The song, “Fast Car”, was originally recorded by Tracy Chapman in 1988

Cleveland, Ohio singer Tracy Chapman (b.1964) wrote and performed the song “Fast Car” for her self-titled debut album. The track was released as the very first single in April 1988 and it became a huge global hit, originally peaking at No.5 in the UK and making No.6 in America as well as topping the Canadian singles chart. The song continues to endure and inspire over thirty years since its original release and in 2011, it achieved a new high of No.4 in the UK. The song has sold over 1.8 million copies there to date.

Naturally, the tune has been used, sampled and covered many times since, first by Swedish group Tobtok in 2015. Their version made No.3 in Poland and No.19 in Australia. Much bigger was DJ and producer Jonas Blue’s version that was released only two months later. His became perhaps the biggest of all, making the top ten in more than thirty countries and a new high of No.2 in the UK and No.1 on the Dance chart there. The track topped the US club chart but only reached No.98 on the singles chart. It was a number one success in Australia, Hungary and Latvia, and has sold over five million copies worldwide.

In 2023, American singer Luke Combs recorded “the song”Fast Car” for his fourth studio album, “Gettin’ Old”. He released it as the second single in April and has taken it to No.8 Stateside, No.5 in Canada and Australia and No.54 in the UK, ensuring that a whole new generation have been exposed to and fallen in love with Tracy’s simple yet effective harmony.

But which version is the best? TRACY’s original, JONAS BLUE’s 2015 cover or LUKE COMBS 2023 cover?

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