After multiple performances, however, Koppelman found a demo tape of her singing "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", which he promoted to radio stations, and she was eventually signed to Elektra.

1 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with sales exceeding over six million copies in the United States alone.

It rose to the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also did well in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.

He went to see Chapman perform at a coffeehouse called Cappuccino, adding, "Tracy walked onstage, and it was like an epiphany.

Koppelman smuggled a demo tape of her song "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" from the station, which he showed to his father.

Koppelman started finding producers for the album with the demo tape of her single "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution".

[4] They then found Kershenbaum, who later recalled, "I'd been looking for something acoustic to do for some time," adding, "There was a sense in the industry of a slight boredom with everything out there and that people might be willing to listen again to lyrics and to someone who made statements."

Chapman's greatest concern during her meetings with Kershenbaum was that the integrity of her songs remain intact, because she wanted to record "real simple".

"[5] According to Rolling Stone, Chapman "caught everyone's ear in the hair-metal late Eighties" with the album.

[16] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice found "Fast Car" and "Mountains o' Things" very perceptive and Chapman an innately gifted singer but was disappointed by the presence of "begged questions" and "naive left-folkie truisms", such as "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" and "Why": "She's too good for such condescension ... Get real, girl.

"[15] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "Arriving with little fanfare in the spring of 1988, Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album became one of the key records of the Bush era, providing a touchstone for the entire PC movement while reviving the singer-songwriter tradition."

According to Erlewine, "the juxtaposition of contemporary themes and classic production precisely is what makes the album distinctive – it brings the traditions into the present."

[19] Her live televised performance at Wembley Stadium in June marked a shift in album sales.

[6] "Fast Car" was later recorded by country music singer Luke Combs for his 2023 album Gettin' Old, from which it was released as the second single.

[30] Chapman and Combs subsequently performed the song together live at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024.