WEBVTT

00:00:07.489 --> 00:00:09.112
Welcome to Watchmojo.com,

00:00:09.112 --> 00:00:13.268
and today we are taking a look at 
the life and career of David Bowie.

00:00:20.138 --> 00:00:26.222
David Robert Jones was born on January 8th, 
1947 in Brixton, London, England.

00:00:26.222 --> 00:00:28.758
Though he showed musical 
interest at a young age,

00:00:28.758 --> 00:00:32.365
it was only in the early 60s 
that he really pursued the art.

00:00:32.365 --> 00:00:34.690
He started by joining several blues bands,

00:00:34.690 --> 00:00:37.997
but branched off on his own 
when they had little success.

00:00:37.997 --> 00:00:43.817
Renaming himself David Bowie, 
he released his self-titled debut in 1967.

00:00:49.183 --> 00:00:53.527
Its lack of success led Bowie to participate 
in a promotional film called

00:00:53.527 --> 00:00:55.022
"Love You till Tuesday,"

00:00:55.022 --> 00:00:56.929
which showcased several of his songs.

00:00:56.929 --> 00:00:59.461
Of particular interest was "Space Oddity."

00:00:59.461 --> 00:01:05.329
That track became a hit after it was released 
at the same time as the first moon landing.

00:01:08.557 --> 00:01:13.294
His sophomore effort of the same name, 
however, was another commercial disappointment.

00:01:14.089 --> 00:01:17.371
To promote his third album, 
The Man Who Sold the World,

00:01:17.371 --> 00:01:21.602
Bowie was put in a dress to capitalize 
on his androgynous look.

00:01:21.602 --> 00:01:26.232
In 1971, a pop-influenced record called 
Hunky Dory came out

00:01:26.232 --> 00:01:30.549
and was followed by the creation of his 
flamboyant Ziggy Stardust persona

00:01:30.549 --> 00:01:34.270
and stage show with backing band, 
The Spiders from Mars.

00:01:34.270 --> 00:01:36.168
Then came his breakthrough record,

00:01:36.168 --> 00:01:39.478
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust 
and the Spiders from Mars,

00:01:39.478 --> 00:01:45.256
which climbed the charts thanks to his performance
of the single, "Starman" on "Top of the Pops."

00:01:51.569 --> 00:01:55.962
1973's Aladdin Sane was 
his first number one album,

00:01:55.962 --> 00:01:59.720
mixing a hard rock sound with styles 
such as avant-garde jazz.

00:01:59.720 --> 00:02:02.875
The Spiders from Mars were disbanded 
shortly thereafter.

00:02:02.875 --> 00:02:07.459
After the covers album, Pin Ups, turned Bowie 
into the UK's best-selling artist,

00:02:07.459 --> 00:02:13.080
the funky concept record, Diamond Dogs, 
featuring the hit, "Rebel Rebel," was released.

00:02:17.239 --> 00:02:19.740
The elaborate stage shows for the tour that followed,

00:02:19.740 --> 00:02:23.855
as well as the worsening state of Bowie's health 
due to his cocaine addiction,

00:02:23.855 --> 00:02:27.152
would later be seen in the documentary, 
"Cracked Actor."

00:02:27.152 --> 00:02:30.621
1975 saw the release of Young Americans,

00:02:30.621 --> 00:02:33.508
an album that was less glam rock and more soul.

00:02:33.508 --> 00:02:35.924
This album spawned his first U.S. hit,

00:02:35.924 --> 00:02:39.046
a track that was written with John Lennon, "Fame."

00:02:39.046 --> 00:02:43.072
His next album, Station to Station, 
featured the song, "Golden Years,"

00:02:43.072 --> 00:02:47.160
and introduced another alter ego, 
the Thin White Duke.

00:02:47.160 --> 00:02:51.014
This persona resembled his character 
in the 1976 movie,

00:02:51.014 --> 00:02:53.009
"The Man Who Fell to Earth."

00:02:53.009 --> 00:02:58.159
Up next was a trio of albums recorded 
with Brian Eno known as the Berlin Trilogy,

00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:01.079
beginning with 1977's Low.

00:03:01.079 --> 00:03:05.955
This ambient and abstract album produced 
the UK hit, "Sound and Vision."

