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
tbh the idea of ranking bowie songs vis-a-vis each other seemed impossible
― 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*
Life On Mars? was my #4.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks WmC! You did a great job! Everyone's rolling out their picks now, correct? Thanks too for everyone not guessing their top fives or threes in advance, made it more suspenseful, at least for me
― Iago Galdston, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
my ballot, fwiw:
1. Life On Mars? (#1)2. Word On A Wing (#45)3. Station To Station (#4)4. Look Back In Anger (#19)5. Be My Wife (#14)6. Stay (#22)7. Red Sails (did not place)8. Rebel Rebel (#10)9. Fashion (#32)10. Subterraneans (did not place)11. Starman (#18)12. "Heroes" (#5)13. It's No Game (No. 1) (#40)14. V-2 Schneider (did not place)15. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (#49)16. Ashes To Ashes (#2)17. Fantastic Voyage (#39)18. Blackout (#55)19. Drive-In Saturday (#27)20. Sons Of The Silent Age (#60)
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks WmC, this was fabulous.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS
Totally LOVE LOVE LOVE his look in the "official video" -- the suit, the makeup, the colors, everything. it reminds me of when i went to work one day and my coworker told me i looked like liberace. i said no, i look like david bowie. <3 <3
excellent #1thanks WmC for your diligence!!
― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:27 (twelve years ago) link
Yay!!!! "Life on Mars?" was my #1 of course.
I'm really conflicted about "Ashes to Ashes". I like lots of little things about the song. But I can't really love it. Back in 1980, I didn't really understand it. And TBH I'm still not sure what Bowie is trying to say. (True of lots of Bowie songs, sure, but here the lyrics are so memorable you want to 'get' it. And I don't really.)
Favourite bit: the mumbly echo in the "I've never done good things" section.
Favourite parody (of song and video): Lufthansa Terminal.
― Jeff W, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks WmC! Wonderful poll!
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:28 (twelve years ago) link
My #8, though easily could have been lower (sorry). Middle of my ballot got pretty arbitrary, but I do love this song. Happy enough with it at #1.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:28 (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, March 8, 2012
That's because it's "My Way"...isn't that right? Doesn't he even give backhanded thanks to Sinatra in the liner notes? I think there was bad blood from Bowie to Sinatra for some reason, maybe the former wanted to play him in a biopic and Frank said something like, "not that pansy" or something?
― Iago Galdston, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
Thanks WmC!
My ballot, w/all its "Outside" loving bullshit:
1. Station to station2. Queen Bitch3. Quicksand4. I'm deranged5. Five years6. The man who sold the world7. Look back in anger8. A small plot of land9. "Heroes"10. Cat people (soundtrack version)11. Golden years12. Drive-in Saturday13. Sound and vision14. Candidate (demo)15. Fantastic voyage16. Breaking glass17. No control18. Dead man walking19. Kooks20. Ziggy Stardust
― an elk hunt (Ówen P.), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:29 (twelve years ago) link
Hah, i just made fun of "Andrew in Draaaaaaag" in the Magnetic Fields thread. But I love "Maaaaaaaaars"!
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
great stuff, thanks WmC
― Striking Minors (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
Misquoted the "Ashes to Ashes" lyrics above, of course. He never did good things or bad things, which was what was confusing to me as a kid.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
My list...totally got the lp's wrong...Low and Station To Station should of been in there
1.Win2.Life On Mars3.It's Gonna Be Me4.It's No Game5.Sweet Thing6.Fashion7.Ashes To Ashes8.Kooks9.Beauty And The Beast10.Changes11.Young Americans12.Golden Years13.The Bewley Brothers14.The Secret Life Of Arabia15.Breaking Glass16.Quicksand17.African Night Flight18.Stay19.Right20.We Are The Dead
LP's1.Hunky Dory2.Young Americans3.Scary Monsters And Super Creeps4.Aladdin Sane5.Space Oddity
― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
1. Blackout2. Cracked Actor3. Be My Wife4. Baal's Hymn5. The Bewlay Brothers6. Breaking Glass7. Andy Warhol8. Fame9. Ziggy Stardust10. DJ
11. Port Of Amsterdam12. The Dirty Song13. Subterraneans14. A New Career In A New Town15. You've Been Around16. Young Americans17. Oh! You Pretty Things18. Warszawa19. Yassassin20. Let's Dance
Albums:1. Low2. Lodger3. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars4. Black Tie, White Noise5. Heathen
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:31 (twelve years ago) link
IT'S THE FREAK-Y-EST SHOOOOOOW!
huh i didn't know about the sinatra thing
sinatra was a total piece of shit person right?
anyway Life on Mars is as good a winner as any, my number 2, but yeah I could have easily done 20 more tracks, heck even 30...and many really could have been number 1
― the wild eyed boy from soundcloud (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:31 (twelve years ago) link
my ballot:
Songs:
1Station to Station2 Life on Mars3 Heroes4 Ziggy Stardust5 Boys Keep Swinging6 Speed of Life7 Young Americans8 Golden Years9 Stay10 Ziggy Stardust11 Sound and Vision12 Under Pressure13 Kooks14 Ashes to Ashes15 Modern Love16 Changes17 Panic in Detroit18 Suffragette City19 John I'm Only Dancing20 TVC 15
Albums:
1 Station to Station2 Hunky Dory3 Alladin Sane4 Low5 Ziggy Stardust
Great job as always WmC. Awesome countdown, any one of the top 5 (and several in the teens or twenties for that matter) I could see taking the top spot with no surprise.
