David Bowie's musical career in 10 songs
CBC News | Posted: January 11, 2016 3:23 PM | Last Updated: January 12, 2016
From Space Oddity to Let's Dance, a look at Bowie's musical catalogue
David Bowie's musical career spanned decades, and his albums ran the gamut of musical styles from folk to jazz, rock to electronic and everywhere in between.
A true musical chameleon, the U.K.-born artist died Sunday after battling cancer. Here are some of his greatest songs.
Space Oddity
Bowie's breakthrough hit — and arguably his most popular — was Space Oddity, a catchy mix of psychedelic instrumentation and singer-songwriter storytelling released in 1969. The song was a top five hit in the U.K. at the time, and gained further success in the U.S. and Britain in the 1970s.
The Man Who Sold the World
Although not a commercial success, the title track off Bowie's third album has since become one of his most recognizable songs along with its opening guitar riff. The song was also famously covered by Nirvana, performed on the 1993 album MTV Unplugged.
Changes
Released on the 1971 album Hunky Dory, Changes is another Bowie classic. Featuring cabaret piano verses and the catchy staccato vocal "Ch-ch-ch-changes" in the chorus, the song deserves to be on any list of the greatest songs.
Starman
Starman was the first single released from the 1972 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which would introduce the world to Bowie's iconic alter ego and lead to worldwide success.
Rebel Rebel
Released on 1974's Diamond Dogs album, Rebel Rebel features one of the catchiest guitar riffs in the Bowie catalogue.
Fame
Co-written along with John Lennon, Fame reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard charts in 1975. The song first appeared on Bowie's Young Americans album.
Heroes
This anthemic rock 'n' roll classic was released during Bowie's so-called Berlin trilogy of albums including Low, Heroes and Lodger. The song, released in 1977, ends with the memorable line "We can be heroes, just for one day."
Under Pressure
A collaboration between Bowie and Queen, Under Pressure showcases the unique vocal styles of both Bowie and Freddie Mercury. It also features a memorable bass line that would later reappear on Ice Ice Baby, the breakthrough hit of Vanilla Ice.
Let's Dance
The catchy title track off the 1983 album of the same name, Let's Dance was one of Bowie's biggest commercial hits. A mashup of post-disco dance rock, new wave and soul, the song is undeniably Bowie.
Lazarus
Bowie released his last record Blackstar on Jan. 8, his 69th birthday — a jazz-inflected journey that saw Bowie continuing to explore new sonic worlds. One of the songs, Lazarus eerily opens with the line, "Look up here, I"m in heaven."