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

Interesting. For many years the rockist consensus was that compilations best served him.

I've heard so many people say this, "You only need a best-of", it still riles me.

Re: Bowie on classic rock radio, I don't really know about that but the numerous 'rock' bars in my hometown stick rigidly to a Bowie canon which consists of 'Jean Genie', 'Rebel Rebel', 'Let's Dance' and NOTHING else.

too high!

― piscesx, Thursday, March 8, 2012 1:15 PM (53 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

o_O

It took me a long time to really get into this song. Not until I read Bowie in Berlin about how the lyrics were inspired and Fripp's guitar playing did it hit me.

Hah, yeah, love this song to death. Not even the rash of terrible covers could ruin it for me.

Maybe this is a little too high, but it still managed to make it onto my ballot at #12.

WOAH that Elvis clip is so rad, fake as it may be.

wow, I've assumed all along that "Heroes" would win this. Put it fairly low down on my ballot consequently.

Heroes is great but i've always found it sort of boring.

folk say that it was Live Aid that made Heroes a well known/ well loved song. it wasn't a big hit amazingly on release.

has this site been mentioned yet? it's amazing and his take on "heroes" is worth reading. addresses the weird way it's sometimes taken up, especially if you only hear the single edit and not the full album version.

For those introduced via the Sound + Vision box set, who initially knew it as "Helden," sung in German:

http://youtu.be/zThrV79Y7ck

http://bowiesongs.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/heroes/

Love the perpetual-motion-machine nature of the riff juxtaposed against the eterna-sustain of Fripp's soloing. And DB's vocal progression through the song.

Is there a short breakdown of what inspired the lyrics?

Bowie pushed it big in Europe, hence 'Helden' (is there a 'Héros'?)

^^^would like to thank this man for providing me hours of reading enjoyment

xxp

I tend to play the French version ("Héros") nowadays because it hasn't been played to death by me like "Heroes" and "Helden". I had it low on my ballot but it's undeniable.

I'll be reading that 'Bowiesongs' site much more thoroughly after this poll is over, definitely.

seriously, even if you are a crazy person who finds "Heroes" boring check out that bowiesongs blog because it rules!

xp!

xxp

:(

lol I was almost banned from the website cuz I picked a fight with an idiot who got outraged when I blandly suggested that Phil Collins and Tina Turner made much better pop albums in the eighties than David Jones.

I'm waiting for the bowiesongs book before I dig in too deep so I can throw some money at him. His work is amazing.

Yeah i read through that blog a bunch last week, haven't made it through "Heroes" yet tho. Wish there was a blog like that for every artist ever. Really amazing work!!!

"Héros", in case you hadn't heard it:

http://youtu.be/van4ZFqTM3k

i didn't know he was writing a book! i will buy a hundred copies and hand them out on street corners. he is a marvel, that guy. david bowie, too.

Wish the concept of cutting German and French language versions of singles would catch on more among Anglo recording artists... seems way more common in other countries compared to the US/UK. Since I heard the German version of Heroes so many times first, the English one always sounds somewhat odd!

Great Sound on Sound piece about the recording of this track.

changesesperantobowie

“Pushing Ahead of the Dame” will be published in book form (likely two volumes) by Zero Books. The book will have a better title."

yay! i like "pushing ahead of the dame," though!

xps

yeah, I'll def buy the book (or books - he's talked about 2 vols) – really enjoy the website. I'm guessing it won't have the illustrations, which is a shame (in fact I think it's Zero books, so I think it'll look a bit rough, from what little I've seen of their titles).

Was common until the Beatles xps. Shakira's the only artist who really does it any more. And Kraftwerk.

Well, I for one am amazed Heroes ain't No. 1.

I resisted reading that blog, thinking I'm not enough of a Bowie fan. But I'm reading the "Heroes" entry and HOLY SHIT this guy's onto something.

I am following this countdown on my phone. I never even look at ILX on my phone. This how much I love David Bowie.

Syntax breakdown.

xxxxp hearing The Beatles chortling their way through 'Sie Liebe Dich' is something

4. "Station to Station" (from Station to Station) - 1250 points/42 votes/12 first-place votes

Album: http://youtu.be/ZY77zDzNmYw
From the "Serious Moonlight" concert film, 1983: http://youtu.be/O59CD81UAzw
Live 1978, great Belew intro if you're a fan: http://youtu.be/EEWgIzm7F2U

What else does one do with a phone?!

too low!

Well, I for one am amazed Heroes ain't No. 1.

― kraudive, Thursday, March 8, 2012 1:29 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is kind of how i feel but i am also mad at you guys for no "DJ'!!!!!

Thought S2S was going to takeit.

Station To Station my number 1 by an amazingly huge margin.

Awesome.

My #1 too, but it was tight. The post that got me into it:

Best Bit of Station to Station

It really is by far the best album. IMO.

I *finally* know what all the remaining tracks will be.

Time Will Crawl, Won't Win.

too low!

― EZ Snappin, Thursday, March 8, 2012 6:32 PM (49 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Knew this would be high, and would have been happy with it beating my #1 (which was Heroes). What now?