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Fast Car

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For other uses, see Fast Car (disambiguation).
"Fast Car"
Song
B-side"For You"

"Fast Car" is a song by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman. It was released in April 1988 as the lead single from her self-titled debut album. Her appearance on the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute was the catalyst for the song's becoming a top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at number 6 on the Hot 100, and a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 4 on the charts.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone ranked the song number 167 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[1] It is Chapman's only song on the list (and the highest ranking song both written and performed by a female artist). Pitchfork Media placed the song at number 86 on their list of the 200 Best Songs of the 1980s.

Chart performance

In April 2011 the track also hit the UK top ten at number 4 after Michael Collings performed it on Britain's Got Talent.[2] The single was certified Platinum in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2014, based on digital downloads and streaming. The song has sold 661,500 copies in the UK, as of January 2016.[3]

Charts and certifications

Chart successions
Preceded by
"The Boys in Green" by Republic of Ireland Soccer Squad
 Irish number one single
July 9, 1988 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Canadian RPM Top Singles number-one single
September 3, 1988 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
Awards
Preceded by Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
1989
for "Fast Car" 		Succeeded by

Jonas Blue version

"Fast Car"
Song

In 2015, a tropical house cover of "Fast Car" was released by British producer Jonas Blue. It is Blue's debut single and features vocals by Dakota.[17] The Jonas Blue version peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, behind Zayn Malik's "Pillowtalk".[18] Its UK peak meant it charted higher than Chapman's original, which peaked at number five on the chart in May 1988 and a position higher upon a re-release in April 2011.[19]

Outside the UK, the Jonas Blue version reached number one in Australia[20] and Hungary, whilst also peaking within the top ten in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden.

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (2015–16) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[21] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[24] 19
ERROR: MUST PROVIDE year FOR Czech CHART 50
ERROR: MUST PROVIDE year FOR Czech CHART 12
Denmark (Tracklisten)[25]
[26] 		15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[27] 10
France (SNEP)[28] 59
songid field is MANDATORY FOR GERMAN CHARTS 2
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[29] 1
Hungary (Single Top 40)[30] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 2
Italy (FIMI)[32] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[34] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[35]
[36] 		13
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[37] 43
Scotland (OCC)[38] 1
ERROR: MUST PROVIDE year FOR Slovak CHART 40
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 6
UK Singles (OCC)[41] 2
UK Dance (OCC)[42] 1
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[43] 12

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[44] 2× Platinum 140,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[45] Platinum 0*
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Gold 400,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Tobtok version

"Fast Car"
Song

In 2015, a tropical house version was released by Swedish producer Tobtok, featuring vocals by British vocalist River. Tobtok also released an accompanying music video. The Tobtok version also charted in a number of charts, notably the Australia ARIA Chart, reaching number 19.[48] The Tobtok version also charted in the Norwegian VG-lista, Irish IRMA and Danish Tracklistan official charts.

Track listing
  1. "Fast Car" – (3:27
  2. "Fast Car" (L'Tric Remix Radio Edit) – 2:57

Charts

Chart (2015–16) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[49] 19
Denmark (Tracklisten)[50] 29
Ireland (IRMA)[51] 25
Norway (VG-lista)[52] 32
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[37] 20

Other cover versions

The song has been covered many times including by The Flying Pickets, Hundred Reasons, Xiu Xiu, Vertical Horizon, Darwin's Waiting Room, Amazing Transparent Man, MYMP, The Wilkinsons, Mutya Buena, Kristian Leontiou, Wayne Wonder, David Usher, Linda Pritchard, Boyce Avenue (featuring Kina Grannis), Christian Kane, Mark Wilkinson, Elizabeth Gillies and Hitomi Yaida.

In 2010, Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry performed a duet of the song in concert. It was also sampled by the rap group Nice & Smooth in their hit song "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow", making it a hit within the hip-hop community as well. British rapper Example also samples the song in his "I Need a Fast Car", which appeared on his mixtape We Didn't Invent the Remix.

In 1991, British soul singer Gabrielle recorded a demo of her song "Dreams" that featured a sample of "Fast Car". When it was released commercially in 1993 the sample was removed because of legal issues, but the version with the sample was still being played in nightclubs and DJ sets. Los Angeles-based turntablist DJ Quixotic is known to perform a cover of "Fast Car" by manipulating a tone record on a turntable to imitate the notes of the opening guitar riffs. In 1991, Hong Kong Band Soft Hard covered this song in Cantonese.

