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

I could see Station to Station winning this TBH. It would be a very ILX choice.

it sounds even better when you're wasted

16. "Five Years" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) - 596 points/24 votes/2 first-place votes

Album: http://youtu.be/Zq3EZhT3G7U
Old Grey Whistle Test, 1972: http://youtu.be/louXPUW7tHU
Dinah Shore Show, 1975: http://youtu.be/nyFH4S76ErU

meh

My #4!

Too low!

by the way, on that note, I think "Cracked Actor" has the greatest Enjoyment Factor when Drinking increase than just about any song in history. I listen to it during the day and think it's a nice enough song, but play it late at night and the world disintegrates. So great.

I genuinely dislike Five Years, sorry

Have we had Moonage Daydream yet?

I was worrying this same thing. I don't think so, it should be in the top 5 at least!

The Dinah Shore clip of Five Years is spine tingling...wish it was better quality!

Five years, my #5

Incredible - one of his best. I over-played it in my teen years so I don't need to hear it so much anymore - still made my top ten.

Every line in it is genius

My #1!!! OMG what is not to like about it?! Don't think you knew you were in this song.
It always gets me in the mood to hear the rest of the album, great first track.

Who else voted it #1?

Special song for me, think I put it too low at #12, but then again I love everything I placed before it as well. Good showing I think.

I think "Cracked Actor" has the greatest Enjoyment Factor when Drinking increase than just about any song in history.

haha, pretty sure i voted for it, too! "Time" is another one of these

I kiss you! You're beautiful!

My wife played it for me on our 5 year anniversary. Funny, cool, and very touching.

Ballsy way to kick off an album you've designed to be your commercial breakthrough but then the 70s was a very apocalyptic decade.

"Five Years" was second on my ballot. Love it to pieces. Wrote something about it recently that is probably of little interest but what the hell.

I put Five Years too low on my ballot at #2.

It really sets a mood, is what it does.

Who else voted it #1?

hi la lechera, that is me! because:

Drive In my number 2. Love sad sci fi Bowie best of all.

― woof, Wednesday, March 7, 2012 6:51 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post P

I wish the voice of Steve Wright didn't spoil that OGWT clip at the end. And those fucking inane TOTP2 blurbs too.

Ballsy way to kick off an album you've designed to be your commercial breakthrough but then the 70s was a very apocalyptic decade.

I hadn't considered that before...pretty otm. The apocalypticism and the hedonism went hand in hand.

Hi 5, woof!

I genuinely dislike Five Years, sorry

lyrics are great, don't get me wrong, but the song doesn't do a thing for me

I also like Five Years because the listener is totally rewarded for listening to the whole song. Once that's done, and you've made it, you're ready for the rest of the album. It's like going through the dark tunnel before Space Mountain or something.

xp - i agree with you, c.

I recommend reading Francis Wheen's Strange Days Indeed with a Bowie soundtrack because it's amazing how many of the weirder 70s trends were reflected or anticipated in his songs - doomsday cults, fascist coup plotters, occultism. He nails the sense of disintegration and desperation and looking for answers in dangerous places.

Hi 5!

Love it so much, the 'drinking milkshakes' bit my absolute favourite lyric chunk of his. Weirdly, not a huge fan of the album, but 5Y a really powerful melancholy apocalypse.

(that was multi xp)

"Five Years" was second on my ballot

Me too. Second only to Win.

Yeah milkshakes is the killer bit. But the drums too! And the very genteel musical carnage towards the end of the song.

BTW never ever watch the Placebo version of that song on youtube.

I didn't vote for "Five Years", but I dig its absurd pathos. I saw GBV try it in a 50th encore one night & get the absurdity right.

agree about him being amazing live in the later years. Phoenix 96 was fantastic; better than Glastonbury 00 IMO yet there were very few 'hits' to speak of. Nicholas Pegg says his mid 90s band was his best since that 76 Thin White Duke tour.

Only #20 on my ballot, which I fear is a reflection of the mood I was in last night, I bloody love Five Years but I can't always listen to it.

It wouldn't have made it on at all if I hadn't inexplicably left out Changes.

/off to watch the Placebo version on YouTube

So I guess it's obvious Letter to Hermione didn't place. Shame on you ILM. Glad I wasn't a part of this.

Top 5 predictions (in descending order):

Station to Station
Suffragette City
Young Americans
Ashes to Ashes
Heroes

Ir's No Game Part 2:

two votes specified Pt. 2

Glad I'm not the only person who prefers 2. Love the deadpanness of it.

― Inevitable stupid samba mix (chap), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:20 (7 hours ago) Permalink

[catching up ...]

