When Tracy Chapman took the Wembley stage with just an acoustic guitar during the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute in 1988, the whole world held its breath. Armed with her deep, warm alto and socially engaged lyrics about poverty, racism and personal struggles, she brought the singer-songwriter genre back to the very top. Her music ignores trends: pure, honest and steeped in timeless integrity. Vote for your favorite Tracy Chapman song.
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Fast Car
A monumental cultural masterpiece. From that instantly recognizable picked guitar riff, Chapman tells the heartbreaking story of a working-class girl hoping to escape poverty and generational trauma in a fast car. A timeless epic about hope and disillusionment with billions of streams.
Baby Can I Hold You
One of the most fragile love songs ever written. Chapman explores people's inability to say the magic words 'sorry' and 'I love you' in time; a sober, heartbreaking masterpiece that moves listeners again and again.
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Give Me One Reason
Her biggest hit of the '90s, which won her a Grammy for Best Rock Song. An irresistible twelve-bar blues in which Chapman, with gentle mockery and vocal flair, tells her partner: give me one good reason to stay, or I'm gone.
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Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution
Her timeless political protest song that became a worldwide rallying cry for justice. The simple chord progression and hypnotic repetition of the warning that the poor will rise up make it unforgettably powerful.
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Stand by Me (Live)
Her legendary live rendition of Ben E. King's classic. With just her guitar and her deep, resonant voice, Chapman transforms the familiar song into an intensely moving and intimate monument of solidarity.
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Crossroads
A militant, rousing folk-rock song about moral integrity and self-worth. Chapman sings about refusing to sell her soul to the devil for fame or gain, backed by a lovely rolling bassline and acoustic guitar.
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Telling Stories
The energetic title track of her fifth album, flirting with a heavier pop-rock sound. The tight drums and guitars support sharp lyrics about lies, deception and the importance of facing the truth.
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Subcity
A razor-sharp social indictment about the forgotten underclass in American cities. Chapman denounces the failure of government with an insistent rhythm and a voice full of sincere concern for the people surviving on the margins of society.
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Smoke and Ashes
From her acclaimed album New Beginning. A melancholy pop-folk song about the painful realization that the fire of love has gone out for good, leaving nothing but the bitter ashes of memories.
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Sing for You
A beautiful, intimate reflection on the comforting and healing power of music. Chapman sings softly about how a simple song can keep the memory of precious moments alive forever, supported by warm acoustic strings.
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