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

This has been a great exercise and over the last few days I've been listening to things I haven't heard in years or never before and so I'm not going to post my ballot cos I'd change 75% of it now. Anyway, Be My Wife was my #1.

I think the highest-placed song that I didn't vote for at all was Sound & Vision (fatigue!) and my highest-placed tune that didn't make the top 60 was Jump They Say.

What a life.

A couple of final questions/impressions, now that I'm jammed full of chicken curry and don't want to gnaw my own arm off:

• Why the hell did "Life on Mars" win? Did the TV show(s) give it a higher profile than it would have had otherwise? I like the song well enough, but from my vantage point (late 40s/US/rural) it was invisible until 10 days ago. Did it do better among voters east of the Atlantic compared to the US?

• The post-1983 shutout in the top 60 is regrettable. There is a lot of really good material from the last 29(!) years. Ultimately I'd characterize the top 60 as a whole 60% Strength of 70s Catalog/40% LOL Nostalgia. Maybe that's too harsh?

In answer to the second question, I think that Bowie's 70's catalogue is a) so strong and b) so varied, that even if he hadn't have had that sucky period in the early 80's the percentages would have been about the same.

Although now I've got to disagree that I don't think it's 40% LOL Nostalgia - more like 10%. The older stuff is dope, no feelings of nostalgia needed.

The Life Aquatic might have something to do w it.

Meaningful Bill Murray smoking a J

My mostly singles heavy ballot (been appreciating the albums a lot more, no small thanks to this poll, but the radio friendly stuff has been burnt into my brain since childhood, not sure it will ever be surpassed):

Station to Station
Sound and Vision
Ashes to Ashes
Life on Mars
Five Years
Space Oddity
The Man Who Sold the World
Heroes
Changes
Oh You Pretty Things
Starman
Look Back in Anger
Ziggy Stardust
Rebel Rebel
Young Americans
China Girl
Let's Dance
Suffragette City
Fame
Under Pressure

Albums:

Station to Station
Hunky Dory
Low
Ziggy Stardust
Let's Dance

I'm mid-40s/US/urban and iI didn't hesitate for a second putting Life on Mars? as my favorite: a) epic and cinematic b) incredible arrangement and Rick Wakeman's piano c) the generosity of spirit--no glacial distancing here--it's kind of a love letter to his fans ultimately

I would have said, as a UK radio listener from the late 70s on, that Life on Mars has always been high profile over here.

The US TV show was cancelled after less than a season, so I can't imagine it made much of an impact in terms of vast numbers of people suddenly becoming aware of the song. I didn't hear it myself until 1991, and while it's definitely a standout on Hunky Dory, it didn't knock me out as much as about 5 other songs on that record.

It's on here, that's pretty high profile, right?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-SingStar-Legends-Solus-PS2/dp/B000HKBAUC

If my flatmates weren't in I'd go and bust out a version right now.

Life On Mars has always really annoyed me and now I'm going to have to go away and figure out why. Have seemingly known that song since I was aware of pop music so yes, what ledge said about its high profile over here.

IIRC, "Life On Mars?" has popped up in some other movies and trailers (besides Zissou, in which tbh I thought it was used poorly). Hunky Dory's stock has risen in recent years and I think to many it's THE SONG on the album.

I should recognize my own hypocrisy here and note that there's nothing on my ballot newer than "Ashes to Ashes".

xps -- ah, I haven't seen The Life Aquatic yet, so that solves a bit of the mystery for me.

I think its singularity counts for a lot--the other major songs on HD have counterparts elsewhere (or on the same album!)

my picks:

1. What In The World
2. Life On Mars?
3. Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
4. Sound and Vision
5. Cat People (Soundtrack)
6. Oh! You Pretty Things
7. Changes
8. "Heroes"
9. Let's Dance
10. Under Pressure
11. Ashes To Ashes
12. Rebel Rebel
13. Ziggy Stardust
14. Starman
15. Dancing In The Street
16. Always Crashing In The Same Car
17. Fashion
18. Golden Years
19. The Man Who Sold The World
20. Space Oddity

lol at my only non-placing pick.

I had Life On Mars? as my no.1 initially, I bumped up "What In The World" cos I figured it needed the points more (and I do really love it).

