Chris Stapleton just made country music history. His version of “Tennessee Whiskey” has officially been certified RIAA Double Diamond, making it the first country song ever to hit that milestone.
For perspective, Double Diamond means the song has moved the equivalent of 20 million units in the United States. That’s a massive achievement for any genre, let alone country.
If you somehow missed the backstory: “Tennessee Whiskey” wasn’t originally Stapleton’s song. It was written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove, recorded by David Allan Coe in the early ’80s, and later cut by George Jones. Stapleton put his own blues-soaked spin on it for his 2015 album Traveller, and the song took on a life of its own from there … especially after his breakout CMA performance with Justin Timberlake.
Since then, it’s been a staple at bars, weddings, late-night drives, and just about everywhere country fans gather. Now it’s officially the biggest-selling country single the RIAA has ever recognized.
Pretty wild for a song that’s been around for over four decades.
Huge congrats to Stapleton and to “Tennessee Whiskey,” the smoothest drink in the history books.
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