Today marks the 30th anniversary of Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album, which was an instant global success, landing her with Grammy and Brit awards.
The album includes three singles which all entered the charts; "Talkin' Bout A Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You" and the critically acclaimed "Fast Car", the latter received two Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, as well as a Video Music Award nomination for Best Female Video in 1989. it also peaked at #4 on the ARIA Chart.
She revived the singer-songwriter tradition, with the refreshing integrity of her lyrical content, social-political activism and emotional resonance. The album’s music and lyrical content is still as relevant in the present day as it was 30 years ago.
Tracy Chapman gained critical acclaim from a wide majority of music critics, praising the simplicity, Chapman's vocal ability and her political and social lyrical content. The album received commercial success in most of the countries it was released, making it to the top of the charts in many countries, including Austria, New Zealand, Switzerland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. It peaked at #1 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified 6x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales exceeding over six million copies in the United States alone.
This live version of "Baby Can I Hold You" as a duet with Pavarotti is simply stunning...