The song was parodied as "I Write a Fast Song" in the In Living Color sketch "Making of a Tracy Chapman Song", in which Chapman (portrayed by Kim Wayans) writes a song by looking out her window and witnessing events such as an old man getting hit by a bus and a domestic dispute.

The song was featured in an episode of Jake and Amir, however the words are changed to "I got a fast Jake".

In mid-2008, Swimming With Dolphins released a recording of the song as a B-side track to their EP, Ambient Blue.[53]

In December 2010, Boyce Avenue[54] and Kina Grannis did an acoustic arrangement; as of October 2014 it had over 25 million views on YouTube and remains one of their most popular songs on iTunes.[55]

In April 2011, Michael Collings auditioned on Britain's Got Talent by singing his version of "Fast Car". As a result, the song peaked on number four in the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom, a position higher than its original peak in the country 23 years prior.[56]

In September 2014, Sam Smith covered the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.[57]

British singer Jasmine Thompson released a cover of the song in a tropical style in January 2016.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
  2. ^ "Britain's Got Talent helps Fast Car speed into chart". BBC News. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b Jones, Alan (January 29, 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Bowie album chart domination continues". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved January 29, 2016. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "Tracy Chapman – Fast Car". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. ^ "Tracy Chapman – Fast Car" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ^ Canada peak
  7. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Fast Car". Irish Singles Chart.
  8. ^ "Tracy Chapman – Fast Car". Top 40 Singles.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tracy Chapman" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  10. ^ "Tracy Chapman – Fast Car". Singles Top 100.
  11. ^ a b c d "Tracy Chapman: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  12. ^ a b c "Fast Car: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. 2004-12-09. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
  13. ^ "Tracy Chapman Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-01-15.
  14. ^ "Tracy Chapman – Fast Car". Tracklisten.
  15. ^ "British single certifications – Tracy Chapman – Fast Car". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Fast Car in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  16. ^ "Fast Car (feat. Dakota) [Radio Edit] - Single by Jonas Blue". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  17. ^ Deen, Khyle (25 January 2016). "Jonas Blue releases music video to global smash hit Fast Car feat. Dakota (VIDEO)". Purple Revolver. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  18. ^ Gibsone, Harriet (February 5, 2016). "Zayn Malik's debut solo single Pillowtalk goes straight to No 1". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  19. ^ Myers, Justin (1 February 2016). "12 cover versions that charted higher than the originals". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  20. ^ Ryan, Gavin (30 January 2016). "ARIA Singles: Jonas Blue 'Fast Car' Is Australia's No 1". Noise11. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  21. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  22. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  23. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  24. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  25. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". Tracklisten.
  26. ^ http://hitlisten.nu/default.asp?list=t40
  27. ^ "Jonas Blue: Fast Car (Feat. Dakota)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  28. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car" (in French). Les classement single.
  29. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  30. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  31. ^ "Chart Track: Week 8, 2016". Irish Singles Chart.
  32. ^ "Top Digital - Classifica settimanale WK 9 (dal 2016-02-26 al 2016-03-03)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  33. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  34. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". Top 40 Singles.
  35. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". VG-lista.
  36. ^ http://lista.vg.no/liste/topp-20-single/1/dato/2016/uke/8
  37. ^ a b "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  38. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". Singles Top 100.
  40. ^ "Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". Swiss Singles Chart.
  41. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  42. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  43. ^ "Jonas Blue Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard.
  44. ^ Ryan, Gavin (February 27, 2016). "ARIA Singles: Lukas Graham No 1 for Second Week". Noise11. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  45. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  46. ^ "British single certifications – Jonas Blue feat. Dakota – Fast Car". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 12, 2016. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Fast Car in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  47. ^ "Fast Car (feat. River) [Radio Edit] - Single by Tobtok". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  48. ^ Wass, Mike (January 4, 2016). "Battle of the "Fast Car" Covers: Jonas Blue Ft. Dakota Vs. TobTok Ft. River". Idolator. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  49. ^ "Tobtok feat. River – Fast Car". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  50. ^ "Tobtok feat. River – Fast Car". Tracklisten.
  51. ^ "Chart Track: Week 3, 2016". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  52. ^ "Tobtok feat. River – Fast Car". VG-lista.
  53. ^ ""Fast Car" (Swimming With Dolphins cover) on SoundCloud". SoundCloud. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  54. ^ Fast Car. YouTube. May 18, 2013.
  55. ^ "Boyce Avenue", iTunes, May 18, 2013
  56. ^ "Britain's Got Talent helps Fast Car speed into chart". BBC News. 2011-04-24.
  57. ^ Blistein, Jon (September 4, 2014). "Sam Smith Offers Delicate Cover of Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
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