Under the Influence: David Bowie Covers

Love him or hate him (find him sexy or creepy), David Bowie is one of the most influential musicians of modern music.  His distinctive voice and affective lyrics have gained him fans all over the world for the past half century.  He has reinvented not only himself numerous times, but also his musical style.  His use of synthesizers and his theatrical performances (hello, Ziggy Stardust!) ushered in the glam rock of the 1980’s.   His lyrics have remained relevant decades after their original inception.  This is evident by the numerous remakes of his songs.  His work has been covered on albums and in concerts by bands ranging from Bon Jovi to Oasis to Alice in Chains.  Here is a sample of these remakes along with the original versions.  Feel free to comment on your favorites!     

“Heroes” is the title track from Bowie’s 1977 album.  The Wallflowers remade it for the 1998 movie, Godzilla.  Many other bands have covered this song in concert like Blondie and Bon Jovi.

“The Man Who Sold the World” from the album of the same name was released in 1970.  Nirvana performed it on their MTV Unplugged special in 1993.  This is a personal favorite of mine. 

“Ashes to Ashes” from the album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) released in 1980.  Tears for Fears covered the song for their 1996 album, Saturnine Martial & Lunatic.

“Fame” (co-written by John Lennon)  is from the album Young Americans which was released in 1975.  This video really showcases Bowie’s one-of-a-kind dance moves.  Duran Duran released their version as a B-side for their single, “Careless Memories.”

"Suffragette City” from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars released in 1972.  Alice in Chains covered it on their 1989 demo Sweet Alice.  Frankie Goes to Hollywood recorded their own version the same year as Alice in Chains.