Tracy Chapmans Original Fast Car Re-enters Billboard Hot 100
Update: 2/13/24 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Chapman’s success continued beyond the iTunes chart and into the Billboard Hot 100. Her original version of “Fast Car” re-entered the chart 35 years after its initial release, reaching No. 42 on the chart for the week of February 17. The song was sandwiched between Gunna’s “Fukumean” and Paul Russell’s “Lil Boo Thang.”
Chapman’s “Fast Car” proved to have more gas in its tank. A week after topping the iTunes chart, it remained a Top 10 hit. On February 13, it sat between Cyrus’s “Flowers” and Usher’s “U Got It Bad,” a song that was enjoying a surge in sales following his headlining performance at Super Bowl 2024’s halftime show.
Original story:
You got a fast car, Tracy Chapman has a plan to get outta here – and now, a No. 1 song on iTunes.
Chapman, 59, appeared at the 2024 Grammy Awards on February 4, joining Luke Combs for a duet of “Fast Car.” Combs’ cover of Chapman’s 1988 hit dominated country radio and racked up accolades at country music award shows, so the moment on Sunday’s event was a chance for her to collect her flowers from the audience gathered at the Crypto.com arena and those watching at home.
It was also a chance to remind viewers that Chapman’s original version of the song was available on iTunes, and soon enough, her original “Fast Car” was at the top of the platform’s charts. As of Monday, February 5, Chapman’s “Fast Car” reigned at the No. 1 position on iTunes’ Top Song charts, ahead of the newly-minted Grammy winner Miley Cyrus (“Flowers”), Billy Joel (“Turn the Lights Back On”) and Combs’ rendition of “Fast Car.”
Chapman’s 1988 self-titled debut, which included “Fast Car,” also surged to the No. 1 position on the Top Albums chart, surpassing Taylor Swift’s newest Album of the Year winner, Midnights. Chapman’s Greatest Hits compilation was at No. 3.
The original “Fast Car” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its release in 1988. It was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1989 Grammys, winning the latter. Tracy Chapman was also up for Album of the Year. Though it lost to George Michael’s Faith, the self-titled album won Best Contemporary Folk Album award.
In the 35 years since Chapman’s debut, her legacy has grown (in part due to her rare public performances, making her duet at the 2024 Grammys even more special.) “Tracy Chapman is such an icon, and one of the greatest artists that I think any of us will be along to see,” Combs said in a video about Chapman’s legacy and the impact “Fast Car” has had since its release. “It’s a full circle moment for me. Just to be associated with her in any way is super humbling for me.”
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Comb’s rendition of “Fast Car,” off his 2023 album Getting’ Old, secured a Best Country Solo Performance nomination at the 2024 Grammys. It lost to Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse.”
Other songs enjoying a post-Grammys bump included Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire.” Eilish, 22, Rodrigo, 20, and Mitchell, 80, also performed at the ceremony.
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