by Derek Johnson

Created on: November 04, 2008   Last Updated: November 20, 2008

Bowie. The man, the legend. Without him, modern music wouldn't be the same. The fashion, the attitude, the characteristics of rock music as we know it would not be here. Everyone from Britney Spears to The Cure has been affected by his legacy. The pop music of the 1980's was heavily inspired by Bowie's work in the 1970's. Madonna and her chameleon-like style changes were impacted by Bowie's own transition through style. Think about it, no Madonna means no Britney, Christina, Jessica and Mandy as well as all of their countless imitators.

I suppose pop recycles itself, you have to steal and borrow from other musicians because imitation is the key to success. Repetition is the greatest definition of today's pop culture. Rap music samples countlessly in homage to their elders and the garage/art rock scene is a hint of the heyday of similar acts in the late 1970's and 1980's. Right away my own mother said the look of Franz Ferdinand's video "Take Me Out" is extremely similar to the Talking Heads with David Byrne. Prince has made a heavily awaited comeback and his ambiguous look and sound reminds me of a mix between Bowie and Jimi Hendrix.

Some say there are creators of certain genres. In my opinion, Lou Reed and his work with the Velvet Underground and after was the founder of grunge. Iggy Pop is the grandfather of punk while others say it was bands like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. Ozzy Osbourne is the undisputed king of heavy metal and hard rock with Black Sabbath and afterwards. David Bowie however, is the most influential solo white male pop artist aside from Elvis. Depeche Mode and the Cure, Boy George of Culture Club fame, Spandau Ballet, all of the synthesizer and technology bands of the 1980's came from him.

His late 1970's work, the Bowie/Brian Eno trilogy in Berlin was the most inspirational to those bands. Low, "Heroes" and Lodger created a world where minimalist music was accepted in rock. Each album was half-comprised of quick, less than three minute pop and the other half featured the newest technology of the late 1970's. The second half, or B-side, was filled with synthesizers and arrangements conducted and performed by the ambient and ethereal maestro, Brian Eno.

Instruments uncommonly used by rock artists were prevalent. Violins, kotos, mandolins, harps, cellos, vibraphones, xylophones, the list goes on and on. Bowie and Eno were adding a different definition to rock. This along with another hipster, Bryan Ferry, and his on and off again band Roxy

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>