The Legacy Of David Bowie

Monday, January 11 would never be quite the same with the passing of rock and pop music legend, David Bowie. His ability to reinvent himself over and over, seemingly with ease, has given us music that will forever be artistic, cutting edge, and always ahead of its time. Here are a few highlights of his life and some songs/albums you should definitely check out!

Born in South London, Bowie was captivated by music at a young age, forming his first band at age 15. His first incarnation would be in the form of folk-rock, heard in the song "Space Oddity".

After a few years of experimenting, he would again recreate himself as "Ziggy Stardust", an alien rockstar, singing on the album "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars". This album championed and ushered in the genre known as "glam rock", and was perhaps Bowie's most famous phase.

The next few phases were marked by songs such a as "Fame" off the album Young Americans. The next group of albums would be known as the "Berlin Trilogy" and consisted of "Low", "Heroes", and "Lodger". These albums, as well-crafted as they were, would actually alienate some of Bowie's previous fans, as he invented new sounds and genres for himself - a trait that he would carry throughout his entire life.

1983 would see a commercial triumph with his song "Let's Dance", but not much else commercially would follow for the remainder of the decade.

The 90s and 2000s would see Bowie experimenting with electronic sounds, particularly in the genre of industrial music. He would even collaborate with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor on a few tracks and a tour.

His latest album, "Black Star", would see yet another incarnation and experiment with jazz and more electronic styles. This album was considered a parting gift to his fans, with very enigmatic yet touching lyrics as he struggled with liver cancer.

Though he has passed his music has certainly lived on. For a person who recreated himself so many times, his final transformation seen in his last album was a truly elegant and artistic way to bow out. May the spirit of David Bowie live on to inspire the next wave of musicians to create, think outside the box, and to embrace their inner weirdness!