Asses to Asses.
― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:08 (twelve years ago) link
Gah, wrong one!
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:08 (twelve years ago) link
i was really blown away to find out that ashes to ashes was a hit single, it's one of the weirdest, least cohesive pop songs ever written
it's so good
― ciderpress, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:08 (twelve years ago) link
life on mars is number one then for sure huh?
― the wild eyed boy from soundcloud (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:08 (twelve years ago) link
British time-time-travelling cop show 1-2?
― Mike Love Costume Jewelry on Etsy (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:09 (twelve years ago) link
Ashes to Ashes was my #1. It's perfect.
― nate woolls, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:09 (twelve years ago) link
"Ashes to ashes" got bumped from my ballot at the last second but I would've put it #1 in a heartbeat if I'd known anybody cared about a crappy Sinatra ripoff
― an elk hunt (Ówen P.), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:10 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I was 7 when this was on the radio, and it fucking mystified me for sure. I would totally stop what I was doing when it came on the radio. My #4, great great song.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:10 (twelve years ago) link
I love the clever little hocket at the end. A three-bar chord progression with a four-bar lyric
― an elk hunt (Ówen P.), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:11 (twelve years ago) link
it is a good song, but i am kind of surprised it placed so high! maybe i'm missing something
― horseshoe, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:11 (twelve years ago) link
My #16!
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:11 (twelve years ago) link
The bowiesongs entry is OTM about how weird the arrangement is... I didn't vote for it but it's an amazing song.
― Gavin, Leeds, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:11 (twelve years ago) link
Funny thing is I always thought I hated Ashes To Ashes, but walking around with it on headphones recently I couldn't deny it. It's brilliant.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:12 (twelve years ago) link
the synthpads at the end are so unsettling
― ciderpress, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:12 (twelve years ago) link
iirc "Ashes to ashes" and "Heroes" were routinely #1 and #2 on Bowie Usenet polls in the 90s
― an elk hunt (Ówen P.), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:12 (twelve years ago) link
I cut Ashes to Ashes because I knew it would be ok without me. Was right!
Also horseshoe -- if you did not vote, you should have :-/
― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:12 (twelve years ago) link
As a kid that "I've never done good things, I've only done bad things" line really got me. As well as the "You better not mess with Major Tom" bit at the end, which of course didn't make any sense to me, but made it all the more creepy.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:13 (twelve years ago) link
like everything about the song is askew...the verse is in a different key than the funky intro bit and comes in halfway through a bar, the bridge is completely different in the first and second verses, etc
― ciderpress, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:14 (twelve years ago) link
i totally should have voted.
― horseshoe, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
i have memories of ashes to ashes as a little kid but i was confused so much because there was that other "major tom" song and i obviously didn't even know "space oddity" so i thought major tom was some real person or something who i didn't know
it was all mysterious
― the wild eyed boy from soundcloud (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
tbh the idea of ranking bowie songs vis-a-vis each other seemed impossible
Think I first heard "Ashes to Ashes" as a teenager around 1997. What's weird is how out-of-time it sounds - if you'd never heard song or artist before there's no way your brain would say "early 80s" based on the production. It sounds a lot more like what was on the radio in 1997 than in 1980.
― wolf cola, everyone (thewufs), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
The bit in the video where he's sitting in an ejection seat in the middle of a suburban kitchen was just o_O to me as a kid.
― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
If Ashes To Ashes loses by one point...
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:16 (twelve years ago) link
...to The Laughing Gnome?
― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:17 (twelve years ago) link
fingers crossed
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
Ashes to Ashes has some mutant Al Green falsetto stuff in it.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
that would be ideal
― ciderpress, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:18 (twelve years ago) link
Old lady chattering enthusiastically to sullen Major Tom on beach = greatest image ever.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
OK! The big finish.
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
― horseshoe, Thursday, March 8, 2012 1:15 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmarktrue, but we all feel that way and we still did it!i just went with purely emotional choices and hasty decisions -- probably made a lot of bad calls (look back in anger is better than cygnet committee...I GUESS) but who cares. no one is going to hang me by my ballot, at least i hope not!
― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:21 (twelve years ago) link
Jeez, almost posted it on the Paul Simon thread.
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:22 (twelve years ago) link
That's not Major Tom, that's uh... the Pierrot. Who he is, idk.
― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:22 (twelve years ago) link
xxp Bowie Holy Holy Wars
― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:22 (twelve years ago) link
1. "Life on Mars?" (from Hunky Dory) - 1463 points/55 votes/4 first-place votes
Official video: http://youtu.be/v--IqqusnNQat Fashion Rocks, 2005: http://youtu.be/HIFmNRDuM3Y
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:23 (twelve years ago) link
SAY-looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooors fighting-in-the-dance-hall
― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:23 (twelve years ago) link
(this was my #6)
always thought it was Major Tom as Pierrot.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
I never thought this would win.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
Ah, there it is! My #1!
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
i was obsessed with "life on mars?" as a teenager and now i feel like i've lost that feeling of thunderstruck-ness at it. hate to be predictable, but the bowiesongs post on it is excellent.
― horseshoe, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
My #20, but glad it's #1.
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
best poll ever.ta muchly for all the effort wmc ! i didn't send in a sub cos i couldn't break down my faves.every single track in this list could be a top 5 for me.simple as that.
― mark e, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:24 (twelve years ago) link
xxxxp He seems to be more a commentator than an alter-ego but yeah maybe.
― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:25 (twelve years ago) link
Bonus video: Bowie sees into the future, notices this poll, and performs both of the top 2 on The Tonight Show in 1980:
http://youtu.be/NkefglL9c4c
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:25 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks wmc! Now I can go to the pub.
Thanks for doing this WmC!
― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:26 (twelve years ago) link
I've always been fond of the chord changes in 'Life On Mars?', and of course Wakeman's piano playing.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:26 (twelve years ago) link
Wonderful job WmC, and great votes all around. Kudos to all who participated.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:26 (twelve years ago) link
xxxp b-b-but you'll miss the hours and hours of recriminations and arguments oh right *gets coat*