Arguably one of the best love songs of all time, Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" has been a fixture on vehicular sound systems since its 1988 release. Earlier this year, bearded country star Luke Combs joined the countless artists — including, importantly, Marnie Michaels on HBO's Girls — that have covered the song on his fourth album, Gettin' Old, from which he lifted his rendition as a single.
Combs's version of "Fast Car" has taken off so, well, y'know, that it is now No. 1 on Billboard's July 8-dated Country Airplay Chart (and No. 2 on the Hot 100), making Chapman the first Black woman to be the sole credited songwriter on a country radio hit. It's also the first time a classic (the original version peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100) reached No. 1 on the country chart in the 15 years since Blake Shelton had a hit with his cover of Michael Bublé's "Home."
UPDATE (7/6, 9:49 a.m. ET): Chapman has now commented on the achievement in an exclusive statement to Billboard. "I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I'm honoured to be there," she said. "I'm happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced 'Fast Car.'"
As Rolling Stone notes, Chapman is somehow also only the fourth Black woman to have any writing credit on a No. 1 country song. The singer-songwriter joins Tayla Parx, a co-writer on Dan + Shay's 2021 single "Glad You Exist"; Ester Dean, who co-wrote Lady A's 2020 song "Champagne Night"; and Alice Randall, co-writer on Trisha Yearwood's 1994 release, "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)."
Combs recently told Music Mayhem that Chapman's standard has been a big part of his life: "[It's] my first favourite song probably ever," he said. "I remember listening to that song with my dad in his truck when I was probably four years old."
While perhaps this No. 1 — thought not specific to Country Airplay — was long overdue for "Fast Car," it's a striking reminder of how pop music's long history of co-opting songs by Black writers and reaching commercial success far beyond the original recording is still an ongoing one.
The song was originally featured on Chapman's 1988 self-titled album. She has yet to comment on Combs's cover, which you can hear below.
Combs's version of "Fast Car" has taken off so, well, y'know, that it is now No. 1 on Billboard's July 8-dated Country Airplay Chart (and No. 2 on the Hot 100), making Chapman the first Black woman to be the sole credited songwriter on a country radio hit. It's also the first time a classic (the original version peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100) reached No. 1 on the country chart in the 15 years since Blake Shelton had a hit with his cover of Michael Bublé's "Home."
UPDATE (7/6, 9:49 a.m. ET): Chapman has now commented on the achievement in an exclusive statement to Billboard. "I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I'm honoured to be there," she said. "I'm happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced 'Fast Car.'"
As Rolling Stone notes, Chapman is somehow also only the fourth Black woman to have any writing credit on a No. 1 country song. The singer-songwriter joins Tayla Parx, a co-writer on Dan + Shay's 2021 single "Glad You Exist"; Ester Dean, who co-wrote Lady A's 2020 song "Champagne Night"; and Alice Randall, co-writer on Trisha Yearwood's 1994 release, "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)."
Combs recently told Music Mayhem that Chapman's standard has been a big part of his life: "[It's] my first favourite song probably ever," he said. "I remember listening to that song with my dad in his truck when I was probably four years old."
While perhaps this No. 1 — thought not specific to Country Airplay — was long overdue for "Fast Car," it's a striking reminder of how pop music's long history of co-opting songs by Black writers and reaching commercial success far beyond the original recording is still an ongoing one.
The song was originally featured on Chapman's 1988 self-titled album. She has yet to comment on Combs's cover, which you can hear below.