Thanks a million for doing this WmC, really looking forward to checking out the many songs here I'm not familiar with.

and yes, Hunky Dory has risen to be the fan favorite in recent years, friendlier than Station to Station

― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat),

solid gold screen name btw

Albums

"Heroes"
Ziggy Stardust
Hunky Dory
Station to Station
Low
Aladdin Sane
Diamond Dogs
Scary Monsters
Lodger
Young Americans

Space Oddity
The Man who Sold the World

Songs

"Heroes"
Station to Station
Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise)
Life on Mars
Joe the Lion
Time
Always Crashing in the Same Car
Teenage Wildlife
Ziggy Stardust
Aladdin Sane
Space Oddity
Blackout
Red Sails
Fame
Ashes to Ashes
Lady Grinning Soul
Oh You Pretty Things
Lady Stardust
Width of a Circle
Warszawa

For me (a nigh 40 year old), "Life On Mars?" jumped out as the standout when I first heard Hunky Dory in '91. Over the years, it's only grown in my estimation.

Life Aquatic can suck it. Almost ruined Bowie for me.

I've never seen Life Aquatic or whatever tv show WmC referred to in his initial post about Life on Mars -- I just think it's a really good song. TBH I am not really aware of what critical brouhaha surrounds any of Bowie's stuff, I just like the songs I like. And those are the songs I voted for. My opinion is not important in the greater scheme of things, nor is the greater scheme of things really that important to my opinion about these songs.

I did it this way:

Songs
01 Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
02 Look Back In Anger
03 "Heroes"
04 Five Years
05 Moonage Daydream
06 Life on Mars
07 Oh! You Pretty Things
08 Changes
09 John, I'm Only Dancing
10 Rebel Rebel
11 Drive In Saturday
12 Golden Years
13 Be My Wife
14 Panic In Detroit
15 The Jean Genie
16 Sound and Vision
17 Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
18 D.J.
19 What in the World
20 Aladdin Sane

Albums
01 Lodger
02 Low
03 "Heroes"
04 Aladdin Sane
05 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

Genuinely pained over omitting "Win." Nearly included "Neuköln." Flip-flopped over #1 & #2 placings. Overall satisfied. The Dinah Shore clip is awesome and the crap quality kind of suits it.

My Ballot

Letter To Hermione
Moonage Daydream
Sound and Vision
Rebel Rebel
Ashes To Ashes
Life On Mars?
John, I'm Only Dancing
Starman
Ziggy Stardust
Drive In Saturday
Changes
Fame
Let's Dance
Space Oddity
Buddha Of Suburbia
Stay
Lady Stardust
Queen Bitch
Heroes
Jean Genie

Really was expecting Letter to Hermione to place at least in the lower ranks but you don't really care about music, do ya?

Moonage Daydream and Sound and Vision on the top 10 is good enough for me. Life on Mars? at number one is sort of a perfect encapsulation on Bowie's career.

My ballot which was sent too late to qualify:

Life On Mars?
Sound and Vision
"Heroes"
Win
Oh! You Pretty Things
TVC 15
Thru' These Architects Eyes
Station To Station
Beauty and The Beast
Breaking Glass
Boys Keep Swinging
Fashion
Modern Love
African Night Flight
Man Who Sold The World
Changes
Drive In Saturday
Golden Years
Scary Monsters
Aladdin Sane

Agree that it's a shame nothing after Let's Dance qualified. Great job, WmC!

I just want to post this lovely picture

― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera)

That's Hermione btw.

i am taking note of who voted D.J. and who did not >:[

http://robotmantheblog.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/david_bowie_diaper.jpg

i am taking note of who voted D.J. and who did not >:[

Yeah, no idea how it wasn't in mine. Then again, my vote didn't count so...

This is my favorite bowie photo. Classiest mugshot i've seen, almost looks like a fashion photoshoot.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kxwmfjYtrV1qb4j60o1_500.jpg

he looks like a hitler youth in that photo, but he is beautiful

my ballot:

songs:

1. John, I'm Only Dancing
2. Aladdin Sane (1913 - 1938 - 197?)
3. Sound And Vision
4. Sons Of The Silent Age
5. Lady Grinning Soul
6. The Bewlay Brothers
7. Drive-In Saturday
8. Ashes to Ashes
9. Warszawa
10. Station To Station
11. Starman
12. The Width Of A Circle
13. The Supermen
14. Life On Mars?
15. Golden Years
16. Always Crashing In The Same Car
17. Stay
18. Moonage Daydream
19. Yassassin (Turkish For: Long Live)
20. Time

albums:

1. Aladdin Sane
2. Low
3. Hunky Dory
4. Lodger
5. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars

xpost:

I'm presuming that's when he got busted for marijuana, right? :)

wau Lady Grinning Soul didn't place.

this guy's songbook is truly an embarrassment of riches. on a different note, he's really not liked by critics, is he (other than the so-called Berlin trilogy perhaps)? or was that just in the 70s?

In the US he was regarded with quite a lot of suspicion for most of the seventies. I just realized this today, and as heretical as it may sound the skeptical American critics explained his strategies exactly how they revealed themselves with greater care than the Brits, who accepted Bowie as he wanted to be: a superb pop artist/Pop Artist who scored many hits. Those early Greil Marcus and Lester Bangs essays are hilarious and quite apt not-quite-eviscerations, which is why their eventual conversion is more rewarding.

