David Bowie: Top 100 Songs/Studio Albums Ranked

Image from showbiz411.com

David Bowie Top 100 Songs

Glam-rock singer/songwriter born David Robert Jones 1/8/1947 in Brixton, London, England. Died 1/10/2016 in New York City. He changed his name to David Bowie to avoid confusion with the Monkees’ Davy Jones. (v – Kon-Rads; Reds & Blues; King Bees: 11/63 to 8/64; Manish Boys: 8/64 to 4/65; Davy Jones: 65; Lower Third: 3/65 to 1/66; The Buzz: 2/66 to 12/66; solo: 66-; Tin Machine: 89-92). In 1972, he became a producer for Mott the Hoople (“All the Young Dudes”) and Lou Reed (Transformer). In 1977, he worked with Iggy Pop as a songwriter and producer for Pop’s The Idiot and Lust for Life albums. Bowie’s 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is featured in the DMDB book The Top 100 Albums of All Time. Click here to see other best-of lists from performers and here to see other best-of lists from songwriters and/or producers. Spotify Podcast: Check out the two-part Dave’s Music Database podcast The Best of David Bowie, 1964-1979, debuting January 11, 2022, at 7pm CST, and The Best of David Bowie, 1980-2016, debuting January 18, 2022, at 7pm CST. Both are based on this list. Tune in every Tuesday at 7pm for a new episode based on the lists at Dave’s Music Database.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 1%: 1. Space Oddity (1969) #1 UK 2. Heroes (1977) 3. Let’s Dance (1983) #1 US, CB, UK, CN 4. Ice Ice Baby (Vanilla Ice, 1990) #1 US, CB, RR, UK, AU) 5. Changes (1971) 6. Under Pressure (with Queen, 1981) #1 UK DMDB Top 2%: 7. Life on Mars? (1971) 8. Fame (1975) #1 US, CB, HR, RR 9. All the Young Dudes (Mott the Hoople, 1972) 10. Starman (1972) 11. Lust for Life (Iggy Pop, 1977) 12. Ziggy Stardust (1972) 13. Rebel Rebel (1974) 14. Young Americans (1975) 15. Ashes to Ashes (1980) #1 UK 16. The Jean Genie (1972) DMDB Top 5%: 17. Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy (with Bing Crosby, 1977) 18. Suffragette City (1972) 19. Modern Love (1983) 20. Golden Years (1975) 21. Sound and Vision (1977) 22. China Girl (1983) 23. Dancing in the Street (with Mick Jagger, 1985) #1 UK, CN, AU DMDB Top 10%: 24. Lazarus (2015) 25. Fashion (1980) 26. Blue Jean (1984) 27. This Is Not America (with Pat Metheny, 1985) 28. Blackstar (2015) 29. John, I’m Only Dancing (1972) 30. Sorrow (1973) #1 AU 31. The Man Who Sold the World (1970) 32. Day-In Day-Out (1987) 33. Absolute Beginners (1986) 34. Diamond Dogs (1974) 35. Rock and Roll Suicide (1972) DMDB Top 20%: 36. Where Are We Now? (2013) 37. Never Let Me Down (1987) 38. Drive-In Saturday (1973) 39. Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (1980) 40. Heroes (The Wallflowers, 1998) 41. Moonage Daydream (1972) 42. Tonight (with Tina Turner, 1984) 43. Cat People (Putting Out the Fire) (1982) 44. I’m Afraid of Americans (1997) 45. DJ (1979) 46. Boys Keep Swinging (1979) 47. TVC 15 (1976) 48. The Man Who Sold the World (Nirvana, 1993) 49. 1984 (1974) 50. Underground (1986) 51. Jump They Say (1993) 52. Loving the Alien (1984) 53. Time Will Crawl (1987) 54. The Laughing Gnome (1967) 55. Knock on Wood (1974) 56. Hallo Spaceboy (1995) 57. Under the God (Tin Machine, 1989) 58. Wild Is the Wind (1976) 59. Queen Bitch (1971) 60. Beauty and the Beast (1977) 61. Let’s Spend the Night Together (1973) 62. I Can’t Read (1997) 63. When the Wind Blows (1986) 64. Be My Wife (1977) 65. Alabama Song (1980) 66. Time (1973) 67. The Heart’s Filthy Lesson (1995) 68. All the Young Dudes (1973) 69. Panic in Detroit (1973) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 70. Oh, You Pretty Things (1971) 71. Little Wonder (1997) 72. Bang Bang (1987) 73. Success (Iggy Pop, 1977) 74. Breaking Glass (1977) 75. New Killer Star (2003) 76. My Death (live, 1972) 77. Up the Hill Backwards (1980) 78. Station to Station (1976) 79. Pretty Pink Rose (with Adrian Belew, 1990) 80. Quicksand (1971) 81. Look Back in Anger (1979) 82. Five Years (1972) 83. Black Country Rock (1970) 84. White Light/White Heat (live, 1972) 85. China Girl (Iggy Pop, 1977) 86. Memory of a Free Festival (1969) 87. Buddha of Suburbia (with Lenny Kravitz, 1993) 88. Slow Burn (2002) 89. The Prettiest Star (1970) 90. Seven Years in Tibet (1997) 91. Heaven’s in Here (Tin Machine, 1989) 92. Heroes (We Could Be) (Alesso with Tove Lo, 2014) 93. Outside (1995) 94. Rock and Roll with Me (1974) 95. Andy Warhol (1971) 96. Thursday’s Child (1999) 97. We Are the Dead (1974) 98. Ashes to Ashes (Tears for Fears, 1996) 99. It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City (1975) 100. Aladdin Sane (1973) David Bowie: Studio Albums Ranked Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by album’s appearances on best-of lists as well as chart success, sales, critics’ ratings, and awards. Also factored in are the status of each album’s songs in Dave’s Music Database for songs. 1. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) 2. Hunky Dory (1971) 3. Low (1977) 4. Blackstar (2016) 5. Station to Station (1976) 6. Heroes (1977) 7. Aladdin Sane (1973) 8. Let’s Dance (1983) 9. Scary Monsters (1980) 10. Diamond Dogs (1974) 11. Young Americans (1975) 12. The Man Who Sold the World (1970) 13. Space Oddity (aka “Man of Words, Man of Music”) (1969) 14. The Next Day (2013) 15. Heathen (2002) 16. Lodger (1979) 17. Pin-Ups (1973) 18. Outside (1995) 19. Earthling (1997) 20. Reality (2003) 21. Hours (1999) 22. Black Tie White Noise (1993) 23. Tonight (1984) 24. Tin Machine Tin Machine (1989) 25. Never Let Me Down (1987) 26. Tin Machine Tin Machine II (1991) 27. Buddha of Suburbia (1993) 28. David Bowie (1967) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for David Bowie DMDB Profile Page for David Bowie Dave’s Music Database (1/8/2012). “David Bowie’s Influence on My Tastes” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Performers” Dave’s Music Database: “Best-of Lists for Songwriters and/or Producers First posted 1/8/2013; last updated 1/18/2022.

