  Tracy Chapman was born March 20,
1964, in Cleveland, Ohio. In her childhood,
Tracy learned to play the ukulele, the piano,
and eventually the guitar and started writing
her own songs. She attended a private school
in Connecticut after receiving a scholarship
and then Tufts University in Boston after
winning a minority placement scholarship.
While studying African culture and
anthropology at Tufts, Tracy began performing
her folk sound at local coffeehouses on the
streets of Harvard Square. She recorded some
demos that eventually made their way to the
right people, and Tracy singed with Elektra
Records in 1987. An important musical artist
had emerged from the ashes of the 80s. In
80s, when the pop radio airwaves were filled
with synthesizers and video-generated pop
stars, Tracy emerged with her debut LP filled
with a raw, calming folk sound that was
welcomed by music fans. Her subtle lyrics and
sound made her a hit with critics, and her
landmark single "Fast Car"
introduced her to a legion of fans. Tracy has
a knack for singing about a disenfranchised
environment with an overtone of ultimate
optimism for change.
 # 45
Singles Artist of the Year
 Tracy released Tracy
Chapman. The LP was applauded for its
potent lyrics and simple melodies. Tracy
reminded the Reagan-era, pop-culture that
life wasn't carefree for everyone. The first
single, "Fast Car" became a Top 10
smash. Her debut LP went on to sell over 6
million copies in the U.S. (10 million
world-wide) and also contained the tracks
classic Tracy-anthem, "Talkin' 'Bout A
Revolution" and Top 40, "Baby Can I
Hold You."
Tracy was invited on many
touring performances and appeared at the
Freedomfest concert for Nelson Mandela and
Amnesty International's tour.
Tracy
Chapman was certified gold.
 Tracy
Chapman was certified platinum.
Tracy
Chapman was certified 2x platinum.
Tracy graced the cover of Rolling
Stone.
 # 146
Singles Artist of the Year
Tracy won an American Music
Award for Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.
Tracy took home 3 Grammy
Awards for Best New Artist, Best Vocal Performance - Female ("Fast
Car"), and Best Contemporary Folk
Recording (Tracy
Chapman) and was nominated for Album of the Year (Tracy
Chapman), Record of the Year and Song of the Year (songwriter)
("Fast Car").
Tracy
Chapman was certified 3x platinum.
The video for "Fast
Car" was nominated for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Female Video.
 Tracy released Crossroads. The LP was also
applauded by critics, but seemed too
political and darker for radio.
Crossroads was certified
platinum.
Tracy was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary
Folk Recording (Crossroads).
 Tracy released Matters
Of The Heart, which was also not very
successful with record buyers. Critics of
Tracy's new LP were also mixed in their
praise of the music. The track "Bang
Bang Bang" was one of the more popular
songs on the LP.
 Tracy returned to the spotlight
with the LP, New
Beginning. Tracy described the theme of
the LP as "change, growth, and
renewal" which many felt also
represented her career in music. New
Beginning gave Tracy her first
#1 pop hit, "Give Me One Reason." The LP also
contains the favorites, "Smoke And
Ashes," "I'm Ready," and
"The Promise."
 # 17
Singles Artist of the Year
New
Beginning was certified gold.
 Tracy returned to the Top 40
with "Give Me One Reason."
Tracy hit the Top 10 with "Give Me One Reason."
New
Beginning was certified platinum.
Tracy hit #1 for 3 weeks with
"Give Me One Reason."
New
Beginning was certified 2x platinum.
New
Beginning was certified 4x platinum, Tracy
Chapman was certified 4x platinum, and
the single "Give Me One Reason" was certified
platinum.
The video for "Give Me One Reason" was nominated
for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Female Video.
 Tracy took home another Grammy
Award for Best Rock Song (songwriter) ("Give Me One Reason") and was
nominated for Best Rock Vocal
Performance - Female, Record of the Year and Song of
the Year ("Give Me One Reason"), and Best Pop Album (New
Beginning).
Tracy toured with the successful
Lilith Fair tour throughout North America.
Tracy continued her support of
Amnesty International at a concert held in
France which also included Bruce
Springsteen, Alanis
Morissette, Radiohead, Peter Gabriel, Shania
Twain, Robert Plant,
Jimmy Page, and Youssou
N'dour. The concert was held to mark
the 50th anniversary of the United Nation's
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Tracy was ranked # 54 on VH1: 100
Greatest Women of Rock & Roll.
 # 101
Singles Artist of the Year
 Tracy released Telling
Stories.
Tracy hit the Top 40 with the
"Telling
Stories."
Telling
Stories was certified gold.
