An alien descends to Earth, speaking of revolutionary music in “Starman” by David Bowie. In many ways, Bowie the “starman” was revolutionary—influence was written all over him and his hit song. He was influenced and inspired by past music. He influenced fellow artists and was influenced by them during his time. He impacted the music and society that came long after his era. Aiming to summarize and provide tangible evidence of the influence surrounding “Starman,” I have compiled a playlist comprised of various songs. They aim to tell a chronological story that details the life of the song “Starman” through music. To begin, the playlist lists a Wizard of Oz lullaby and a Motown original. Bowie took inspiration from these songs and applied their creative ideas to his own mystical vocals and funky instrumentals, despite the songs seeming completely different from “Starman.” With his new song about the story of a rockstar alien, Bowie shot up to stardom. He, however, was not the sole figure in this journey. Artists that later became titans in their genres, such as Freddie Mercury and T. Rex, underwent similar experiences to Bowie’s. With all these shared experiences and effects, these artists were bound to influence each other. And they did. The playlist includs iconic songs by these two artists that were concurrent with Bowie. Finally, the last song on this playlist is by Siouxsie and the Banshees; Siouxsie Sioux is often quoted for remarking on how “Starman” impacted her musical work stylistically. And of course, she was not the only one who felt the ripples of the influence of “Starman.” Overall, my playlist’s story is fundamentally based on the theme of influence throughout time. It is ordered chronologically. We begin with two songs that shaped the way “Starman” is today. Then, we have “Starman” itself so one can hear the manifestation of previous impacts. Afterward, two songs that demonstrate how Bowie interacted with other artists of the same time period play. Lastly, we conclude with a song that was itself influenced by “Starman.” Without further ado, here is the playlist. :)



Judy Garland. “Over The Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz. Leo Feist, Inc: 1939. - An old, classic song written for The Wizard of Oz, “Over The Rainbow” may seem like the farthest piece of music from the upbeat, glam rock “Starman.” Yet despite seeming completely different with its mellowness, Garland’s calming and pretty song influenced Bowie’s vocals in “Starman” profoundly. When singing the iconic “staaaarmAAAN,” Bowie imitates the same exact octave jump in Garland’s “somewhEEERE.” Bowie even sang “there’s a starman, over the rainbow” when performing “Starman” at the Rainbow Theater in 1972. Many believe he utilized this octave jump to add to the mystical feel of his song.

 

The Supremes. “You Keep Me Hanging On” from The Supremes Sing Holland–Dozier–Holland. Motown: 1966. - The Supremes? Connected with David Bowie? What? Once again, Motown proves to exert huge impacts on music and society itself. The background instrumental of “You Keep Me Hanging On” inspired an instrumental in “Starman”—namely, the one right before the song kicks off into the chorus. Bowie utilizes the instrumental’s likeness to Morse code to inspire the imagery of an alien sending a message to the earth dwellers. And he got this idea from The Supremes themselves. Side note: Bowie was definitely aware of how crucial black music was. During an interview with MTV, he insistently called them out on their lack of black artist features (Greene 2020).



David Bowie. “Starman (Top of the Pops Version - 2022 Mix)” from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars. Parlophone Records: 2022. - Often known as the four minutes that shook the world, Bowie’s Top of the Pops performance had truly enormous ripples of influence. With his striking twelve-string guitar and melodic voice, Bowie’s music spoke to many both in person and on television. Countless covers from people who felt connected to Bowie's music still exist today (Starkey 2022; RadioX 2024). Despite influencing musical artists immensely, Bowie was also accused of homosexuality after this performance. If one listens to how his voice is higher-pitched and melodious in this recording, one can hear how people were appalled by his “gay accent.” Returning to the theme of influence, 1970s society itself was indeed impacted by how seemingly queer this performance was—for the better or worse depended on an individual’s stance on homosexuality.



Freddie Mercury. “Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow” from Mr. Bad Guy. C-B.S.: 1985. - Freddie Mercury, famous for being in the band Queen and having an incredible voice, was an icon in the same way Bowie was at the time (Mercury was also influenced by Bowie). Mercury was undeniably himself—flamboyant and expressive. Both Mercury and Bowie forwarded the gay liberation movement by making being queer socially acceptable. Queer people felt like they could exist with the breathing room these two stars gave. This song, with lyrics like, “Hold me in your arms, tell me you mean it,” speaks to the act of loving in such a vivid and vulnerable way that no one can deny it. It doesn’t hurt that the pseudonym “Mercury” fits the galactic agenda of “Starman” too.

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T. Rex. “Cosmic Dancer” from Electric Warrior. TELDEC: 1987. - T. Rex, a legendary band led by Marc Bolan, is now known as a revolutionary figure in the genre of glam rock (Moss 2024). At the time, however, T. Rex and Bowie were fierce competitors. Bolan was always trash talking Bowie's records, charisma, and success (Curtis-Horsfall 2023). The two were head-to-head in the charts—until “Starman” released and powered Bowie forward. In the song itself, Bowie alludes to this rivalry with his Bolan-esque electric guitar solo. One can hear the likeless in the groovy “Cosmic Dancer” along with Bolan’s other songs. To be frank, I chose “Cosmic Dancer” because I really like the song, but Bolan’s older songs definitely star similar guitar parts.



Siouxsie and the Banshees. “The Killing Jar” from Peepshow. Polydor: 1988. - One of many large artists who felt changed by Bowie’s Top of the Pops performance, Siouxsie Sioux produced fantastic music while challenging society’s expectations of her appearance. Sioux at age 15, referencing Bowie, stated, “I just couldn’t believe how striking he was. That ambiguous sexuality was so bold and futuristic that it made the traditional male/female role-play thing seem so outdated.” With her bold and arguably masculine sense of style, Sioux manifested Bowie’s influence. In “The Killing Jar” specifically, Sioux sings ad-libs at the end of the song in the same way Bowie does in “Starman,” once again solidifying Bowie’s expansive influence.



And so, as the groovy music fades into the distance and slows to an end, we return to the central song and star of the show itself: “Starman.” We have experienced the inspiration for and birth of the song, its glory days, and not its death—but its longevity. In the end, Bowie truly emulated his role as the revolutionary alien “starman.” Perhaps the next upcoming hit song on the charts will possess a certain twang in the vocals or a thrilling electric guitar part, reminiscent of a certain glam rock pop star. It certainly wouldn’t be out of the question.