The Brixton-born icon turns 60 today! Trying to encompass the shape-shifting sweep of his career is near impossible, but the Independent gave it a shot by listing the “Ages Of Bowie” and the quid he’s amassed along the way:
Ziggy Stardust
The hits: ‘Starman’, ‘Rock & Roll Suicide’, ‘Suffragette City’, ‘Moonage Daydream’ [Approx £1m]Thin White Duke
The hits: ‘Station to Station’, ‘TVC15′, ‘Young Americans’, ‘Fame’, ‘Stay’, “Word on a Wing’ [Approx £2m]Serious Moonlight
The hits: ‘Let’s Dance’, ‘Modern Love’, ‘China Girl’, ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ [Approx £8m]Tin Machine
The hits: first album reached No 3 in 1989 but yielded no top 30 hits. Second one fared worse at No 33 [Approx £25m]Sexagenarian
The hits: his investments, Reality Tour, re-issues, more compilations, royalties and a large archive [Approx £120m]
Continue the celebration by joining BBC for “60 Things About David Bowie,” including the reason his right pupil is permanently dilated (school fight over a girl!) and the reason he changed his name from “Davie Jones” (hey hey, take a guess). And the Daily Mail says he may just revive Ziggy! Knew we should have invested in Bowie Bonds. So for today, Hunky Dory is required listening. Favorite Bowie song? Go.
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Perhaps strange way to arrive at this one, but ‘Five Years’ the first tune on Ziggy Stardust if I remember correctly..I say strange way to arrive because I first heard the song covered by Arcade Fire..then went back and listened to the original..brilliant, that.
fame- lennon cowrote it, even though I don’t think his contribution was that great. Also the guitar riff is great, the lyrics are great, and vanilla ice samples it:
Second would have to be let’s dance, since it steals the intro to twist and shout, stevie ray vaughn plays guitar on it and it begat the m. ward cover.
The laughing gnome, anyone?
“Heroes”, but only if the wallflowers agree to never cover it again.
that and Blackout. Anything from Berlin years, really.
I’ll probly get bitchslapped for not choosing a “classic” Bowie cut, but “New Killer Star” from Reality is my personal fave Bowie tune.
all time favorite: Oh! You Pretty Things
i still think he was pretty bad ass in labrynth
Bowie’s crotch was what was really bad ass in Labrynth. Seriously, wow.
The Width Of A Circle
“space oddity” (ground control to major tom). not glittery or danceable, like most bowie, but classic nonetheless.
“Life on Mars?”. He opened his Area Two shows with it and it was amazing. A close second is “Ashes to Ashes”.
“Moonage Daydream” (followed closely by “The Laughing Gnome”)
‘Sound and Vision’
some good ones here. the correct answer is, of course, ‘queen bitch’.
bowie’s adoration of non-white women is bad ass.
I grew up three doors down (sorry) from his birthplace. There were always these crowds of schoolkids pestering the liberal councillor that lived there.
“Bowie’s crotch was what was really bad ass in Labrynth. Seriously, wow.”
i concur – that became a favorite drinking game around our haunts… drink when you see bowie’s crotch in labyrinth.
“Ashes to Ashes.” Also my favorite music video by anyone ever.
bowie’s crotch drove you to drink, huh?
agree w/ both “heroes” and “sound + vision”.
“young americans”, IMHO, remains timeless and yet somehow refreshingly prescient for every generation since.
also “golden years” is way underrated.
also this could go on all day. and probably should.
http://areaology.com/
Subject to change, TVC15.
“Golden Years” is the new favorite as of late.
“Life on Mars” used to be my #1 in high school.
But I worship anything the man does. He’s still got it.
And his turn in The Prestige was pretty good btw.
Just yesterday when it came over iPod I said that “Life On Mars” just may have taken my favorite song of all time ever top spot.
So I guess that’s the best one. In my car, anyway.
Life On Mars?
station to station, hands down
While classics like “Heroes” and “Life on Mars?” spring to mind, I’d have to go with “Strangers When We Meet”, the 1. Outside version. Fantastic lyrics, Bowie’s soulful voice, and gorgeous piano from Mike Garson… just wonderful.
Honorable mentions also must go to “Station to Station”, “Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)”, “Bring Me the Disco King” and “Queen Bitch”.
#1 – Sound and Vision
#2 – Oh! You Pretty Things
1. Queen Bitch
2. Young Americans
3. Let’s Dance
And as geeky as this sounds, Ziggy stardust is my absolute most favorite song to play on Guitar Hero. I like it so so much.
Happy Birthday Bowie. And Elvis too!
God, there are too many to chose just one. At least 25 of my favourite songs ever are Bowie’s.
At this moment I can think of:
Changes
Oh! You Pretty Things
Station To Station
Heroes
Rebel Rebel
Watch That Man
Cracked Actor
Prettiest Star
John, I’m Only Dancing
Diamond Dogs
Dodo
Jean Genie
Ashes To Ashes
TVC 15
Velvet Goldmine
All The Young Dudes ?
Tellingly, the most played song on my iPod is Golden Years
While classics like “Heroes” and “Life on Mars?” spring to mind, I’d have to go with “Strangers When We Meet”, the 1. Outside version. Fantastic lyrics, Bowie’s soulful voice, and gorgeous piano from Mike Garson… just wonderful.
Honorable mentions also must go to “Station to Station”, “Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)”, “Bring Me the Disco King” and “Queen Bitch”.
Space Oddity
followed closely by:
Five Years
I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship
Strangers When We Meet
Julie
and about a hundred others. Happy bday, DB!
“Heroes.” Followed by virtually anything else.
Bowie is just one of the greatest things ever. Generally.
sully is right theres some great stuff on reality (try “try some, buy some”) but my vote is a tie between the classics: five years & rock n roll suicide … “you’re not alone!”
Space Oddity
followed closely by:
Five Years
I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship
Strangers When We Meet
Julie
and about a hundred others. Happy bday, DB!
I love Suffragette City
today, it’s “time”. yesterday, it was “station to station”. tomorrow, it might be “glass spider.”
trying to pick a favourite bowie song is like trying to pick a favourite child.
Secret Life of Arabia
TVC15
Breaking Glass
Lady Grinning Soul
and
Hallo Spaceboy.
Of course, I mean that as in “right now” like many of the above peeps.
TVC15, however, everyday.
DUDE I think my head just blew up. I spin some incarnation of Bowie everyday, but I’d have to say REBEL REBEL will make me drop everything and dance anytime. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL SUICIDE & 5 YEARS are pretty intoxicating. HEROES, THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD, damn. All in all, I will take him in any context- the Labyrinth soundtrack, anyone?
Note: The top 3 selling Bowie tracks on iTunes are ‘Under Pressure.’ WTF?
What deeply impressed me at 14 was:
SWEET THING
CANDIDATE
SWEET THING (reprise)
From the Diamond Dogs. Nothing ever had the same impact, save the Sex Pistols songs. Everything was different after that. Happy Birthday David. X
I LOVE The Labrynth! ! ! That’s when I first heard of David’s music and FELL IN LOVE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID! ! ! I know it’s a little late… Sowwy.
ziggy stardust. jareth.
and all of the other wonderful things that make you the best.
happy birthday.
ziggy stardust. jareth the goblin king. tight pants. big hair. everthing that makes you the best.
happy birthday.