Tracy Chapman's original 'Fast Car' hits #1 on iTunes after Grammys performance

The singer-songwriter played her signature hit alongside country star Luke Combs on Sunday.

Tracy Chapman is back at the top of the charts, where hopefully she feels like she belongs. After the singer-songwriter performed her signature hit "Fast Car" at the Grammys on Sunday, the song rocketed to #1 on the iTunes store by Monday morning.

iTunes may not be as popular as it once was, but its store is still frequented by older music patrons — so perhaps listeners who remember the original 1988 release of "Fast Car" and/or grew up with Chapman's self-titled debut album are rediscovering the power of her work along with everybody else.

"Fast Car" has been undergoing a resurgence in popular culture thanks to Luke Combs' country cover of the song, which has been dominating the country charts since he released it as part of his 2023 album Gettin' Old.

Tracy Chapman performs onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Tracy Chapman performs at the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, Calif.

John Shearer/Getty 

Chapman has often been particular about how her music is used by other artists. In 2021, she won a $450,000 lawsuit against Nicki Minaj after the rapper sampled Chapman's song "Babe Can I Hold You" against her wishes.

But when it came to Combs, he has always honored and acknowledged her artistry as his cover gained popularity. When his version earned Song of the Year at the Country Music Awards last year, the award went to Chapman, making her the first Black artist to win it.

Chapman embraced Combs by playing "Fast Car" alongside him on stage on Sunday, more than 30 years after the song won her the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance. It was Chapman's first public performance in years, and the clip became one of the most popular online from Sunday's show.

The performance made a huge impact with many viewers. Former EW editor Sarah Rodman highlighted her personal favorite moments from the clip — especially those involving Combs and Chapman smiling at each other and acknowledging the special moment.

Music critic Steven Hyden was inspired to share an older clip of Chapman performing "Fast Car" in 1988 and silencing a packed crowd at London's Wembley Stadium. Watch the magical performances below.

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