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ROCK HISTORY — While the passing of David Bowie is heart wrenching for so many reasons, there is also something beautiful that comes out of the tragedy.
The rock icon's death has caused thousands, if not millions of people to revisit his legendary catalogue to remember the unprecedented contribution the man made to music.
Old fans have rekindled their passion for the eccentric rock star, while new ones have fallen in love with Ziggy Stardust for the first time.
While it's impossible to compile a "best of" list for Bowie in just five songs, we feel this list represents the talents, impact and legendary status of the one-of-a-kind artist.
Here are five of the best David Bowie songs:
Bowie was no respecter of genres and just made good music. This may never be more prevalent than in his 1976 song "Golden Years."
Bowie adopts a funk rhythm to accompany his soulful music and signature powerful chorus. Those who aren't Bowie enthusiasts may hear the song and not even realize it's him, but that's what makes it so fantastic. "Golden Years" is a perfect example of Bowie's range and influence.
The Man Who Sold the World ==========================
The 1970 tune "The Man Who Sold the World" is a hauntingly beautiful song that shows off Bowie's depth and prowess as a songwriter.
The guitar riff is unforgettable and the chorus tattoos itself into your brain, but that's OK. Some songs you never want stuck in your head, but this isn't one of those songs. Nirvana did an amazing cover of the signature song, but Bowie's original is beautiful and powerful. Something you never forget.
The 1972 song "Starman" from the album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" is basically a rock opera in and of itself.
This song is quintessential Bowie and seems to somehow include an entire genre of music in just 4 minutes. From its unique verse to its catchy chorus, this is one of Bowie's most iconic songs for good reason.
Take one of the most iconic rock stars of all time, add in arguably the best rock voice of all time, and sprinkle in one of the catchiest riffs to ever grace a string instrument and what do you get? The 1982 Queen and David Bowie collaboration "Under Pressure."
There really isn't too much to be said about this song other than the fact that you know it the minute it starts to play and there's something oddly beautiful about the mix of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. It's a song that you can listen to over and over again and never get sick of. It's a brilliant song that will be a classic for centuries.
Mentioning a best of Bowie list and not adding "Space Oddity" is like trying to build a car without an engine.
"Space Oddity" is an often covered song, but regardless of how beautiful someone may play the tune, or even if it's played in space by astronaut Chris Hadfield, it's always just a tribute to the one-and-only original.
The song crosses genres, marries acoustic and electric sounds, and manages to strike a chord deep inside anyone who hears it. "Space Oddity" showed the world that Bowie wasn't just a master songwriter, but a beautiful storyteller, and it will always stand as one of the greatest songs Bowie shared with the world.
What do you think? What are your favorite David Bowie songs? Let us know.
Honorable mentions
John has been writing about movies, news, sports and pretty much anything awesome for more than five years. John is the co-host of the Flix Junkies podcast and will always entertain you with his stories.
