bars. While the sweet lyrics detail a smooth, fulfilling love, I must admit the song is often overplayed.

“Tennessee Whiskey” was the top-played song on TouchTunes until earlier this year, when Shaboozey overtook his reign. While I’d rather listen to Stapleton than Shaboozey (sorry, Mr. Shaboozey, if you are reading this), the longstanding run at the top of that list is a testament to how widely loved it is outside of country music.

Many also consider the performance of “Tennessee Whiskey” with Justin Timberlake at the 2015 CMA Awards single-handedly ended “bro-country,” and thank goodness for that.

This number of streams has steadily increased over the last nine years, and today, Stapleton joins the exclusive Spotify club of artists with songs with over one billion streams. He’s gone through all the millions, and we have reached ten-digit numbers.

Stapleton is one of a few country artists on the list of 700 songs. He now stands among artists like Morgan Wallen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, and others, who all have songs in the billions of numbers.

Given that Stapleton’s catalog features songs far more prolific than “Tennessee Whiskey,” one can only hope we see many more of his tracks join the Billions Club. Quite a few are in the hundreds of millions, so keep firing them up, folks; I know I have a few I’d love to see in this exclusive club.

While you’re here, If you haven’t seen the legendary performance from the CMA Awards, check it out.