Chris Stapleton is an unmatched vocal talent, and has the multiple Male Vocalist of the Year trophies from the Country Music Association to prove it. When the Kentucky native is singing, all is right in the world—even if the lyrics are very, very wrong. While Stapleton is also an accomplished songwriter—previously penning hits for Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, and George Strait—the most staggering example of his vocal prowess is a cover song.
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In 2015, the 11-time Grammy Award winner put his stamp on the David Allan Coe live staple “Tennessee Whiskey,” establishing himself as a singular presence in country music and beyond. And this week, Chris Stapleton’s version of “Tennessee Whiskey” reached another milestone—one that no country song has ever seen before. In fact, you could say that Stapleton’s signature hit has now outsold every country song, ever.
Chris Stapleton Joins Bruno Mars, Post Malone on Elite List
According to a news release from Chris Stapleton’s label MCA, “Tennessee Whiskey” is the first country song ever to land a double diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with a whopping 20 million units sold.
The RIAA has yet to officially confirm this distinction, but when it does, Stapleton will join Bruno Mars and Post Malone as the only artists ever to record a double diamond single.
Posty accomplished this feat in February 2024 with “Sunflower,” his Swae Lee collaboration for 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack. Mars joined him in October 2025, when his 2010 hit “Just the Way You Are” broke the 20-million barrier.
[RELATED: How Chris Stapleton Finally Co-Wrote a Song for His Hero Willie Nelson]
He Never Officially Released It as a Single
In 1981, outlaw country icon David Allen Coe became the first artist to record “Tennessee Whiskey,” written by songwriters Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove. Two years later, George Jones recorded his own version for his album Shine On, and it peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
Meanwhile, Chris Stapleton never officially released “Tennessee Whiskey” as a single at all. His cover arose from a sound check in Charlottesville, Virginia.
“Me and the guys in the band started playing a little bit and got into that groove, so I started thinking, ‘Man, what song could I sing over top of this?’” Stapleton recalled during a 2015 interview with Fader. “For whatever reason, I started singing ‘Tennessee Whiskey.’”
Continuing, he added, “But we decided to do the song that night and every night since. By the time we got into the studio, it was something we all enjoyed playing. It’s a part of the fabric of things that influenced me over the years.”
Featured image by Disney/Frank Micelotta
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