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. Most streamed song by release decade in 2025 (US): 1960s — Fortunate Son1970s — Dreams1980s — Don't Stop Believin' 1990s — Iris2000s — Mr. Brightside2010s — Tennessee Whiskey 2020s — Ordinary — chart data (@chartdata) January 14, 2026 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 LaneThe post King Of The 2010s: Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” Dethrones Every Pop Star As The Decade’s #1 Streamed Song In 2025 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.