charts discussion Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ up 241% in streams, 38,000% in sales

[umich]

 

“Fast Car” racked up 949,000 official on-demand U.S. streams on Monday (Feb. 5), the day following the Grammys — up 241% from the 278,000 it notched the prior Monday (Jan. 29). That’s a big gain, though it’s nothing compared to how the song exploded in digital song sales, soaring 38,400% from a negligible amount to nearly 14,000. The Combs version also saw some huge gains over the same period, rising 37% in streams to nearly 1.6 million and nearly 3,900% in sales to just over 6,000.

 

Could it be enough for Chapman’s “Fast Car,” which originally peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988 to return to the chart? It’s not impossible, though it will have to do well enough to make the top half of the chart to be eligible for a re-entrance, due to Billboard chart rules about catalog songs. If it keeps cruising through the week on its early momentum though, it may have a shot — and as of Wednesday, it was still No. 2 and No. 52 on the daily U.S. charts for iTunes and Spotify, respectively. 

 

https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/tracy-chapman-fast-car-grammys-sales-streams-trending-up-1235602076/

[CaptainMusic]

The fact that Luke’s version outpeaked it is gross tbh.

 

Though I understand it’s because people in the 80s likely just chose to buy her #1 album instead, but still.

 

At least globally this will always be the definitive version. 

[Gossip_Boy]

Their performance was the highlight of the Grammys. I’m so glad she’s getting the appreciation she deserves.

[Fitzswiftie]

8 minutes ago, CaptainMusic said:

The fact that Luke’s version outpeaked it is gross tbh.

 

Though I understand it’s because people in the 80s likely just chose to buy her #1 album instead, but still.

 

At least globally this will always be the definitive version. 

The Jonas Blue version outpeaked and outstreamed globally. 
 

Love Tracy but Luke isn’t even the first time a hit cover of Fast Car exploded everywhere.

[umich]

7 minutes ago, CaptainMusic said:

The fact that Luke’s version outpeaked it is gross tbh.

 

Though I understand it’s because people in the 80s likely just chose to buy her #1 album instead, but still.

 

At least globally this will always be the definitive version. 

and meanwhile she's earning almost every dollar from the cover:

 

Quote

Combs’ version has generated at least $500,000 in global publishing royalties, Billboard estimates, with the bulk going to Chapman, who owns both the writer’s and publisher’s share of the song.

https://www.billboard.com/music/country/luke-combs-reacts-tracy-chapmans-fast-car-shout-out-1235372985/

 

[X~MoviePoP]

Can she drop a new album plz

[family.guy123]

So maybe the fact that Tracy “isn’t given the recognition she deserves” (according to atrl) is more because she rarely leaves her house and less because of racism 

[Gaia]

33 minutes ago, CaptainMusic said:

The fact that Luke’s version outpeaked it is gross tbh.

 

Though I understand it’s because people in the 80s likely just chose to buy her #1 album instead, but still.

 

At least globally this will always be the definitive version. 

I’d never heard the original and didn’t even know it was a cover  I was shocked it’s the exact same. I loved Luke’s and thought it was original. But I love Tracy’s as well. It doesn’t have that vibe most old songs do of “feeling old”

 

feels very timeless and modern

[family.guy123]

1 hour ago, Gaia said:

I’d never heard the original and didn’t even know it was a cover  I was shocked it’s the exact same. I loved Luke’s and thought it was original. But I love Tracy’s as well. It doesn’t have that vibe most old songs do of “feeling old”

 

feels very timeless and modern

It’s a timeless classic. It’s why it was nominated for ROTY, SOTY and won for best pop vocal female performance (before Luke Combs was even born). Rolling Stone had it on their GOAT list from 2004 and ranked it almost 100 spots higher in their 2021 update. 

[naval23]

Her smiling at the audience when they recognized her was a moment for the books 

 

I hope her version goes viral in 2024 and has a resurgence 

[Elusive Chanteuse]

I'm so happy for her resurgence. One of the greatest songs of all time.

[Technicolor]

A timeless classic did that

[PoisonPill]

Luke showed how you cover a classic the right way. Honor the original, show respect to the artist, and bring your own take and feeling to it without butchering it. Not only did he introduce Tracy’s brilliance to a new generation and genre, the royalties she’s earning from his version is going to put her grandkids through college. The Grammys performance was stunning, you could see how happy he was to be there with her. 

[Carrie-is-no-1]

11 minutes ago, PoisonPill said:

the royalties she’s earning from his version is going to put her grandkids through college.

 

Luke did the right thing by giving Tracy the spotlight for most of his performance.

[Ger]

Highlight performance of the night, I think it was the most beloved. Great duo, Luke did an amazing work covering this classic, and I'm sure Tracy appreciates it. Glad to see the recognition and succeess it's having.  

[tomo]

Legend

[Holiest Dreams]

Deserves even more. It’s one of the best songs of all time 

[CaptainMusic]

23 hours ago, Fitzswiftie said:

The Jonas Blue version outpeaked and outstreamed globally. 
 

Love Tracy but Luke isn’t even the first time a hit cover of Fast Car exploded everywhere.

The Jonas Blue version only outpeaked it in many countries because nobody wanted to buy their album, and it obviously outstreamed because it was released in the streaming era. 

 

Fast Car is the main reason her debut sold 21M worldwide so its chart peaks don’t properly reflect its popularity. It also had more daily Spotify streams, even before the Grammy performance, despite being like 30 years older.

 

So yeah I do believe to most people, outside gen z, Tracy’s version is still the definitive version globally.

[ClashAndBurn]

21 hours ago, naval23 said:

Her smiling at the audience when they recognized her was a moment for the books 

 

I hope her version goes viral in 2024 and has a resurgence 

There's a non-zero chance that it gets used in Stranger Things, season 5. They're time-skipping to 1989. Nothing has been said about the soundtrack just yet of course, but... it's possible.

Edited February 8 by ClashAndBurn

[99sandthe2000s]