― Spectrist, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:32 (twelve years ago) link
Somebody want to post the full run-down of the top 60?
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:32 (twelve years ago) link
Glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks to chap for letting me grab the wheel and drive off the cliff.
Ballots were coming in fast and furious at the end, so apparently I lost count -- I thought we hit 80, but I only have 78 #1 votes in the googledoc. That might have been a transcription error as I entered numbers. I am reasonably confident that nobody's ballot got left out like I did in the Zep voting.
Speaking of that spreadsheet:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Alm9ijj_zohtdEE3cnJuQmpxRG81amdfWVZPaDg0Vmc
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:32 (twelve years ago) link
Thank you so much WmC. Best artist poll so far (content & handling).
My ballot:
Tracks
1. Life On Mars?2. Golden Years3. The Jean Genie4. Fame5. Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)6. Suffragette City7. Fashion8. Space Oddity9. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)10. Stay11. Moonage Daydream12. Drive In Saturday13. Win14. "Heroes" 15. Time16. Let's Spend The Night Together17. The Secret Life of Arabia18. Cat People (Putting Out Fires)19. Young Americans20. Alabama Song
Albums
1. Aladdin Sane2. "Heroes"3. Young Americans4. Low5. ChangesOneBowie
― Jeff W, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
Can we get the full 175 please?
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
My ballot, bold didn't place:
Station To StationFive Years Yassassin (Turkish For: Long Live)Life On Mars?What In The WorldThru' These Architects EyesAlways Crashing The Same CarOh! You Pretty ThingsWord On A WingAshes To AshesBlue JeanLooking For SatellitesMove OnSons Of The Silent AgeSound And VisionModern Love TVC 15Strangers When We MeetHeroesHallo Spaceboy
TOP 5 ALBUMSStation To StationStagesLodgerOutsideThe Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:33 (twelve years ago) link
1 34. "Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)" (from Diamond Dogs) - 356 points/12 votes/3 first-place votes2 4. "Station to Station" (from Station to Station) - 1250 points/42 votes/12 first-place votes3 3. "Sound and Vision" (from Low) - 1272 votes/50 votes/2 first-place votes4 22. "Stay" (from Station to Station) - 497 points/24 votes/1 first place vote5 43. "Warszawa" (from Low) - 291 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes6 1. "Life on Mars?" (from Hunky Dory) - 1463 points/55 votes/4 first-place votes7 55. "Blackout" (from "Heroes") - 229 points/11 votes/1 first-place vote8 6. "Golden Years" (from Station to Station) - 869 points/35 votes/3 first-place votes9 2. "Ashes to Ashes" (from Scary Monsters) - 1367 points/51 votes/2 first-place votes10 24. "Modern Love" (from Let's Dance) - 476 points/23 votes/0 first-place votes11 56. "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (w/Giorgio Moroder; Cat People soundtrack; Let's Dance) - 220 points/10 votes/0 first-place votes12 25. "Queen Bitch" (from Hunky Dory) - 467 points/21 votes/0 first-place votes13 11. "Oh! You Pretty Things" (from Hunky Dory) - 630 points/30 votes/0 first-place votes14 48. "Diamond Dogs" (from Diamond Dogs) - 268 points/13 votes/0 first-place votes15 37. "All the Young Dudes" (Bowie: Aladdin Sane sessions; Mott the Hoople, 1972 single) - 334 points/15 votes/2 first-place votes16 Hallo spaceboy (Paddy)17 Sunday18 29. "Panic in Detroit" (from Aladdin Sane) - 400 points/19 votes/0 first-place votes19. D.J.20. Jump they say
albums:1. Station To Station2. Hunky Dory3. Low4. Heroes5. Diamond Dogs
― smash williams, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:35 (twelve years ago) link
1. Life on Mars?2. Golden Years3. Young Americans4. Suffragette City5. All the Young Dudes6. Oh! You Pretty Things7. Station to Station8. Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing Reprise9. Rebel Rebel10. It’s Gonna Be Me11. Bewlay Brothers12. Quicksand13. Beauty and the Beast14. Look Back in Anger15. What in the World16. Width of a Circle17. Win18. Sound and Vision19. Always Crashing in the Same Car20. Blackout
Ballot summary by albumHunky Dory (4); Low (3); Station to Station (2); Diamond Dogs (2); Heroes (2); Young Americans (2 plus outtake); Ziggy (1); Lodger (1); Man Who Sold the World/Santa Monica 72 (1); and All the Young Dudes
Albums1. Station to Station2. Low3. Hunky Dory4. Diamond Dogs5. Aladdin Sane
― Iago Galdston, Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:35 (twelve years ago) link
My ballot. 9 of these didn't place. Hm.
1. Hang Onto Yourself2. Oh! You Pretty Things3. Moonage Daydream4. It's No Game (No. 1)5. Starman6. Suffragette City7. Soul Love8. Queen Bitch9. Jump (They Say)10. Heroes11. Song For Bob Dylan12. Width of a Circle13. If There Is Something (Tin Machine)14. Black Country Rock15. You've Got A Habit Of Leaving (Davy Jones & the Lower Third)16. She Shook Me Cold17. Stay18. Ashes To Ashes19. Sound and Vision20. Life On Mars
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 19:35 (twelve years ago) link