Life on Mars? voted best David Bowie song

As David Bowie turns 65, music poll selects Life On Mars? as his best song.

David Bowie was 65 on 8 January 2012. His song Life On Mars? topped a poll this month of his best songs. Photo: Rex

Life on Mars? has been voted David Bowie's greatest-ever song in a new music poll.

In a survey conducted by Digital Spy to mark the singer-songwriter's 65th birthday on 8 January, the track from 1971's Hunky Dory album was considered to be Bowie's best.

Born in Brixton, south London, in 1947 and loved for his flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, Bowie first caught the world’s attention in the late 1960s.

His song Space Oddity reached the top five in the UK singles chart in 1969 and by 1972 his hit single Starman, along with the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars ensured him poll position in the glam rock era.

Life on Mars? featured guest piano work by Rick Wakeman. Telegraph Music Critic Neil McCormick once ranked it as No1 in his 100 Greatest Songs of All Time list, saying: "A quite gloriously strange anthem, where the combination of stirring, yearning melody and vivid, poetic imagery manage a trick very particular to the art of the song: to be at once completely impenetrable and yet resonant with personal meaning. You want to raise your voice and sing along, yet Bowie’s abstract cut-up lyrics force you to invest the song with something of yourself just to make sense of the experience. And, like all great songs, it's got a lovely tune."

David Bowie's top 10 songs:

1. Life on Mars? - 21.4%

2. Heroes - 12.5%

3. Ashes to Ashes - 7.3%

4. Let's Dance - 6.1%

5. Starman - 5.9%

6. Space Oddity - 4.6%

7. Changes - 3.3%

8. Ziggy Stardust - 3.3%

9. The Man Who Sold The World - 3.2%

10. Magic Dance - 2.5%

‘Sense of Doubt’: David Bowie on Italian TV, 1977

 

Little-known clip of David Bowie nominally performing “Sense of Doubt” from Heroes on Italian television. The YouTube uploader says this was filmed at Hansa Studio in Berlin, but several people objected, saying that it’s not Hansa. I vote that it’s not. Having seen the interior of the legendary studio in countless documentaries, it doesn’t look like Hansa to me, either.

David Bowie interview, 1976

“Well I’m just a modern guy.”
Update: Dangerous Minds has the hippest readers on the planet. Thanks for the heads up. It seems the above photo is an altered version of the photo below of Iggy and Sable Starr.



Via Flash Glam Trash

Seldom-seen David Bowie interview, 1976

 

David Bowie admirably keeps his cool in the face of TV host Russell Harty’s idiotic questions (asked via satellite) in a nearly futile effort to promote his then-upcoming 1976 “Isolar” world tour. In marked contrast to other TV appearances around this time, the thin white duke doesn’t seem to have snorted a pound of cocaine before the interview started…
Each time Bowie appeared on Russell Harty Plus in the 1970s, he was subjected to goading and borderline insults from the supercilious, patronizing Harty, who comes off here like a right prat. You have to wonder why he bothered. Bowie had then just finished his role in Nicolas Roeg’s The Man Who Fell to Earth, briefly touched on here.

David Bowie with a moustache, 1966

No, not here, in the video…
Cor blimey! David Bowie with a bleedin’ moustache? Even if it’s a fake one, he’s the LAST guy in the world I would have expected to sport facial hair (at least until that regrettable “Tin Machine” era goatee).
Is there a never-ending supply of previously rare David Bowie material out there? Sure seems like it. Here’s the video for “Rubber Band,” the third single from his David Bowie album on Deram Records, 1966. This is, of course, when Bowie was heavily into his twee Anthony Newley phase. Some people don’t like this material. Not me, I find Bowie’s early work absolutely charming and play it often. How I wish there was a video for “The Laughing Gnome.”

Jump magic jump, Magic dance, magic dance

I watched El Labyrinto Del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) last night, which made me think of other favorite labyrinths of my past.

The question came to mind: which is scarier?


or?

The Top 10 Worst Rock Costumes in Rock History

The Top 10 Worst Rock Costumes in Rock History

You remember when your Mom made you wear that ugly sweater that your loving but colour blind grandmother knitted you by candlelight? You felt like a dick. You're not the only one who's worn the equivalent, there's plenty of rock stars who actually made the choice. The results are in and they are worse than the sweater - call in the fashion police!

Coming in at number 10 is Tina Turner as Auntie in Mad Max. Shoulders pads were huge in the 80's but this was taking it a step too far. What ever did happen to the children?

Elton John wearing a Duck Suit comes in at 9. The Madman from Across the Water was known to relish the chance to wear any old thing, duck suits a specialty.

Kanye West dodges the Papparazzi on his way to 8. Check out his cool sunglasses before he comes and punches you.

David Bowie is relaxed and only dancing his way to number 7 on the Top Ten Rock Fasion Disasters list. Bowie's manager told him he was going to the beach so he donned these spiffing swimming trunks. Imagine his surprised when he walked out in front of his fans. No one in the audience was surprised however.

Doing his worst for The Beautiful People, Marilyn Manson spits on himself at 6. Nuff said really, other than we heard he borrowed the panties from Dita Von Tisse.

Midway brings us number 5 and Gary Glitter. He's a bad man you know and went to jail. The fashion police sent his costume away too.

She drove all night to get to number 4, Cyndi Lauper comes up with this offspring of the Statue of Liberty and a rainbow...

Number 3 in our list of Top 10 Worst Rock Costumes so things must be getting bad. Maybe Bon Jovi's leather pants and long hair can save us?

Nope! Moving on to 2. Runner up to the worst rock costume in rock history is the entire membership of Lordi. The devil is a loser and he's my bitch.  Um yes, moving on to number one...