Luke Combs’ ‘Fast Car’ Ties for Longest Country Airplay Command Among Remakes

Luke Combs’ cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car” tops Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated July 22) for a third week. In the week ending July 13, it gained by 3% to 34.7 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.

With “Fast Car,” which Chapman solo-authored (making her the first Black woman to solely pen a Country Airplay No. 1), Combs claims his seventh hit to dominate for three weeks or longer, among his 16 leaders. He has reigned longest with “Beautiful Crazy” (seven weeks, 2019).

Chapman, who sent the original “Fast Car” to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, recently told Billboard in an exclusive statement, “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’ ”

Meanwhile, Combs’ version of “Fast Car” ties for the longest Country Airplay domination among remakes of pop hits. Brooks & Dunn’s cover of “My Maria,” the duo’s ninth of 20 chart-toppers, led for three weeks in May 1996. The song was originally a No. 9 Hot 100 hit for B.W. Stevenson in 1973. Plus, Alan Jackson’s interpretation of Eddie Cochran’s early rock classic “Summertime Blues” ruled for three frames starting in July 1994, marking his eighth of 26 leaders. Cochran’s original reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 in 1958.

Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” concurrently continues to cross over. It bullets at Nos. 6, 9 and 20 on the July 22 Adult Pop Airplay, Adult Contemporary and Pop Airplay charts, respectively, having become his first entry on each tally.

All charts dated July 22 will update Tuesday, July 18 on Billboard.com.