What are David Bowie's 3 signature songs?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by MadamAdam, Oct 13, 2016.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. MadamAdam

    MadamAdam Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    According to Wikipedia, "a signature song is the one song (or, in some cases, one of a few songs) that a popular and well-established recording artist or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of other songs."

    If you had to narrow down Dame David Bowie's signature songs to just 3, what do you think they would be?

    (thanks to @dbone828 for the inspirational lightbulb)
     
    dbone828 and Bobby Morrow like this.
  2. Mark in FL

    Mark in FL Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I would have Suffragette City as an option.
     
  3. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    In my opinion, Space Oddity and Changes are simply "givens". For the third, I'd have to skip ahead about 10 years and regrettably go with Let's Dance; I personally can't stand the song but its' popularity on Classic Rock radio pretty much rivals the other two. If I had the option of replacing it, I'd go with Rebel, Rebel.
     
  4. BlueGangsta

    BlueGangsta Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Life on Mar, Heroes and Let's Dance (possibly tied with Fame).

    Under Pressure is a good consideration, but I always think of it as a Queen song than a collaboration.
     
    MadamAdam, Thom and DK Pete like this.
  5. lightbulb

    lightbulb Not the Brightest of the Bunch

    Location:
    Smogville CA USA
    Ziggy Stardust
    Space Oddity
    Let's Dance
     
  6. karmaman

    karmaman Forum Resident

    strictly according to the Wikipedia criteria, i'd have to go with Space Oddity, Changes and "Heroes".
    Changes was not a successful single but it's the track invariably trotted out for any Bowie montage and given the press and public's emphasis on his various musical metamorphoses, it has by title alone become synonymous with Bowie.
     
  7. Uther

    Uther Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicagoland
    Space Oddity
    Life On Mars
    Heroes
     
    Mitchy, richarm, Frienders and 5 others like this.
  8. JohnnyQuest

    JohnnyQuest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise
    Space Oddity
    Life on Mars
    Heroes
     
    Mitchy, Eska68, MadamAdam and 2 others like this.
  9. Chrome_Head

    Chrome_Head Planetary Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA.
    Much wider range than even the Beatles threads.

    I see my votes went right along the lines of others, though

    Space Oddity
    Life On Mars
    Heroes
     
    falconerone and MadamAdam like this.
  10. Mike McMann

    Mike McMann Forum Resident

    Space Oddity, Rebel Rebel and Fame.
    Young Americans would've replaced Fame.
     
    MadamAdam likes this.
  11. applebonkerz

    applebonkerz Senior Member

    I agree. I voted Genie in its place since it wasn't there, along with Ziggy and Rebel.
     
    MadamAdam likes this.
  12. MadamAdam

    MadamAdam Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    According to Bowie in Kurt Loder's sleeve notes for Sound + Vision in 1989, "it turned into this monster that nobody would stop asking for at concerts: 'Dye-vid, Dye-vid – do Changes!' I had no idea it would become such a popular thing."

    Kinda fitting Changes was the last song DB would ever perform in public, at a NY charity gig on Nov 17, 2006, as a duet with Alicia Keys:

     
    Chrome_Head likes this.
  13. Brian Kelly

    Brian Kelly 1964-73 rock's best decade

    Space Oddity
    Changes
    Heroes

    Also considered Fame and Modern Love

    And I agree Suffragette City should be a choice
     
    Lambert75, notesfrom and MadamAdam like this.
  14. snowman872

    snowman872 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wilcox, AZ
    Surprised I am only one who picked "Ashes to Ashes" as one of my selections.

    Other missing choices in the poll worthy of consideration - "Golden Years", "Boys Keep Swinging" and "Everyone Says "Hi".
     
    deany76, dead of night and MadamAdam like this.
  15. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    Same here...Queen with Bowie added.
     
    BlueGangsta and MadamAdam like this.
  16. DLD

    DLD Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    Suffragette City not an option? Well wham bam thank ya mam. Anyway, I never cared for Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes so even if it's considered a "signature" song, it's not one for me and will never make any type of Best Of Bowie list, por moi. My 4 votes, Life on Mars, Space Oddity, Heroes, and China Girl (because Mrs. Nasty loves it and that's good enuf for me). Instead of China Girl, my 4th choice would have been Rebel Rebel but I'm giving wife one (China Girl).
     
    snowman872 and MadamAdam like this.
  17. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    Same
     
    MadamAdam and JohnnyQuest like this.
  18. JohnnyQuest

    JohnnyQuest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paradise
    Great picks! :)
     
    MadamAdam and Mr. Grieves like this.
  19. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    But that's the thing..."signature songs" don't necessarily go hand in hand with our personal favorites. If that was the case, none of my chosen three would be on my list:)
     
  20. Bender Rodriguez

    Bender Rodriguez RIP Exene, best dog ever. 2005-2016

    Space Oddity
    Changes
    Heroes
     
    David-Shea, notesfrom and MadamAdam like this.
  21. Thom

    Thom Forum Resident

    'Heroes'
    Life On Mars?
    Let's Dance
     
    MadamAdam likes this.
  22. DLD

    DLD Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    I'll wrongly (but I don't think I'm THAT wrong, lol) exclude it before I include it on any list other than a Most Overrated Bowie Song list :hide:.
    Anyway, I think my top 3, Space Oddity, Life on Mars, and Heroes are damn solid Signature Songs and, were Suffragette City on the list, I dunno which of those 3 I'd drop. Maybe none :shrug:
     
    MadamAdam likes this.
  23. OldSoul

    OldSoul Don't you hear the wind blowin'?

    Location:
    NYC
    I went with most and said: "Heroes," Life on Mars, and Space Oddity.
     
    Strontian and MadamAdam like this.
  24. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Mine went close to the heard... didn't this particular poll seem a bit harder than many others ?
    It really did for me.. My three were Space Oddity, Heroes, and finally settled on Ziggy Stardust.
    The last one was tough, think I went with it since I was at that '72 gig, 11th row..memorable for a 17 y.o.
     
    MadamAdam likes this.
  25. Tippy

    Tippy Well-Known Member

    Hard to pick just three...
     
    xTraPlaylists and MadamAdam like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine