Tracy Chapman becomes first Black woman sole writer with No.1 country song

Tracy Chapman became the first Black woman to be the sole songwriter on a No. 1 country song, due to country star Luke Combs' cover of her 1988 classic song 'Fast Car'.

The cover topped Billboard's Country Airplay chart. Combs' version comes as the second single ahead of his newest album, Gettin' Old.

The song has a deep family connection for him, as he told Music Mayhem, and he recalled listening to the cassette in his dad's truck when he was a kid. He recalls it as a big part of his life growing up and he names it his "first favourite song probably ever."

Luke Combs.

Chapman is only the fourth Black woman to have a writing credit at all on a No. 1 country hit, as Rolling Stone pointed out. The track originally reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988 and collected a Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

'Fast Car' is undoubtedly a massively influential track, and Rolling Stone ranked it 167 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Countless artists have subsequently covered the song, including Sam Smith and Passenger, but Combs' rendition is the first to reach No. 1 on the country charts.

The country star has performed the cover live on stage in the past and played it on the opening night of his massive World Tour. The tour will arrive in Dublin for a sold out show on Friday 13th October 2023 at 3Arena.