That was me, and it was my #2. Part 2 is like a full stop on that series of albums. And (oh dear, I now see that) my number #1, still to appear, is like a semicolon ...

i remain baffled by the Lodger love on ILM.

"Casual" Bowie still gripped by the notion of making art; thus every song boasts an ear-catching arrangement or hook. The mix is awful though: it's like crickets snuck into the message board.

Moka I voted for Letters to Hermione fwiw. So tender and sweet, and sounds genuine without being histrionic. <3

Starman is my #6,Never forget seeing this for the first time on TOTP awesome.

i've always loved the deliberately off-key 'smiling and waving and looking so fine' bit in 5 Years.

Placebo version on You Tube = Brian Molko strumming a guitar and singing by himself, and considering the song is not an obv acoustic choice and Molko can be... Molko, it is really quite... ok? Might watch it again tomorrow.

Recap:

60. "Sons of the Silent Age" (from "Heroes") - 200 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
59. Teenage Wildlife (from Scary Monsters) - 206 points/9 votes/1 first-place vote
58. "The Secret Life of Arabia" (from "Heroes") - 211 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
57. "Beauty and the Beast" (from "Heroes") - 219 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
56. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (w/Giorgio Moroder; Cat People soundtrack; Let's Dance) - 220 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes
55. "Blackout" (from "Heroes") - 229 points/11 votes/1 first-place vote
54. "Move On" (from Lodger) - 233 points/10 votes/1 first-place vote
53. "Win" (from Young Americans) - 234 points/10 votes/2 first-place votes
52. "Cracked Actor" (from Aladdin Sane) - 239 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes
51. "Joe the Lion" (from "Heroes") - 251 points/9 votes/1 first-place vote
50. "A New Career in a New Town" (from Low) - 251 points/12 votes/0 first-place votes
49. "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" (from Scary Monsters) - 258 points/11 votes/0 first-place votes
48. "Diamond Dogs" (from Diamond Dogs) - 268 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes
47. "What in the World" (from Low) - 275 points/12 votes/1 first-place vote
46. "The Bewlay Brothers" (from Hunky Dory) - 284 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
45. "Word on a Wing" (from Station to Station) - 288 points/10votes/1 first-place vote
44. "Kooks" (from Hunky Dory) = 290 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
43. "Warszawa" (from Low) - 291 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes
42. "Jean Genie" (from Aladdin Sane) - 300 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
41. "Wild Is the Wind" (from Station to Station) - 313 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes
40. "It's No Game" (from Scary Monsters) - 324 points/13 votes/1 first-place vote
39. "Fantastic Voyage" (from Lodger) - 327 points/17 votes/ 0 first-place votes
38. "Breaking Glass" (from Low) - 333 points/15 votes/1 first-place vote
37. "All the Young Dudes" (Bowie: Aladdin Sane sessions; Mott the Hoople, 1972 single) - 334 points/15 votes/2 first-place votes
36. "Boys Keep Swinging" (from Lodger) - 345 points/16 votes/1 first-place vote
35. "Aladdin Sane" (from Aladdin Sane) - 347 points/14 votes/0 first-place votes
34. "Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)" (from Diamond Dogs) - 356 points/12 votes/3 first-place votes
33. "Fame" (from Young Americans) - 360 points/16 votes/2 first-place votes
32. "Fashion" (from Scary Monsters) - 374 points/17 votes/1 first-place vote
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
30. "Ziggy Stardust" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) - 390 points/18 votes/0 first-place votes
29. "Panic in Detroit" (from Aladdin Sane) - 400 points/19 votes/0 first-place votes
28. "Let's Dance" (from Let's Dance) - 422 points/22 votes/0 first-place votes
27. "Drive-In Saturday" (from Aladdin Sane) - 441 points/20 votes/0 first-place votes
26. "Quicksand" (from Hunky Dory) - 451 points/19 votes/0 first-place votes
25. "Queen Bitch" (from Hunky Dory) - 467 points/21 votes/0 first-place votes
24. "Modern Love" (from Let's Dance) - 476 points/23 votes/0 first-place votes
23. "Under Pressure" (Queen/Bowie single, 1981) - 479 points/21 votes/1 first-place vote
22. "Stay" (from Station to Station) - 497 points/24 votes/1 first place vote
21. "TVC15" (from Station to Station) - 514 points/24 votes/0 first-place votes
20. "John, I'm Only Dancing" (1972 single) - 526 points/24 votes/2 first-place votes
19. "Look Back in Anger" (from Lodger) - 527 points/23 votes/1 first-place vote
18. "Starman" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) - 572 points/25 votes/1 first-place vote
17. "Space Oddity" (from Space Oddity) - 586 points/26 votes/1 first-place vote
16. "Five Years" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars) - 596 points/24 votes/2 first-place votes