Tracy Chapman Owns 40% Of An Entire Billboard Chart This Week

OAKLAND, CA-SEPTEMBER 23: Tracy Chapman performs as part of the Amnesty International Concert at the Oakland Coliseum on September 23, 1988. (Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns)GETTY IMAGES

Tracy Chapman’s catalog surged in consumption following her appearance at the recent 2024 Grammys. The singer took to the main stage to perform her smash “Fast Car” along with Luke Combs, who was nominated for his recent rendition of the tune. In the wake of their duet, which was considered by many as a highlight of the evening, the original author is all over the Billboard charts–and it’s not just about that one hit.

While Chapman’s name is present on a number of Billboard lists, her popularity is felt more powerfully on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart. On that tally, which ranks the bestselling tunes in the U.S. that can be classified as rock, the Grammy winner rules—and collects a handful of new hits as well.

This week, Chapman fills six spaces on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart. That’s 40% of the entire 15-spot tally–and a showing that’s not often seen, especially from a musician who hasn’t released anything new in a while.

Chapman earns her first No. 1 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this frame as “Fast Car” reappears on the tally. This week marks its first in charge of the list, but it’s found space somewhere on the tally for 35 nonconsecutive turns now.

“Fast Car” sold nearly 35,000 copies in the U.S. during the past tracking period, which included both the Grammys and the days that immediately followed. The week or so just after the highly-watched show are usually the biggest when it comes to sales spikes connected to tunes that were performed on the show or which won prizes.

That 35,000 number (reported first by Luminate) is a hefty sales figure, especially for a decades-old tune. It was large enough to make “Fast Car” not only the No. 1 title on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart but also the all-genre Digital Song Sales ranking.

Chapman claims half of all the spots inside the top 10 on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this week. As “Fast Car” drives to the summit, “Give Me One Reason” returns at No. 3. Also back on the tally is “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution,” which finds its way back to the list for only the second time ever. That cut reappears at No. 7. Both of those tracks hit new highs this time around.

Three tunes by Chapman debut on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this frame. “Baby Can I Hold You” opens at No. 9, “Stand By Me (Live From The Late Show With David Letterman)” launches at No. 10, and “The Promise” starts its time on the ranking at No. 15. These six tracks mark the only ones from Chapman to place on this list throughout her career.