I’m not even sure I can come up with 1500 songs I actively dislike! (Though I will say, “Dancing in the Street” would be up there with Jagger’s “Let’s Work” from the same era.)
Except… it wasn’t just the kids of the 70s, at least not in the UK. I wasn’t even born until the 80s, but Bowie was still very much current and on trend through my teens. The nightclubs I went to would play Bowie, to crowds of teenagers. He headlined Glastonbury festival in 2000 when I was in my late teens (as I vividly remember, having skipped school and hopped the fence).
Other stars from the 70s were kind of retro-cheesy by the late 90s- they were popular, but to youger people, they were kinda Dad music you maybe enjoyed but wouldn’t necessarily admit that to friends, and they were known for their old stuff. Bowie was about the only 70s performer who was still going and still cool.
Goodness. I can’t imagine how I would go about making such a list. Or how many songs would make the list. But, as I think I’ve said up thread, it is unusual for me to hear a Bowie tune and not think listening to it pleasant.
I know it’s off topic, but I have a book with all of the Billboard top 40 songs. I went through it and put all songs I liked in a spreadsheet, with a rating from 1 to 10. If I knew other songs by the artist (like if I have/had albums) I would put songs from them in my list. It turned out to be 1,500 songs. I have added some since then. It’s not perfect, but close. (I’m a list person)
It’s easier if your music collection is digital. I copied all my CDs into iTunes more than a decade ago, and gradually rated everything as I listened to it. If I want to make a list of “songs I like,” I can just sort by rating in iTunes. In fact, the main playlist I use is just everything I’ve rated four or five stars.
I’d wager I like a heck of a lot more songs that never made the top 40, than did.
Yeah - I’d be loathe to rely on my current collection. For example - despite my expressed appreciation for Bowie in this thread, I’m not sure I own an album/CE of his. But could easily list at least 5 of his tunes off the top of my head.
Another issue would be - is this a current snapshot? I’m currently listening through my old vinyl while exercising. Encountering an impressive number of songs that I know I liked at one time, but now - not so much.
Yeah, that wouldn’t work for me. So so so much of the Top 40 is soulless crap. Pablum created to sell to the least common denominator. And the Bowie songs on the list (gotta keep this at least a little bit on topic) wouldn’t necessarily be representative of his work. I’m pretty sure the highest charting song is going to be the duet with Mick Jagger on the remake of Dancin’ In The Streets. It’s OK. It’s a good party song, but it certainly doesn’t represent the storytelling in many of his songs, the orchestration and musicianship. Would much rather hear Suffragette City as a party song.
Hehe, the aforementioned KZEW used the “Wham bam, thankya ma’am!” break for their TV commercials. It was my first exposure to it, and I immediately wanted to know what song it was from.
A friend of mine set me up and I was pranked by LaBella and Rody once and it went out on the air.
I sure wish I had been at this show: Rebel Rebel live in Dublin
I saw Bowie on Broadway as The Elephant Man, where he was basically in a diaper, contorting his body to represent the disfigured main character (he apparently had some mime/dance experience).
A couple outside the theatre was pregaming with Jack Daniels as though about to see a rock concert. They didn’t last very long into the first scene, stumbling out when they realized there was not going to be any hits played that night.