Scotty McCreery and Hootie & the Blowfish Score No. 1 With ‘Bottle Rockets’

Scotty McCreery has earned another career milestone as his collaboration “Bottle Rockets” with Hootie & the Blowfish reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The single marks McCreery's fastest climb to the top, averaging six million streams per week. It also delivers another unique achievement: Darius Rucker now joins Tyler Hubbard as one of the few artists to reach No. 1 both as a solo act and with a group.

“Any time your song hits No. 1, it feels great. To be able to hit No. 1 with a song featuring a band you have loved your whole life is beyond amazing! Thanks to Hootie & The Blowfish for joining me on this song, thanks to Triple Tigers Records and Triple 8 Management for all their hard work, thanks to country radio and the streaming services, and thanks to the fans who have supported me from day one,” McCreery said.

Co-written by McCreery, Rucker, and others, “Bottle Rockets” was produced by Frank Rogers. Inspired by nostalgic summer memories, the track was written during a retreat in North Carolina. The music video, filmed on the Isle of Palms near Charleston, South Carolina, premiered on Sept. 19 under the direction of Jeff Ray. The project also includes a re-recording of Hootie & the Blowfish's classic “Hold My Hand.”

The single saw a 14% jump in weekly impressions, reaching 30.5 million, and was the most played and heard track on the Mediabase country panel. It anchors McCreery's EP Scooter & Friends, a summer-ready collection featuring collaborations with Charlie Wilson and Lee Brice.

“Bottle Rockets” also extends a trend of country hits reimagining classics, following the path of Cole Swindell's “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” Other movements on the chart include Jelly Roll's “Heart of Stone” at No. 2, Morgan Wallen's “I Got Better” at No. 3, and Jordan Davis's “Bar None” steady at No. 4.

“All we had to do was light the fuse! Country radio took ‘Bottle Rockets' and permanently imprinted it on the summer of 2025,” said Kevin Herring, Co-President, Triple Tigers Records.

McCreery's chart-topping news comes just after he welcomed his second child, Oliver Cooke, on Sept. 18. He will co-headline the Two for the Road Tour with Dustin Lynch this fall, with European tour dates scheduled for March 2026.