New
Beginning was certified 5x platinum, Tracy
Chapman was certified 6x platinum, and Matters
Of The Heart was certified gold.
 Tracy released Let
It Rain with the first single
"You're The One."
Rolling Stone:
50 Essential 'Woman In Rock' Albums includes Tracy
Chapman at # 28.
VH1: 100 Best
Songs of the Past 25 Years includes "Fast
Car" at # 86.
 Rolling Stone:
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: # 261:
Tracy
Chapman.
# 290 on the Top Pop Artists
of the Past 25 Years chart.
Tracy released Where
You Live.
 Tracy released Our
Bright Future.
Tracy was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary
Folk Album (Our
Bright Future).
July 1: Tracy made chart
history when the remake of her classic
"Fast Car" was covered by
country singer Luke Combs
and topped the Billboard Country Airplay
chart - the first black female to top the
chart. Tracy told Billboard
"I never expected to find myself on
the country charts, but I'm honore to be
there. I'm happy for Luke and his success
and grateful that new fans have found and
embraced "Fast Car"."
iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Tracy Chapman
 Released: April 5, 1988
US: 6x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Talkin'
Bout A Revolution" - "Fast
Car" - "Across The Lines"
- "Behind The Wall" -
"Baby Can I Hold You" -
"Mountains O' Things" -
"She's Got Her Ticket" -
"Why?" - "For My
Lover" - "If Not Now" -
"For You" |
|
Crossroads
Released: October, 1989
US: Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 9
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks:
"Crossroads" -
"Bridges" - "Freedom
Now" - "Material World" -
"Be Careful Of My Heart" -
"Subcity" - "Born To
Fight" - "A Hundred Years"
- "This Time" - "All That
You Have Is Your Soul" |
|
Matters Of The Heart
Released: April, 1992
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 53
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Bang Bang
Bang" - "So" - "I
Used To Be A Sailor" - "Love
That You Had" - "Woman's
Work" - "If These Are The
Things" - "Short Supply" -
"Dreaming On A World" -
"Open Arms" - "Matters Of
The Heart" |
|
New Beginning
Released: November, 1995
US: 5x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 4
Rolling Stone
review:
Tracks: "Heaven's
Here On Earth" - "New
Beginning" - "Smoke And
Ashes" - "Cold Feet" -
"At This Point In My Life" -
"The Promise" - "The Rape
Of The World" - "Tell It Like
It Is" - "Give Me One Reason" -
"Remember The Tinman" -
"I'm Ready" |
|
Telling Stories
Released: February, 2000
US: Gold
Billboard
peak:
# 33
Rolling Stone
review: 
Tracks: "Telling Stories" - "Less
Than Strangers" - "Speak The
Word" - "It's OK" -
"Wedding Song" - "Unsung
Psalm" - "Nothing Yet" -
"Paper & Ink" -
"Devotion" - "The Only
One" - "First Try" |
|
Let It Rain
Released: October, 2002
Billboard
peak:
# 25
Tracks: "Let It
Rain" - "Another Sun" -
"You're The One" - "In The
Dark" - "Almost" -
"Hard Wired" - "Say
Hallelujah" - "Broken" -
"Happy" - "Goodbye" -
"Over In Love" - "I Am
Yours" |
|
Where You Live
Released: September, 2005
Billboard
peak:
# 49
Tracks:
"Change" - "Talk To
You" - "3,000 Miles" -
"Going Back" - "Don't
Dwell" - "Never Yours" -
"America" - "Love's
Proof" - "Before Easter" -
"Taken" - "Be And Be Not
Afraid" |
|
Our Bright Future
Released: November, 2008
Billboard
peak:
# 57
Tracks: "Sing For
You" - "I Did It All" -
"Save Us All" - "Our
Bright Future" - "For A
Dream" - "Thinking Of You"
- "A Theory" -
"Conditional" - "Something
To See (No War)" - "The First
Person On Earth" -
"Spring" |
 iTunes
Amazon.mp3 |
Greatest Hits
Released: November 20, 2015
Tracks: "Telling
Stories" - "Baby Can I Hold
You" - "Change" -
"The Promise" - "Open
Arms" - "Subcity" -
"Fast Car" - "Bang Bang
Bang" - "Crossroads" -
"Speak The Word" - "Smoke
And Ashes" - "Sing For
You" - "You're The One" -
"Save Us All" - "All That
You Have Is Your Soul" -
"Talkin' 'Bout A Revolution" -
"Give Me One Reason" -
"Stand By Me" (live) |
| Note: Song title and
position links lead you to the song's Top
40 chart run (from the ARC Weekly Top
40)
and LP links take you to Amazon.com's page for that LP
(often including track listings and sound
samples). |
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