The Man Who Polled the World, aka DAVID BOWIE POLL RESULTS

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6. LODGER (1979) - 135 points/24 votes/5 first-place votes

Lodger is the first of mine to place (my #3), but Diamond Dogs and Scary Monsters were late cuts.

That's 4 of my 5 gone.

This dude has awes cover art but I really like the Lodgers one.

I know the pendulum has swung in DD's favor in recent years but I still think it's one of his weakest records – and embarrassing in places.

Seconded. Can't take anything beyond "Rebel, Rebel" and the title track (and the latter is desperately crying out for some Ronson).

I like Bowie a bunch of the time & love wide swathes of it, but yeah, aside from "Rebel Rebel" & "Panic in Detroit" I can't really get into DD or Aladdin Sane, after years of trying, even. But it's just me: theatrical rock rubs me the wrong-ish way, & those + Ziggy are Bowie at his most theatrical.

The second album of mine to place. Like EZ, Lodger is my #3. I absolutely love this record. A favourite of mine I dig out very regularly.

Young Americans And Aladdin Sane are the two canonical albums I dislike. The former more than the latter.

yeah euler otm, it just doesn't feel like there's much substance to those songs

I prefer AS to Ziggy (which I never listen to) – it rocks!

I know the pendulum has swung in DD's favor in recent years but I still think it's one of his weakest records – and embarrassing in places.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:21 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The only track on it that I'd say I'm less keen on in comparison to the others is 'Rock'n'Roll With Me', really. I guess I can see why some may not like Diamond Dogs, but for me its definitely far from an embarrassing album.

Young Americans And Aladdin Sane are the two canonical albums I dislike. The former more than the latter.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:24 PM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I tend to listen to specific tracks from these two albums rather than the whole album from start-to-finish these days. Neither of these albums made my albums ballot, fwiw.

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5. "HEROES" (1977) - 135 points/30 votes/5 first place votes)

Note the near-tie.

Tucan and I in similar Bowie tastes non-shocker.

"We Are The Dead" makes me cringe – that line about "defecating ecstasy"!

I wish more folks would defecate Ecstasy. The world would be a much happier place to live in!

I love you in your fuck-me pumps

it's like unicorns shitting rainbows.

I reaaaally need to devote more time to Lodger.

I think the whole "Something kind of hit me today" verse part is way better than the chorus.

DD was my 4th place - again, the bonus tracks really make it.
AS was my 1st place - a really underrated album compared to ZS, I prefer it to the earlier album.
Lodger was my 5th place - if only DB hadn't run out of creative steam in the early 80's and had continued on with this kind of experimentation. I get this feeling that Outside was trying to get back to it, but Lodger feels far less contrived.

"Heroes" is another Bowie album that didn't make my Top 5. I'd put this one 7th after Diamond Dogs actually. I've never really got into this record to the same degree as I have with the other two 'Berlin' albums, although I obviously like several tracks from it.

So I'm guessing that Outside has beaten Let's Dance and The Man Who Sold The World here? Ought to get round to listening to it I suppose.

I kind of agree with the embarrassing tag on DD, but I can never get past (as others mentioned above) how amazing Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing is. It's one of those musical moments that are so strong that I'm willing to overlook almost everything else, and makes me wish that Bowie had trusted himself to play guitar more often. Rebel Rebel is a good mindless single, as is Diamond Dogs. The part of the album I tend to skip is the first three tracks on side two. My main problem wit DD has always been the fact that it feels like two concept albums smashed into one. Cut the first three tracks on side 2 and replace them with something great, and I might have this as my #1.

Outside was "sneak previewed" on the voting thread - placed 11th.

I can never get past (as others mentioned above) how amazing Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing is. It's one of those musical moments that are so strong that I'm willing to overlook almost everything else, and makes me wish that Bowie had trusted himself to play guitar more often

will agree with this. For masochists: Bowie played lead guitar on "'87 and Cry" and "New York's in Love."

Outside was "sneak previewed" on the voting thread - placed 11th.

Yeah, that's what I was referring to!

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4. THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972) - 153 points/39 votes/4 first-place votes

I have a lot to say about 'Sweet Things/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)', but I'm better off leaving that until it gets to the tracks rollout. I'm seriously trying to resist the temptation to start discussing certain tracks at the moment!

xp ^^^ have visited that street. It's just a street ;_;
And not even one with a deal.

Ah, and there's my #4!

My #3.

Ziggy squeaked in as my #5, more for remembrance of my teenage love of it instead of how often I reach for it these days.

I'm certain my #2 isn't going to place at all.

xp ^^^ have visited that street. It's just a street ;_;

have walked down that street many times, even been to godawful 'strawberry moons' club, without realising its significance.

does it smell like a street?

emphatically

"rubbish. Stay away."

...says Google Maps. Last time I was there was 10 years ago - it's been developed a lot.

I think I'm going to count down the top 60 tracks instead of top 50.

Still holding out hope for Heathen in the top 3! (lol, I know better)

"There's a bar at the end where I can meet you and your friend get charged insane prices for Guinness and assorted drinks on St. Patrick's."

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3. HUNKY DORY (1971) - 198 points/41 votes/4 first-place votes)

tsk

I like it, but there are others I like more.

My no1...it's more like a house than an album to me...

I like it, but there are others I like more.

― c'est ne pas un car wash (snoball), Tuesday, March 6, 2012 3:58 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, the very same. Hunky Dory is one of those where if it's playing, I'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it, but it's far from the first Bowie record that I'd consciously put on.

Wow, I figured Hunky Dory would take the #1 album spot... will Low really come in ahead of it? If so, that bodes well for an interesting top 50 songs!

In fact, I'd probably put this as my #7 and bump "Heroes" down to #8.

it's my favourite spiders record. well, proto-spiders. don't understand how 'width of a circle' didn't place.

it's the best bowie tune apart from all the other bowie tunes

I think you're right

I forgot to vote in this one but yeah, the absence of "Width of a Circle" was pretty surprising.

Showrunning this poll and the LZ poll was (were?) huge fun. I'm glad everyone else seems to have had a good time as well.

this poll inspired me to order The Complete David Bowie, which happened to arrive in the mail today!

and already, it's making me seek out things. the entry for Ashes to Ashes (which is 6 columns of small text!) mentions that Bowie has cited the 1952 musical number called "Inchworm" as a melodic influence on the song.

surprised no one's revived this yet.

blackstar would be top 10, lazarus top 15

Would be worth repolling in a few years, but not now while people are still rending garments.

Also would be worth repolling because the body of work is complete (give or take five songs).

Yeah, I'd be interested to see what happens if we redid this in a little while. Right now I think Blackstar and Lazaras might even be in with a shout of winning.

the Jack Doherty interview mentioned many posts above is here. i'd never seen it but yeah it's quite something

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yL4xxGE73E

christ this poll was *five years* ago.

it's a hell of a life when "lady grinning soul" isn't even one of your top 60 songs

she'llllll coooommme

I revise this thing every year. It's hard to dump a song.

fans might want to check out this 3-hour career survey / interview with Chris O'Leary from WFMU

http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/84321