Re: Life on Mars--I wasn't really aware of the song until a couple years ago; Scott Miller, the guy from Game Theory, talked very highly of it when he started making those year by year mixtapes; I think he said it was his favourite song of '71. (He kept talking about what he called music-hall-descent-with-a-twist, which he traced from When a Man Loves a Woman, through Whiter Shade of Pale, to Life on Mars, Bell Bottom Blues, and All the Young Dudes). Anyways, I listened to the youtube then, but I wasn't really impressed. But when I got Spotify I decided to try to listen to classic Bowie run of albums finally. "Life on Mars" really shines in the context of that album, and esp since I got sick of "Changes" (way more played out than "Space Odditty") it seemed almost like a no-brainer...

i had DJ on my ballot kinda shocked it didn't place

my #6

also 1984 was a bit of a surprise too

when i was 20 i was studying abroad in Paris and i became infatuated with a 27 year old French girl who lived in my building. we became pretty good friends, though it quickly became apparent that she had quite a poised, arms-length way of stemming any kind of advance from a young Australian guy like myself. she was elegant, insightful and beautiful. and she absolutely adored Bowie. of course i was very familiar with him prior to this point, but it was probably sometime around then that i realised he really was all that.

anway, my top 20:

1. always crashing in the same car
2. word on a wing
3. oh! you pretty things
4. panic in detroit
5. station to station
6. what in the world
7. moonage daydream
8. life on mars
9. rebel rebel
10. be my wife
11. TVC15
12. cracked actor
13. ashes to ashes
14. sons of the silent age
15. modern love
16. sound and vision
17. fame
18. five years
19. the width of a circle
20. heroes

Mine, songs:
01 Young Americans
02 Moonage Daydream
03 Sound and Vision
04 Quicksand
05 Drive In Saturday
06 Time
07 The Man Who Sold the World
08 Ashes to Ashes
09 Velvet Goldmine
10 TVC-15
11 Be My Wife
12 Modern Love
13 Fantastic Voyage
14 Queen Bitch
15 Space Oddity '69
16 Sweet Thing
17 Kooks
18 Under Pressure
19 Oh! You Pretty Things
20 Rebel Rebel

albums:
01 Hunky Dory
02 Diamond Dogs
03 Low
04 Ziggy Stardust
05 Alladin Sane

MOKA -- That is why I posted it!!! It is Hermione.

well in that case I love you.

Wonder where or if "Absolute Beginners" will place. Those of you around at the time: was it regarded as a Brief Return To Form, as it is now?

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, March 8, 2012 3:24 AM (Yesterday)

I loved that it was this six-something-minute epic pop song.

No "Blue Jean" on anyone's ballot! No "This Is Not America"!

Sincerely,
1986

Did you vote, Eazy?
If not, cram it.

Aw, Lech!

I voted for Blue Jean.

Only sad that "the Prettiest Star" didn't make it into the top 50, and thought maybe the alternate version of Candidate might place higher, even if I only had it at #5 on my poll. Also, if you combine the votes for Sweet Thing, Candidate and Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing it jumps up from #35 to #24, just edging out "Under Pressure."

Thank you so much WmC, this was a hugely enjoyable poll and I appreciate your outstanding effort!

Regret: I should have voted for Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing instead of Under Pressure, because it's bonkers-amazing and because in my heart I know that Under Pressure is really a Queen song after all.

Surprises: Life On Mars? If ILM says so. Also, I thought for sure 'Heroes' would win. Mainly, I was pretty shocked at the deafening ILM silence for Bowie in the 80s, 90s, and 00s.

Regrettable but Irrefutable Conclusion: David Bowie is a radio, and cocaine is by far the greatest station.

My ballot

ALBUMS:

1.Diamond Dogs (8)
2.Aladdin Sane (7)
3.Lodger (6)
4.Low (1)
5.Hunky Dory (3)


SONGS:

1.Young Americans (7)
2.The Man Who Sold The World (12)
3.We Are The Dead
4.Joe The Lion (51)
5. Golden Years (6)
6. It's No Game (Part 1) (40)
7.Scary Monsters (49)
8.Station To Station (4)
9.Under Pressure (23)
10.Drive In Saturday (27)
11.Aladdin Sane (35)
12.Loving The Alien
13.All The Madmen 

14.Ashes To Ashes 
(2)
15.Beauty and The Beast (57)
16.This Is Not America


17.Sons of The Silent Age
 (50)
18.Diamond Dogs 
(48)
19.The Jean Genie (42)
20.The Bewlay Brothers (46)