In Remembrance Of David Bowie, Here Are 7 Things He Greatly Influenced In Pop Culture
David Bowie, hands down one of the most influential musical artists of all time, died on Jan. 10 at age 69 after battling liver cancer. Here are six things to know about Bowie's tremendous pop legacy in music, fashion, film and art.
"I don't know where I'm going from here but I promise it won't be boring." - David Bowie
1. David Bowie's hit song "Space Oddity" played during BBC's coverage of the moon landing in 1969, which was revolutionary.
The BBC requested that the song be played in the background of their coverage for the Apollo 11 landing. While it's an important piece of history now, Bowie was actually hesitant about giving the station the rights to the song because he was worried that if the moon landing failed, his song would be associated with the failure. Alas, the song is now memorable for its association with the mission's success.
Bowie was one of the first major celebrities to embrace gender fluidity and ambiguity. The rock god was often clad in lavish costumes and makeup when he took the stage and taught future generations that the most important thing is to be comfortable in your own skin.
“I suppose for me as an artist it wasn’t always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute in some way to the culture I was living in." - David Bowie, GQ, 2002
Bowie's androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust was praised for both musical innovation and visual presentation. Critic David Buckley described Bowie as someone who "challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day" and "created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture." While he performed other genres such as disco, electronica and punk, glam rock was without a doubt his trademark.
Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld told the Associated Press that Bowie was "a great artist and a timeless fashion icon... who will remain a reference." Pop culture commentators have compared artists like Lady Gaga to Bowie, who combine music with fashion. Bowie's distinct style still pops up on the catwalk, as 1970s and 80s style continues to influence modern day fashion.
Lauded as catchy, relatable and musically complex, much of Bowie's music touches on themes of being an outsider or alien. He managed to successfully fuse several genres together seamlessly, from rock to cabaret to jazz.
"Bowie has become known as a musical chameleon, changing and dictating trends as much as he has altered his style to fit, influencing fashion and pop culture," music reviewer Brad Filicky said.
Believe it or not, Bowie's talents extend beyond music and fashion. In September 1996, he released his single "Telling Lies" on the Internet - a pretty damn revolutionary concept at the time. In 1998, he created his own Internet service provider, BowieNet, which offered a high-speed connection and encouraged fans to create their own pages.
"I wanted to create an environment where not just my fans, but all music fans could be part of a single community where vast archives of music and information could be accessed, views stated and ideas exchanged," Bowie said at the time of the launch.
Bowie sat down to discuss his latest album, Let's Dance, and confronted the interviewer about their apparent lack of playing black artists on the network. “It’s got a lot going for it. I’m just floored by the fact that there’s so few black artists featured on it. Why is that?” Bowie asked. He had been writing songs with R&B artist Luther Vandross at the time.
Bowie was always advocating change and was never afraid to speak out - it's evident that he was a true leader.