5. Life on Mars (Hunky Dory, 1971)
Another song that felt like it should have been released on Ziggy Stardust, and written with his all-star team of Mick Ronson and Rick Wakeman.
Covers: Everyone from Barbra Streisand to Anni-Frid Lyngstad (of Abba) to The Flaming Lips to the London Symphony Orchestra…I’ll only post a few, ’cause this post is getting long.
4. Young Americans (Young Americans, 1975)
Marked by many as the song that launched a new genre, “blue eyed soul,” with backing vocals arranged by none other than Luther Vandross, who later covered the song.
3. Changes (Hunky Dory, 1972)
The second most famous stuttering rock and roll song.
Covers:
2. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1971)
Yeah, it’s an album, not a song, but if I don’t include the entire thing I’ll never be able to sleep at night. Along with a handful of other albums (Wish You Were Here, Sgt. Pepper’s, Dark Side of the Moon, and The Black Parade come to mind), it’s a record where the singles are good but the effect of listening to the whole thing straight through is tremendous. More than half the album consists of songs that have become rock and roll staples: Moonage Daydream, Starman, Suffragette City,Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide, Five Years, Soul Love…There’s not a single bad song on the record, and not one you can skip.
Can you guess what’s #1? I bet you can, by now…
You must be logged in to post a comment.