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Originally Posted by afc wimbledon
I think Bowie is unique as his influence was not really musical as much as cultural, musically Bowie was not groundbreaking, he couldn't be as he was a performer rather than musician, what he did was take styles and influences and make them accessible to other artists, as well as the public.
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In some ways I see him like Elvis, nothing Elvis did was hugely innovative, all that rock and roll and blues was already out there, but Elvis made it popular to an audience that might not have heard it otherwise, made it acceptable but also set a template for younger musicians to emulate.
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That is... pretty close to being the most inaccurate description of Bowie I have ever heard.
David Bowie has been a major influence to essentially all of western pop/rock music at least since the mid-eighties, if not directly then by proxies such as Joy Division, Duran Duran, The Smiths and U2. (Radiohead, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Manson, Peaches...) Heck, even "serious" artists as Philip Glass have been influenced by Bowie's work. And Kanye West. He has literally been named "the most influential artist of all time". And yes that was a reference to his
musical influence. (He also produced all of Iggy Pops best albums, such as Raw Power, which is very influential in itself.)
He was a fantastic song writer that invented or influenced the birth of
whole genres. Many musicians that have worked with him have named him as one of the most (if not THE most) brilliant and talented people they have worked with.
You're also so opposite to fact in the "making popular" idea. For the most of his career Bowie wasn't THAT popular, and large reason for this was obviously his habit of doing things the hard way. He would disappear from publicity and reappear doing a completely different genre of music than before (at times working in genres that barely existed, such as the heavily soul/funk influenced rock/pop of Young Americans or the drum&bass/rock fusion of Earthling.) He would confuse the media and the audience with obtuse art references, fluid sexual identity and obscure satirical political commentary (much of which was probably largely inspired by heavy drug use).
In fact he managed to alienate his audience so completely in the 80's that by the time he released Black Tie White Noise in 1993, many noted that his name was probably a hindrance to that albums commercial uccess.
It's really only after he followed with albums that many actually consider to be among his best (Outside and Earthling) that he really solidified his status as the mainstream rock icon he's considered today. What's more remarkable, unlike most "comebacks", this wasn't done on the back of younger songwriters and producers No, Bowie still wrote all his stuff and even co-produced his albums. And managed to sound almost bleeding edge, at the tender age of 50+.
(Here's Rick Wakemans commentary on the topic of Bowies songwriting, and a fantastic piano version of Life on Mars, which really brings out the complexity in that song that seems so deceivingly simple.)
And note that I never even liked Bowie
that much
But I recognize great stuff when I hear it.