Celebrating David Bowie - what are your favorite songs?

[SurfRiderHawaii]

Tough to pick one but I'd say "Sound and Vision". (Heroes a close second, Starman third).

Hypnotic bass, classic Bowie sax lines, Mary Hopkin does the soul sister bvs (yes, Those were the Days Mary), banging drums, cool guitars, and then the killer catchy synth hooks from Brian Eno. Then Bowie sings his eclectic lyrics as only he can. I love this song!

[Alan Smith]

Bound to change but in (current) order & for various reasons:
Sorrow
Heroes
Changes
Soul Love
All The Young Dudes (prefer the Mott version)
Life on Mars
Little Wonder

[Smilin Ed H]

Young Americans
Sound and Vision
Changes
Life on Mars
Heroes

[JK]

Difficult. I tend to like Bowie albums rather than songs.

Perhaps "Fashion" or "Joe The Lion". Stunning tracks both.

[KDS]

Starman

Ziggy Stardust

Suffragette City

Heroes

Ashes to Ashes

Space Oddity

China Girl

Modern Love

Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth

Fame

All the Young Dudes

Let's Dance

I'm more of a casual Bowie fan.  But a unique talent nonetheless. 

[bonnevillemariner]

I might be one of the few who didn't really care for David Bowie or his music.  I liked that early duet with Bing Crosby.  I liked that duet with the guy from Queen that Vanilla Ice sampled.  I liked Space Oddity.  That's about it.  RIP.

[KDS]

I might be one of the few who didn't really care for David Bowie or his music.  I liked that early duet with Bing Crosby.  I liked that duet with the guy from Queen that Vanilla Ice sampled.  I liked Space Oddity.  That's about it.  RIP.

That was actually David Bowie performing with the entire band Queen on "Under Pressure." 

Bowie cut another song with Queen called Back Chat, but his vocals were never released on the Queen version. 

[bonnevillemariner]

That was actually David Bowie performing with the entire band Queen on "Under Pressure." 

Were there two versions of "Under Pressure"?  I have the Queen CD, which I bought years ago just for that song.  But I could swear I once heard a different version of that song that sounded somewhat different.

[KDS]

That was actually David Bowie performing with the entire band Queen on "Under Pressure." 

Were there two versions of "Under Pressure"?  I have the Queen CD, which I bought years ago just for that song.  But I could swear I once heard a different version of that song that sounded somewhat different.

A different Queen version?  There might be a remix or single edit.  Maybe a live version, which wouldn't have included Bowie.

I know there was a cover done in, I think, 2003 by The Used and My Chemical Romance. 

[bonnevillemariner]

That was actually David Bowie performing with the entire band Queen on "Under Pressure." 

Were there two versions of "Under Pressure"?  I have the Queen CD, which I bought years ago just for that song.  But I could swear I once heard a different version of that song that sounded somewhat different.

A different Queen version?  There might be a remix or single edit.  Maybe a live version, which wouldn't have included Bowie.

I know there was a cover done in, I think, 2003 by The Used and My Chemical Romance. 

It definitely wasn't a live or cover version.  It definitely featured Bowie, and I would have heard it around 1995.  I was driving through a remote part of Utah and heard it on an obscure community radio station.  Bought the Queen cassette tape as soon as I got home and was sure there were differences.

[rn57]

My fave 15

Can't Help Thinking About Me

In The Heat Of The Morning

Space Oddity

After All

Kooks

Suffragette City

Rebel Rebel (45 version)

1984

Fascination

Stay

Wild Is The Wind

Heroes

Boys Keep Swinging

Ashes To Ashes

Absolute Beginners

[KDS]

That was actually David Bowie performing with the entire band Queen on "Under Pressure." 

Were there two versions of "Under Pressure"?  I have the Queen CD, which I bought years ago just for that song.  But I could swear I once heard a different version of that song that sounded somewhat different.

A different Queen version?  There might be a remix or single edit.  Maybe a live version, which wouldn't have included Bowie.

I know there was a cover done in, I think, 2003 by The Used and My Chemical Romance. 

It definitely wasn't a live or cover version.  It definitely featured Bowie, and I would have heard it around 1995.  I was driving through a remote part of Utah and heard it on an obscure community radio station.  Bought the Queen cassette tape as soon as I got home and was sure there were differences.

