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

I just don't know of a better intro to a song than "I know when to go out. I know when to stay in, get things done." It's a portrait of someone who knows how to HAVE FUN but is also RESPONSIBLE, ie the perfect person. The perfect song.

yes yes yes!

Had hoped for something pre-Space Oddity like Let Me Sleep Beside You but I think it's chance came and went in the low 50s. Looks like everything will fall within the 69-83 golden years after all.

Ha, I had "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving" on my ballot.

I also voted for Time Will Crawl -- the fact that I still remembered the lyrics after 20+ years of having heard it - i felt that meant something. Also, that was my first Bowie album.

23. "Under Pressure" (Queen/Bowie single, 1981) - 479 points/21 votes/1 first-place vote

Official video: http://youtu.be/xtrEN-YKLBM
Queen, Bowie and Annie Lennox at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: http://youtu.be/f9ICO-RfjAU
with Gail Ann Dorsey, live 1997: http://youtu.be/d5nYX-iuUFk

"I know when to go out. I know when to stay in, get things done."

hahaha, for like twenty years I've thought this line was "I don't wanna go out... I want to stay in. Get things done." It's all different now!

Under Pressure would have been my #1 most hated, but I'm not making a slam book of Bowie songs.

Under Pressure! 23! my birthday number!!
i love this song and i am not ashamed of it. my #2.

xxp the MTV video: Wow, thanks for posting. Bowie is the best example of somebody whose live show was best well after his classic period-- in my opinion, anyway

I love it too. I also am not ashamed. xp

I love "Under Pressure", but similar to cutting instrumentals from my list, I also cut collaborations. Not sure what else would have made it, but figured this song did not need my help. Glad it didn't place higher, as much as I love it.

It's so romantic and hopeful.

Love this song so much, no shame. I've been all over the map emotionally the last few weeks, and somehow started leaking at the eyes when I was looking for good performance youtubes.

what grandavis said

I thought it might have an outside chance of winning, glad it didn't. It got more #1s in the 20th century poll iirc.

Great tune all the same

As a special exercise in not loving Bowie (for me at least), go watch the "Dancing In The Streets" video. I mean, it is funny, but if either of those dudes took that video seriously then I have to believe there is a drug-fueled gap in both guys memories where that video exists.

xp Under Pressure is way more evocative of early 80s political angst than I used to think - very "don't push me cos I'm close to the edge", in a well-heeled stadium rock way. The Doggett book's very good on the politics of Fantastic Voyage and this must have been recorded not long afterwards.

hahaha, for like twenty years I've thought this line was "I don't wanna go out... I want to stay in. Get things done." It's all different now!

lol me too. weird

Same. Except I thought the last line was "Good thing it's dark."

"Under Pressure" works so well despite Roger Taylor being the world's worst drummer because he's clearly following Freddie's fantastic piano in the verses.

I always think of it as a charity single even though it wasn't. It feels very proto-Live Aid.

22. "Stay" (from Station to Station) - 497 points/24 votes/1 first place vote

Album: http://youtu.be/iJVtv9LlK9Y
BBC Radio Theatre, 2000: http://youtu.be/or1dyvCgzMw

\o/

c-c-c-c-c-c-c-cocaine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M9UCLchcDk

agggggggggggggggggggggh
nooooooooooooooooooooo

Y'all post youtubes the non-embedding way, please. youtu.be, etc

also flag post if you see robin williams

my computer is bleeding now

LIFE IS SO VAGUE WHEN IT BRINGS SOMEONE NEW

is so otm

21. "TVC15" (from Station to Station) - 514 points/24 votes/0 first-place votes

Album: http://youtu.be/Sn8_UgMONps
Live in Japan, 1978: http://youtu.be/JQPJgu75I7c

I always think of it as a charity single even though it wasn't. It feels very proto-Live Aid.
― Suede - the fabric, not the band (DL), Wednesday, March 7, 2012 2:58 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

It wasn't? I'm pretty sure there's a Live Aid logo on the sleeve somewhere.

xxp for me the killer line it "well you can never really tell when somebody wants the same thing you want to"

http://images.45cat.com/david-bowie-and-mick-jagger-dancing-in-the-street-1985.jpg

are they forgiven now?

oh wait, you meant "Under Pressure"

"Under Pressure" came out in 1981.

TVC15 is far too low.

I give Bowie props for OPENING his Live Aid performance with "TVC 15" instead of, oh, "Blue Jean."

Stage version of TVC15 is the tits.

"Queen Bitch" was my #2, crushingly great riff, better than Lou.

"I'm up on the seventh floor, watching the cruisers below" is a way of life.

er, 11th

Stay should've beaten TVC15 (though I love both of them). Stay is a beast of a tune, though; chunky and coked out.

20. "John, I'm Only Dancing" (1972 single) - 526 points/24 votes/2 first-place votes

Official video: http://youtu.be/6VrqCBsbeuc
Single version: http://youtu.be/pXILmiNEf_k

I say "if she says she can do it then she can do it, she don't make false claims" around the house so often that my kids say it too, & they've never heard the song.

Has there ever been a better song about a hologram television?

Oh SHIT I love #20

"Drive in Saturday" I love for a number of reasons, one of which is it reminds me of a friend who named her dog Twig the Wonder Kid.

"Quicksand" is just awesome. Chorus has the greatest lyric he ever wrote. One of those songs that makes me jealous I didn't write it.

Yay my picks are all starting to show up!