00:03:05.955 --> 00:03:10.459
This was followed by a more pop rock 
but still minimalist album called Heroes,

00:03:10.459 --> 00:03:14.459
whose title track later became 
a Bowie signature tune.

00:03:16.334 --> 00:03:21.494
And in 1979, with his drug addiction 
now behind him, Bowie released Lodger,

00:03:21.494 --> 00:03:24.890
which contained new wave 
and world music elements.

00:03:24.890 --> 00:03:30.309
1980's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) 
featured the hit, "Ashes to Ashes,"

00:03:30.309 --> 00:03:33.395
which was accompanied 
by an iconic music video.

00:03:34.487 --> 00:03:39.952
Bowie's career leapt to new heights in 1983 
with the success of the album, Let's Dance,

00:03:39.952 --> 00:03:43.280
and the music videos for the singles, 
"Modern Love"

00:03:45.249 --> 00:03:46.961
and "China Girl."

00:03:49.161 --> 00:03:52.195
High sales continued with 
the dance-inspired Tonight,

00:03:52.195 --> 00:03:55.329
an album that featured the Top 10 hit, 
"Blue Jean."

00:03:55.329 --> 00:04:00.280
In 1985, the music video for Bowie's duet 
with Mick Jagger, "Dancing in the Street,"

00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:02.121
was debuted at Live Aid.

00:04:02.121 --> 00:04:06.442
Two years later, Bowie released the more 
techno-based album, Never Let Me Down,

00:04:06.442 --> 00:04:09.232
that featured the single, "Day-In, Day-Out."

00:04:10.243 --> 00:04:13.087
Bowie took on a number of 
acting roles during the '80s.

00:04:13.087 --> 00:04:16.135
Examples include a Broadway production 
of "The Elephant Man,"

00:04:16.135 --> 00:04:18.981
and the films, "Absolute Beginners," 
"Labyrinth,"

00:04:18.981 --> 00:04:21.349
and "The Last Temptation of Christ."

00:04:21.349 --> 00:04:25.014
At the end of the 80s, Bowie fronted 
a band called Tin Machine,

00:04:25.014 --> 00:04:26.889
which recorded two studio albums.

00:04:26.889 --> 00:04:29.443
But, they dissolved in 1992.

00:04:32.278 --> 00:04:35.409
Bowie then returned to his solo career 
with the jazzier album,

00:04:35.409 --> 00:04:38.203
Black Tie White Noise, in 1993.

00:04:38.203 --> 00:04:41.830
This was closely followed by the soundtrack 
for a television series called

00:04:41.830 --> 00:04:43.499
The Buddha of Suburbia.

00:04:43.499 --> 00:04:49.265
In 1995, Bowie brought industrial elements 
to the mix with the album Outside.

00:04:57.290 --> 00:04:59.855
He gained more critical 
and commercial success

00:04:59.855 --> 00:05:04.307
with the techno-infused sounds 
of 1997's Earthling.

00:05:09.549 --> 00:05:15.380
1999 saw the release of an album 
with more rock tracks entitled "Hours..."

00:05:16.419 --> 00:05:20.988
This was followed by the critically 
and commercially acclaimed Heathen in 2002

00:05:20.988 --> 00:05:25.854
and another successful record 
in 2003 called Reality.

00:05:33.016 --> 00:05:37.120
Emergency heart surgery 
in 2004 forced Bowie to slow down,

00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.087
so in the latter half of the decade,

00:05:39.087 --> 00:05:42.881
he recorded only a few songs 
and played a couple of gigs.

00:05:42.881 --> 00:05:45.709
Bowie continued to act 
while he released albums.

00:05:45.709 --> 00:05:48.578
Some of his most notable 
film appearances include

00:05:48.578 --> 00:05:50.455
"Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me,"

00:05:50.455 --> 00:05:54.596
"Mr. Rice’s Secret," "Zoolander," 
and "The Prestige."

00:05:56.592 --> 00:05:58.562
A true chameleon of the music world,

00:05:58.562 --> 00:06:02.082
David Bowie has incorporated many 
different styles to make his own.

00:06:02.082 --> 00:06:05.136
With his distinctive voice 
and extravagant stage shows,

00:06:05.136 --> 00:06:09.704
he is surely an artist who will continue 
to be influential throughout the ages.