Country star Luke Combs has earned a new career milestone with his take on Tracy Chapman’s trademark song, “Fast Car.” The North Carolina native’s cover has been certified platinum by the RIAA, just four months after its official release.
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Combs recorded his rendition of Chapman’s 1988 hit for inclusion on his fourth studio album, Gettin’ Old, which was released in March. The track was immediately embraced by country radio, earning Combs his 16th consecutive No. 1 single. This week, the song spent its third consecutive week at the top of Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and climbed to No. 1 on Mediabase/Country Aircheck’s airplay chart.
The quick success of his polished, modern country version of Chapman’s rich and emotive story-song has sparked a renewed interest and discussion around the Grammy Award-winning artists’ career. Although 35 years have passed since Chapman made “Fast Car” a Top 10 hit, the accomplished singer/songwriter says she’s pleasantly surprised by the track’s new life.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman recently told Billboard in an exclusive statement. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”
RELATED: Luke Combs Goes No. 1 with Captivating Cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”
To coincide with this career milestone, Combs has released a new live performance video of the track, recorded during his recent sold-out show at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Fans can catch Combs out on the road over the coming months, with tour dates scheduled across the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and the U.K. through the end of the year. On Saturday (July 15), the country star was forced to temporarily pause his performance in Charlotte, North Carolina, due to a nearby lightning storm.
Photo Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
I have long contended that Tracy Chapman is one of the most impactful and influential songwriters of the last 40 years. Her inventive percussive phrasing on songs like “Fast Car” and “(Talkin’ ’bout a) Revolution” created a fresh template for popular songwriting, one that has been copied time and time again.
I was in Boise, ID when I first heard Luke Combs’ version of “Fast Car.” I was immediately filled with delight that a country artist had covered the song and that country radio was embracing the recording. It seemed particularly interesting that the country artist was male. Here was a classic composition, originally penned and performed by a black, lesbian folky from Boston, being performed by a big, husky, manly country star. That seems significant to me. It demonstrates once again that the country music audience not only continues to love great songs but that the marketplace is becoming more and more accepting of persons of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
The song that followed Combs’ record on the Boise station was Dylan Scott’s “My Girl.” Listening to the rapid, rhythmic vocal phrases in Scott’s record only reconfirmed my contention that Tracy Chapman has long been one of the most influential songwriters of the last 4 decades. Thanks to Luke Combs, perhaps she’ll begin getting the recognition and acknowledgment she truly deserves.