I’ve thought about posting this for a while but, being the Dope, I have a feeling I know the answers I’ll get… but I am genuinely asking.
I frequently read about what a force he was:
And on and on.
I’m not knocking him, I don’t hate him, I’m just having trouble seeing his massive influence.
One thing that I notice is that his music doesn’t seem pervasive in the culture like, say, the Beatles or the Stones. I read that he sold over 100 million albums but I almost never hear his music on the radio. Or in stores or in elevators. So clearly a lot of people like his music but I would think that if he is such a musical force, there would be a lot more of his music lingering in our current zeitgeist.
Did he have a string of hits and I just missed them? Because lets be honest, as lyrics and melodies go, Major Tom is mediocre at best. And when was the last time you heard it these days?
It probably depends on the type of music you’re listening too. I see all sorts of influences in later “glam rock” and/or “hair rock”, styles that were full of flamboyant, theatrical, over-the-top leading men and ladies, where it was about appearance on MTV as much as the music (or more so).
I’d also say Bowie’s lyrics tended (not always by any means) to have more meaning and depth of storytelling than a lot of the other surf or self-indulgent rock, which had influence on lots of later singer-songwriters.
But it’s the first point that sells it for me - huge acts like Madonna, Prince, et al of the 80s seem to be a direct lineage from Bowie, even if it’s not specifically his musical style that’s being inherited.
The influence certainly has been VERY strong in the underground, moreso than in the mainstream, and that has been true for half a century+ now I’d say, but probably has waned a fair amount this century. I cannot speak for muzak, internet, radio, and other programmers, but I too haven’t heard much of anything by him in a public place or TV show/movie in quite awhile, but open to being proved wrong.
He was also someone who helped support other acts, like Devo.
He also partnered with Brian Eno for years. In this article, he is credited with helping Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Tina Turner get their careers turned around.
(I admit that I don’t know anything about the other two artists in that article.)
My point is that Bowie’s influence goes beyond just the music that he performed.
He had three top-40 songs in the U.S. in 1975 (“Young Americans,” “Golden Years,” and “Fame,” which hit #1), and his 1970s albums nearly always made the top 40 in the U.S.
“Under Pressure” (#29 in 1981) was his first top-40 song in the U.S. in six years. He left his longtime U.S. label, RCA, in '82, and signed with EMI; his first album after that, Let’s Dance, was a renaissance for him here, with three top-10 singles.
I think it depends on what stations you’re listening to. I agree with the below:
…which get frequent play on '70s and classic rock stations.
I feel like I’ve heard some of his songs used in commercials recently (“Starman” comes to mind), but I suspect that some bands, like the Stones, have been more vigorous in selling their music for commercial use.
