Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’ soars to No. 1 on iTunes after Grammy performance

Tracy Chapman‘s return to the Grammys stage has translated into an instant No. 1 hit.

The Grammy Award-winning folk singer joined country music crooner Luke Combs for a rousing rendition of her 1988 signature song “Fast Car” during Sunday night’s ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena.

By Monday morning, the original recording of the song had rocketed to the top spot on iTunes.

The performance, which drew a standing ovation, marked Chapman’s first public appearance in three years. The dreadlocked recluse performed her solo version of the original song on the Grammys stage in 1989, the same year she took home awards for Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Gold Recording and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Last summer, Combs’ cover of the crossover hit was rebooted into a country music chart-topper, hitting the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.  The ranking made Chapman, 59, the first Black woman as a song’s sole writer to ever top the list.  She also made history as the first Black songwriter to win song of the year at the CMA Awards.

“Fast Car” was previously covered by reggae singers Foxy Brown and Wayne Wonder, psychedelic soul band Black Pumas and English folk rocker Passenger. It became a staple during Combs’ live performances on his world tour and a stand-out track from his fourth studio opus, the 18-track “Gettin’ Old.”

The new version also reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Songwriters chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Chapman’s No. 6 peak position in 1988.