Irene Cara hit #1 with “Flashdance…What a Feelin’”

Flashdance…What a Feelin’ Irene Cara

Writer(s): Irene Cara, Keith Forsey, Giorgio Moroder (see lyrics here) Released: March 1983 First Charted: April 2, 1983 Peak: 16 US, 16 CB, 14 GR, 15 RR, 4 AC, 2 RB, 2 UK, 13 CN, 17 AU, 8 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.25 UK, 3.25 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 84.2 video, 315.66 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Italian composer Giorgio Moroder, dubbed the “Father of Disco,” was a pioneer in electronic dance music. He was best known for his production work with Donna Summer, but also worked with Blondie, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, and others. He worked on soundtracks as well, including 1978’s Midnight Express, 1980’s American Gigolo, and 1983’s Flashdance. The latter sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, fueled by Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” and Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What a Feelin’,” both #1 hits. Moroder wrote the music for the latter with Irene Cara in mind because of what she did with the theme song (#3, 1980) for Fame. He would later write “Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away” for 1986’s Top Gun. SF Cara was initially reluctant to work with Donna Summer’s producer because, as she expected, critics suggested she sounded like Summer on “What a Feelin’.” FB She considered the accusations sexist because, as she said, “There are so many records made by male artists today that sound alike. But nobody makes an issue of that.” FB She wrote the lyrics for “What a Feelin’” with Ken Forsey, who later wrote “Don’t You Forget About Me” for The Breakfast Club and “Shakedown” for Beverly Hills Cop II. SF Cara and Forsey wrote the song while driving to a recording session. She suggested the idea of singing about the feeling associated with dancing. Forsey extended the idea to be about “dancing for my life.” As Cara said, the phrase “‘what a feeling’ was a metaphor about a dancer, how she’s in control of her body when she dances and how she can be in control of her life.” FB This fit with the storyline of the movie “of a Pittsburgh factory worker who beats out incredible odds to live out her dreams to dance.” TB The Flashdance soundtrack knocked Michael Jackson’s Thriller from the top of the album chart for two weeks during Irene Cara’s six-week run at the top with “Flashdance…What a Feelin’.” Thriller would return to the top for 20 more weeks – 37 total – before getting knocked out by another music-themed movie soundtrack – Footloose. “What a Feelin’” earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Cara also took him a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal. Resources: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Irene Cara DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Giorgio Moroder FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 573. SF Songfacts TB Thunder Bay Press (2006). Singles: Six Decades of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts. Outline Press Ltd.: San Diego, CA. Page 207. WK Wikipedia First posted 11/2/2019; last updated 4/15/2023.

