Image via Complex Original
It would be excruciatingly difficult to try and isolate a facet of modern pop music that doesn't owe itself, at least in part, to David Bowie. By means of his 27 studio albums released throughout the course of almost 50 years, the impact of Bowie's unparalleled ability to consistently innovate permeates the soul and style of a great deal of the music we love today.
And the songs- the meticulously crafted melodies, whip smart lyrics, and indestructible spirit of which have remained sturdy enough to weather decades- will doubtlessly remain paramount to the universal songbook well into the future. Countless artists have worked within Bowie's framework to reinterpret these gems. We've gathered 10 of our favorite Bowie covers that span genres, space, and time.
Nile Rodgers and Prince "Let's Dance"
At his performance at the 2014 Essence Festival, Nile Rodgers, the legendary producer behind Bowie's 1983 post-disco smash "Let's Dance," brought out none other than Prince to shred alongside him. The footage is a little rocky, but the groove remains paramount.
James Murphy "Golden Years"
The standout track from LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy's foray into movie soundtracking comes by way of his cover of "Golden Years" off Bowie's 1976 album, Station to Station. Murphy's version transforms the once-funky tune into a twinkling lullaby of sorts.
Warpaint "Ashes to Ashes"
Warpaint's 2014 cover of "Ashes to Ashes" delicately layers harmonic California pop over the Bowie classic, while still emphasizing the dreary mood that surfaced when it first appeared on 1980's Scary Monsters.
The Used and My Chemical Romance "Under Pressure"
Arguably the Bowie and Queen of the Hot Topic generation, the Used and MCR's ecstatic cover of "Under Pressure" swells to catharsis. If you listen close enough, you can hear the echoes of legions of 2005 mall kids starting to abandon their angst.
Beck "Sound and Vision"
Beck's grandiose cover of "Sound and Vision" utilizes over 160 musicians in a rotunda amphitheater, creating a gorgeous sonic atmosphere and elevating Bowie's standard off of 1977's Low to astronomical highs.
Stone Temple Pilots "Andy Warhol"
For their 1993 MTV Unplugged session, Stone Temple Pilots chose to take on Bowie's ode to Andy Warhol. The cover remains largely faithful to the original off of 1969's Hunky Dory, adding a bit of the San Francisco band's signature grunge sound to the urgent acoustic track.
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Suffragette City"
When Red Hot Chili Peppers played a 1995 show in Brixton, they made sure to pay tribute to hometown hero Ziggy Stardust with a rowdy cover of "Suffragette City."
Janelle Monaé "Heroes"
Perhaps the most covered song in the Bowie cannon, Janelle Monaé's 2014 cover of "Heroes" spins Bowie's iconic lyrics through the ArchAndroid's signature future-soul, reviving the track's rousing spirit for underdogs of new millennia.
Nirvana "The Man Who Sold the World"
Nirvana famously stripped down "The Man Who Sold the World" for their MTV Unplugged session in 1994 to much acclaim, including from Bowie himself who said, "I was blown away when I found that Kurt Cobain liked my work.... Until this cover, it hadn't occurred to me that I was a part of America's musical landscape."
Chris Hadfield "Space Oddity"
In perhaps the most poignant of Bowie covers in recent memory, astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded an emotional take on Bowie's intergalactic anthem "Space Oddity" aboard the International Space Station in 2013. It's an exquisite full circle moment that synthesizes the impact of Bowie's music beyond planetary constraints.