David Bowie's Top 10 Best Songs ...
Table of Contents
During his lifetime David Bowie has been called everything from rock'n'roll chameleon, to musical genius, to Ziggy Stardust (which is actually due to his early 70s image). But if some of these titles have started to be forgotten, it certainly doesn't apply to the musician's hits! Today we bring to your attention a selection of the Top 10 best David Bowie songs! We want to warn you right away: this list does not include the famous "Fame" and "Let's Dance" - 2 of Bowie's only number ones in the USA... We also decided not to look back at such classics as "Starman", "Oh! You Pretty Things", "Life on Mars?"... However, it doesn't mean that the listed songs are inferior in any way... It's just incredibly difficult to reduce the huge list of Bowie's hits to a modest ten....
13. "Rock-n-roll Suicide."
This song details the final collapse of Ziggy Stardust: Bowie describes his character as an outdated, out-of-touch rock star... Very often the artist performed this track as the final song during the tour in support of the Ziggy Stardust album.
12. "Let's Dance."
At first glance, this song is about dancing with the person you love, but according to Nyle Rodgers, there's a deeper meaning here:
"When David wrote this lyric, he was talking about a dance that people perform in life: the conceptual dance of dishonesty. He sings," Put on your red shoes and dance the blues. Like you're pretending to be happy, but you're sad..."
11. "Fame."
John Lennon helped Bowie write this song: he came up with the title and also sang the background parts of "Fame" in a high voice. They started working on the song when Bowie invited Lennon into the studio and Lennon played rhythm guitar during the jam session that resulted in this track.
Bowie had met Lennon less than a year before, at a party thrown by Elizabeth Taylor. Lennon was one of Bowie's idols and they became good friends!
10. "The Man Who Sold the World" (1970).
The title track from Bowie's third album, The Man Who Sold the World, is one of his most memorable songs of all time. Despite its masterful performance and original melody, the first entry on our list went largely unnoticed... However, its popularity grew over time as cover versions, particularly of the grunge goliath band Nirvana, helped this song become popular!
9. "Five Years" (1972)
The song "Five Years" offers a doomsday scenario in which the world ends... It serves as an epic opening to Bowie's greatest album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Lyrically, it paints one of the singer's most vivid pictures... Musically, the track builds to a chaotic crescendo, emphasised by the ominous sense of panic in the singer's voice during its climax.
8. "Modern Love" (1983)
"Modern Love" may not be Bowie's best song, but it's easily his best "pop" song. Beyond that, it's also a standout piece during his illustrious career... From the spoken intro to the infectious chorus... Everything is beautiful here! Like the rest of the Let's Dance album of the same name, this song's melody features the guitar of the late and great Stevie Ray Vaughan...
7. "Rebel, Rebel" (1974).
A glam rock anthem released in 1974, "Rebel, Rebel" features one of the most recognisable guitar riffs in rock history! Bowie himself performed lead guitar duties on this track! A rough and dirty song with lyrics such as "She's not sure if you're a boy or a girl" and " Hot tramp, I love you so much", it serves as the perfect bridge between the Rolling Stones' styles and punk rock...
6. "Ziggy Stardust" (1972).
Bowie's signature character song "Ziggy Stardust" offers an overview of Ziggy's talents and exploits with many references to his backing band Spiders From Mars. One of those Spiders was virtuoso axe man Mick Ronson, whose guitar hook on "Ziggy Stardust" gives the song as much personality as Bowie's lyrics. Decades after its release, the record found huge success and acclaim...
5. "Young Americans" (1975).
This time around, Bowie took on soul music fully in the fabulous "Young Americans" from his 1975 album of the same name. Featuring David Sanborn's catchy saxophone playing and a samba-style rhythm, the tune opened up a new direction for Bowie as he transitioned from Ziggy Stardust to Thin White Duke. The song contains a lyrical allusion to the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" - quite appropriate considering John Lennon was involved in writing two other tunes on the album, including "Fame" and a cover of "Across the Universe."
4. "Heroes."
"Heroes" is not only one of Bowie's most inspirational songs, but also one of his best. Co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno, the track's title was inspired by the song "Hero" by experimental German band Neu! While the tune contains an underlying sense of irony, its optimism and hopefulness reign supreme... Who can forget Bowie performing this song at a 2001 concert for New York City in front of the brave men and women who risked their lives during the tragic events of 9/11?
3. "Moonage Daydream" (1972).
"Moonage Daydream" was given new life on Bowie's Ziggy Stardust album and proved to be one of the strongest songs: both on the disc and in his career! "Moonage Daydream" with its sexually charged explicit lyrics and Ronson's gorgeous guitar riff is a true rock and roll masterpiece! The tune is also important in that it serves as a musical introduction to Ziggy Stardust's character...
2. "Changes" (1971).
Bowie has often been called the chameleon of rock and roll and he himself reveals this in one of his most famous hits called "Changes". The lyric has to do with re-imagining and maybe in terms of interpreting what was to come in Bowie's life. Musically, it is a beautiful tune featuring Rick Wakeman on piano. Also, it is on "Changes" that Bowie shows off his best singing: one of the most unique voices in rock history...
1. "Space Oddity" (1969)
For an artist who has created many masterpieces, perhaps the best of them all was 1969's "Space Oddity"... It's mind-blowing to think that Bowie was only 22 years old when this track was released! In five minutes Bowie manages to tell a story that could easily serve as the plot of a two-hour science fiction film. The song was revolutionary for its time, both musically and lyrically, and helped the masses get to know one of the most dynamic and creative musical groups in history....
Bonus track: "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)" (1980)
Well, let us add one more track to our ranking, which is definitely worthy of attention and definitely underrated... The third single from the 1980 LP was released a few months after the album itself. This particular song is the essence of the album of the same name. As well as a snorting dragon on Robert Fripp's guitar, it was also complete with synthesised drums, as Bowie preferred to be in the past and the future at the same time! The song itself focuses on a woman's plunge into madness. With Bowie's particularly imposing voice, the track has an dystopian quality that is hard to achieve without sounding cheap... It rattles forward and brings a certain intimacy that can simultaneously seem encompassing and then claustrophobic. It's a vision epitomised by Bowie and demonstrates his always favourable skill.