There was a "rah" mix released in 1999.  Maybe that's it.  I honestly don't remember that one too much, but I know it's different than the Hot Space version. 

[Malc]

Always had a soft spot for This Is Not America, with Pat Metheny. That one always seemed to be unfairly overlooked...

[Cool Cool Water]

Starman for me and this live performance from '99 is awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brrdk_VIXUA

[Summertime Blooz]

It's stunning to me to look at my list and see how many of my favorites were released as singles:
Rebel Rebel
Queen Bitch
Starman
Hang On To Yourself
Aladdin Sane
Changes
Space Oddity
John I'm Only Dancing
Golden Years
The Man Who Sold The World

His output is generally just so consistent that  I like just about everything he's ever done. This list could easily be five times as long with no drop-off in quality.  That's quite something.

[alf wiedersehen]

I wish "Sound and Vision" went on for an hour.

[the captain]

I wish "Sound and Vision" went on for an hour.

f*** yes.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Station to Station
"Heroes"
All the Young Dudes
Under Pressure
Ashes to Ashes
Young Americans
Thursday's Child
The Next Day
Rebel Rebel
Ziggy Stardust

[Emily]

Under pressure was my first 45 ever! But it's not one of my favorites anymore. 
Space Oddity
Ashes to Ashes
The man who sold the world
Sound and vision
Fashion
Golden years
And at the top, no surprise, Heroes.
Funny - I loved China Girl when it came out and I still really dig the bass but the lyrics and the chopsticks-like music distract me from everything else. I didn't otherwise get into his 80's stuff, but there was some very good material since.

[SurfRiderHawaii]

I wish "Sound and Vision" went on for an hour.

f*** yes.

Funny, I was looking for an extended remix last night. Not sure if there is one. Might have to make one myself.

[Please delete my account]

Here are my favourite 30 songs and favourite 10 albums as submitted to the recent reader's poll at bowiesongs.wordpress.com. The songs are in alphabetical order except for my top pick "Ashes to Ashes". The albums are in rough order of preference

1. Ashes To Ashes
Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)
All The Madmen
Boys Keep Swinging
Changes
Drive In Saturday
"Heroes"
I Have Not Been To Oxford Town
It's Gonna Be Me
Jump They Say
Karma Man
Kooks
Lady Stardust
Letter To Hermione
Life on Mars?
The Man Who Sold the World
Modern Love
Moonage Daydream
Queen Bitch
Quicksand
Soul Love
Sound and Vision
Space Oddity
Starman
Suffragette City
TVC15
Untitled No.1
Where Are We Now?
Word On A Wing
Young Americans

TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. Hunky Dory
2. The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
3. Low
4. Station To Station
5. Aladdin Sane
6. Diamond Dogs
7. Lodger
8. "Heroes"
9. David Bowie/Space Oddity
10. Scary Monsters

Like most of my favourite artists, Beach Boys included, I never really expect the man in the street to understand why they are so special and important, so I've very heartened by the public outpouring of grief and tributes. 

[Alex]

No love for "Dance Magic Dance" from Labyrinth? Was my first exposure to Bowie as an 8 year old. I thought the glittery mullet wig was his actual hair.

You remind me of the babe. With the power of the voodoo. Who do? You do.

[alf wiedersehen]

You remind me of the babe. With the power of the voodoo. Who do? You do.

You remind me of the babe.
What babe?
The babe with the power.
What power?
The power of voodoo.
Who do?
You do.
I what?
Remind me of the babe.

I've had it memorized since I was a kid.

[Summertime Blooz]

I've been going back and listening to Bowie all week. So much excellent material. I feel like I need to revisit Outside which I quickly dismissed as too dark when it first came out. I'm going to give Heathen another go as well. I never much cared for that one.

[SenorPotatoHead]

Beside all his best known songs, which I like as well, there's:

The Bewlay Brothers
his cover of Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere

and his new/final album Black Star has made a big impression,
not simply because of the circumstances surrounding it (though it plays a role)
but because I find it awesome.  
There ought to be a thread dedicated to the best final albums by artists who knew that
they were making their last album.

Interesting (to me anyway) that he was born in '47 and Black Star was his 47th album,
and that his career really began to take off in '69 and he died at the age of 69....  
You'll be missed Mr. Jones.