Tracy Chapman’s hit “Fast Car” has found renewed popularity more than 35 years after its initial release.
“Fast Car” is arguably one of the biggest songs in music right now. Initially released by Tracy Chapman in 1988, the song has a newfound reach after country music superstar Luke Combs released his own rendition in 2023.
Tracy Chapman’s version of the song was a hit in its own right – earning her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1988. Luke Combs’ rendition topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart after its release, and at the 2023 CMAs, took home the awards for both Single of the Year and Song of the Year.
“Fast Car” sales soar following Grammy Performance
While the song has been gaining steady momentum over the last few months, it saw a massive surge following the 2024 Grammy Awards. Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs took the Grammy stage to perform the smash hit together for the first time, creating an iconic duo that no one saw coming.
Prior to the Grammy’s, Tracy Chapman had only made three televised appearances since the conclusion of his last tour in 2009, making the performance even more momentous.
One day after the noteworthy Grammy appearance, Tracy Chapman’s original “Fast Car” climbed to the #1 spot on the U.S. iTunes chart. Just a few days later, Billboard reported that the track had seen an increase of 241% in on-demand streams and a 38,000% increase in US download sales.
“Fast Car” lands at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100
This week, Tracy Chapman has another milestone to celebrate. More than three decades after its creation, “Fast Car” has re-entered the Billboard Hot 100. This chart is “the week’s most popular current songs across all genres, ranked by streaming activity from digital music sources.”
“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman made its first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1988. It spent an impressive total of 22 weeks on the chart and peaked in the No. 6 spot.
Currently, the song sits at No. 42 and is expected to rise. Will it be able to match or surpass its prior success? Stay tuned!