Blue Plate Special: David Bowie
From his start at the age of 15 until his untimely death in 2016 at 69, David Bowie was one of the most influential musicians of modern music. There are only a handful of musicians who have had such a massive impact on the 20th century. Even before I connected the name to the music during his new wave / new romantic phase (1980-85), I knew many of his singles through radio and older family members. I became a fan because of the tremendous success of his 1983 album Let’s Dance, which hit #1 in 9 different countries. Once I purchased the album and started to dig into his catalog, I realized that I has already been a fan of songs like Space Oddity, Changes, Starman, John I’m Only Dancing, Rebel Rebel, Young Americans, TVC 15, Fashion, Under Pressure (with Queen), and Ashes to Ashes.
I don’t need to do a writeup on Bowie – y’all know who he is. But I did compile a Spotify playlist of some of my favorite songs from his catalog, if you’re interested. And while this list is longer than my usual Blue Plate Special, it is still just a slice of his genius. Enjoy.
Modern Love — from the album Let’s Dance (1983)
Telling Lies — from the album Earthling (1997)
Ashes to Ashes — from the album Scary Monsters (1980)
I’m Deranged — from the album Outside (1995)
Sound and Vision — from the album Low (1977)
Heroes — from the album Heroes (1977)
Baby Universal — from the Tin Machine album Tin Machine II (1991)
Blue Jean — from the album Tonight (1984)
DJ — from the album Lodger (1979)
Rebel Rebel — from the album Diamond Dogs (1974)