David Bowie Young Americans album released

Young Americans David Bowie

Released: March 7, 1975 Peak: 9 US, 2 UK, 17 CN, 9 AU Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, 0.1 UK, 3.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Young Americans [5:11] (3/1/75, 28 US, 20 CB, 27 HR, 32 RR, 3 CL, 2 CO, 18 UK, 27 AU) Win [4:44] Fascination (Bowie/Vandross) [5:45] (16 CL, 36 CO) Right [4:15] Somebody Up There Likes Me [6:30] Across the Universe (Lennon/McCartney) [4:29] Can You Hear Me [5:03] Fame (Alomar/Bowie/Lennon) [4:16] (2/21/75, 1 US, 1 CB, 1 HR, 1 RR, 17 UK, 21 RB, 1 CL, 1 CO, sales: 1 million airplay: 1 million) Songs written by David Bowie unless indicated otherwise. Total Running Time: 40:13 The Players: David Bowie (vocals, guitar, keyboards) Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick (guitar) Mike Garson (piano) David Sanborn (saxophone) Willie Weeks, Emir Ksasan (bass) Andy Newmark, Dennis Davis (drums) Ava Cherry, Robin Clark, Jean Fineberg, Jean Millington, Luther Vandross (backing vocals) Ralph MacDonald, Pablo Rosario (percussion) John Lennon (vocals, guitar, and backing vocals on “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)

Rating: 3.677 out of 5.00 (average of 23 ratings) Quotable: -- Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: For Young Amerians, David Bowie’s ninth studio album, he abandoned the glam rock of previous releases in favor of R&B. Bowie biographers have considered the album one of his most influential, noting he was one of the first white musicians from the time to “overtly engage with black musical styles.” WK “Rock ‘n’ Roll with Me” and “1984” from previous album Diamond Dogs exhibited “elements of funk and soul” WK and the subsequent tour dropped hints as well, “but the full-blown blue-eyed soul of Young Americans came as a shock.” AMG He enlisted “first-rate sessionmen” AMG including then-unknown singer Luther Vandross as a backup singer and funk guitarist Carlos Alomar, who had played with James Brown, Chuck Berry, and Wilson Pickett. Alomar had never heard of Bowie, but they made an immediate connection and worked together for nearly fifteen years hence. WK Bowie also hired drummer Andy Newmark, who’d worked with Sly & the Family Stone, and bassist Willie Weeks from the Isley Brothers. WK The result was “a set of songs that approximate the sound of Philly soul and disco, yet remain detached from their inspirations; even at his most passionate, Bowie sounds like a commentator, as if the entire album was a genre exercise.” AMG Bowie himself labeled the new direction “plastic soul.” In January 1975, David Bowie and John Lennon met at Electric Lady Studios in New York to record a cover of the Beatles’ song Across the Universe and new song Fame. WK The latter, which “had a beat funky enough that James Brown ripped it off,” AMG hit #1 in the United States. Bowie was surprised by how successful it was, saying it “was really out of left-field for me.” WK The “plastic, robotic soul helped inform generations of synthetic British soul. What does hurt the record is a lack of strong songwriting. Young Americans is a masterpiece…[as is ‘Fame’] but only a handful of cuts (Win, Fascination, Somebody up There Likes Me) comes close to matching their quality. As a result, Young Americans is more enjoyable as a stylistic adventure than as a substantive record.” AMG Other critics echoed similar sentiments. Pitchfork’s Douglas Wolk said it “comes off as an artist trying very hard to demonstrate how unpredictable he is.” WK He called it “distinctly a transitional record,” WK an observation seconded by NME’s Ian MacDonald, who considered the record a result of Bowie “not knowing where to take his career next.” WK However, author David Buckley says the record “brought fans of both glam rock and soul together in the wake of the disco era.” WK Biographer Nicholas Pegg said “Bowie had undertaken the first significant excursion into Black Soul by a mainstream white artist,” paving the way for others to engage in similar styles. WK Notes: The 1990 Rykodisc reissue adds previously unreleased tracks “Who Can I Be Now?” and “It’s Gonna Be Me” as well as the 1974 A-side single of “John, I’m Only Dancing Again.”

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for David Bowie AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine WK Wikipedia First posted 2/20/2008; last updated 7/31/2021.