Jason Aldean‘s most successful career song to date is “Big Green Tractor,” spending a whopping four weeks at No. 1 on the country charts back in 2009.
But don’t bring that up to Aldean’s fellow country star and buddy Luke Bryan. It seems like it might be a little bit of a sore spot.
Why Did Jason Aldean’s ‘Big Green Tractor’ Leave Luke Bryan “Heartbroken”?
Luke Bryan was a guest with me on Taste of Country Nights where I asked him if he and Aldean have ever fought over a song. In other words, if there was ever an outside cut that both of them wanted to record.
Bryan thought about it for a moment, then say, “When I heard ‘Big Green Tractor’ for the first time I was really heartbroken that I didn’t hear that first.”
Read More: Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan Announce Double Down Tour 2026
“Big Green Tractor” was co-written by David Lee Murphy and Jim Collins, the latter of whom also wrote Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” — so you could say he’s kind of got the market cornered on tractor-centric love songs!
It wound up in front Aldean, and he released it as a single in May 2009. Bryan didn’t see the song before Aldean snagged it, and he’s apparently a little salty about that.
But Bryan describes his “Big Green Tractor” FOMO as more sadness than anger. The singer says he and Aldean have never fought over a song.
Did Jason Aldean Ever Try to Record a Luke Bryan Song?
According to Bryan, no. He says “We’ve never really had, like, a big song duel.”
Aldean, who was also on Taste of Country Nights, admits that he’s had his fair share of regret when it comes to other artists cutting songs he wishes he could have recorded. In fact, he says he got first dibs on Bryan’s hit “Drunk on You,” and he wound up passing!
“I remember them pitching the song to me and me thinking at the time, ‘Man, it’s really cool, but it’s not what we’re looking for,” the singer recalls.
“I heard his version of it later and was like ‘Yup, I missed that one,'” he continues. “Honestly, songs land where they’re supposed to. I think he was supposed to end up with that one. He had a huge hit on it and we may not have.”
Want to See Luke Bryan Live in Concert?
Luke Bryan will be playing the Taste of Country Festival in Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday, June 26.
Get your tickets for that show here.
Before you click out of this article, try to imagine Aldean’s “Big Green Tractor” sung by Bryan and Bryan’s “Drunk On You” sung by Aldean. Crazy, right?
Top 50 Jason Aldean Songs: His Greatest Hits + Best Deep Cuts
Taste of Country asked readers for input and did a deep dive into Aldeans’ full catalog of songs to identify those worthy of this top songs list, and those that simply aren’t. Spoiler alert: A few radio singles are missing, and several album tracks rank inside the Top 20. Sales and chart success helped us round out the Top 50. Do you agree with No. 1?
40 Photos of Jason Aldean Young
Jason Aldean exploded onto the country music scene in 2005 with his first hit “Hicktown,” which shot to No. 10 on the country charts. Since then, the megastar has released 11 studio albums and has had 27 songs reach No. 1. Let’s take a look back at a young Jason Aldean, when he was just getting started.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul
