The Man Who Polled the World, aka DAVID BOWIE POLL RESULTS

"Fame" surprisingly low, but I understand why. Loved it the first 20 or 40 times I heard it, for some reason doesn't do much for me anymore - even compared to some others among the very small handful of Bowie songs that are overexposed stateside.

I love "Aladdin Sane" so much for that Garson solo -- I wish it had been released as a single because I would love to start the thread "what are the most avant-garde/outside solos on pop singles?"

"what are the most avant-garde/outside solos on pop singles?"

Great thread idea!

Ah yeah, I caught that "Fame" error last night and fixed it on the googledoc, but forgot to fix it on my little cheat sheet for today's results.

I was the other way round with Fame. Used to like it, then came to think of it as an empty vessel, then reassessed it again in light of the James Brown poll. It was my no.12 or thereabouts.

woah, "Fame" waaaay too low IMHO. My #4.

More Carlos Alomar brilliance here. But the drumming's also wonderful. First time Dennis Davis worked with Bowie, I think. What an intro!

no.8. No way is my no.12 going to show!

"Other boys check you out
You get a girl
To say your favorite things
When you're a boy"

a win-win situation right there. too low on my ballot

sweet thing etc and aladdin sane were my #1 and #2. have never really seen the latter discussed on ilx so was curious where it'd place

32. "Fashion" (from Scary Monsters) - 374 points/17 votes/1 first-place vote

Album version: http://youtu.be/WPVTbDA8dSM
Official video: http://youtu.be/GA27aQZCQMk

I'll never forget being creeped out by the video for Fashion when I was 8. The beep beep part.

oof, that's three of my top 10 gone in the last four reveals. The thing I especially treasure about "Fashion" is the intro: one of those "what you thought was the beat turns out to be the offbeat" tricks that gets me every time.

"Fashion" and "Fame" held very similar spots on my list, i.e., both songs I really like but not top-20 candidates. Both of these were late cuts though. Definitely victims of overexposure for me I think, but songs I still get excited for when they come on in a movie/store/on the radio.

Love the "Freaks and Geeks" scene where Ken throws on "Fashion" to test whether or not he is gay.

One of the original MTV VJs, Alan Hunter, is the blue-stripey shirt guy wearing a fake mouse nose in that video.

both were on my ballot but "Fashion" placing above "Fame" is crazy to me

Yeah, any joy I got from Fame (and Under Pressure) were utterly destroyed by hearing it in pool halls about ten times a night.

Hmmm, gum-chewing G.E. Smith in the video for "Fahsion" does not help it's cause.

re the 'awful' thing he drew on the floor:
http://bowiesongs.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/dbka.jpg?w=450

31. "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) - 375 points/16 votes/2 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/9jg4ekLG9Zo

WHY is there still no DVD of Cracked Actor? the version of Sweet Thing on that is the best thing ehe ever did imo.

You're not alone!

I used to go out with a girl who looked a bit like that Tree of Life pic

Hmmm, gum-chewing G.E. Smith in the video for "Fahsion" does not help it's cause.

omigod I thought it was Fripp. What the hell was Smith even doing in the video?!

have we had any post-Let's Dance tracks yet? would be a bit disappointing if this was a complete shutout

Albums results suggests it might be.

well it makes more sense for albums since they're less granular

What the hell was G.E. Smith doing there?

This Is Not America ought to place, but that's about it.

What's going to place though? Absolute Beginners maybe

Sunday from Heathen was pretty good.

I voted for two tracks post LD, I think they and one or two others at most may make it.

I *nearly* included Hallo Spaceboy, maybe someone likes it?

and this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl8mqKRrOts

30. "Ziggy Stardust" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) - 390 points/18 votes/0 first-place votes

Studio: http://youtu.be/XXq5VvYAI1Q
From Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture: http://youtu.be/G8sdsW93ThQ

I voted for a couple too I think, but will be shocked to see them now.

Magic Dance?

I voted for 5 post-Let's Dance songs.

'songs by artists 20+ years after their debut' could be an awesome future poll

Never underestimate ILM's 80s bias (cf. Jacksons poll)

haha a lack of '90s/'00s songs in a David Bowie poll has soooo little to do with "ILM's 80s bias"

Sunday from Heathen was pretty good.

― piscesx, Wednesday, March 7, 2012

It's on my ballot. So is "Jump They Say."

I *nearly* included Hallo Spaceboy, maybe someone likes it?

I do!

me three.

the Pet Shop Boys remix I hope

I voted for 5 post-Let's Dance songs.

Me too. One was sort of an in-joke with myself.

do share

i voted for 3 post-Let's Dance songs and they were all for lols

29. "Panic in Detroit" (from Aladdin Sane) - 400 points/19 votes/0 first-place votes

http://youtu.be/Rf0fmqWS-kI

Time Will Crawl. I do like the intro and there's a (cancelled) TOTP appearance that I'm fond of but it's a pretty bad Bowie period; Time Will Crawl has sort of become a bit of a punchline-without-a-joke amongst friends...

xxp

v disappointed in Fame's showing. This poll is crap. I hope you all fall off a cliff.