David Bowie v Fame : Everybody Else v Fame

An only slightly selective, not at all tendentious, post-hoc longitudinal survey of David Bowie’s relationship with mass popularity. And some other things.
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In 1962 David Jones, aged 15, left school and told his parents he wanted to be a pop star. His mum got him a job as an electrician’s assistant. There were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1967 David Bowie released his first single and album. There were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1968 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1969 David Bowie's Space Oddity made it to No. 61 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1970 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1971 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1972 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1973 there were five (5) David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year:

29 - Life On Mars
34 - Sorrow
40 - The Jean Genie
58 - Drive-In Saturday
61 - The Laughing Gnome

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In 1974 David Bowie's Rebel Rebel made it to No. 96 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1975 a rerelease of David Bowie's Space Oddity made it to No. 14 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1976 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1977 David Bowie's Sound & Vision made it to No. 35 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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Fun fact: Iggy Pop says Bowie composed the chord progression for Lust for Life on a ukelele while they watched an episode of Starsky & Hutch.


In 1978 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1979 David Bowie's Boys Keep Swingin' made it to No. 87 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1980 David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes and Fashion made it to No.16 & No. 63 respectively in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1981 David Bowie & Queen's Under Pressure made it to No. 28 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1982 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1983 David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Modern Love and China Girl made it to No. 10, No. 42 and No. 63 respectively in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1984 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1985 David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s Dancing in the Streets made it to No. 9 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1986 David Bowie’s Absolute Beginners made it to No. 62 in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1987 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1988 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1989 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1990 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1991 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1992 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1993 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1994 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1995 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1996 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1997 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1998 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 1999 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2000 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2001 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2002 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2003 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2004 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2005 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2006 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2007 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2008 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2009 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2010 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2011 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2012 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2013 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2014 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2015 there were no David Bowie songs in the UK top 100 of the year.

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In 2016 David Bowie wins.

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This was David Bowie’s first single: