By Melody McCune ,
49 minutes ago
David Bowie ‘s career catapulted into the stratosphere after the release of his fifth studio album, 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars . By 1975, the beloved singer-songwriter’s fulfilled dream of stardom took a different shape, and his perspective on fame had changed. Thus, “Fame” was born, a track that succinctly expressed the downsides of stardom and Bowie’s own frustrations with it.
‘Fame’ by David Bowie Hit No. 1 on Sept. 20, 1975 “Fame” was released as a single to promote Bowie’s ninth studio album, Young Americans , on June 2, 1975, in the US. And on this day, 51 years ago, “Fame” skyrocketed to No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 , where it reigned for two weeks. It was Bowie’s first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Canadian Singles Chart.
Interestingly, “Fame” saw Bowie collaborate with a major figure in music, someone who was easily one of the most famous artists at the time: John Lennon . Bowie and the bespectacled Beatle met in New York City during the latter’s “lost weekend,” when he and his wife, Yoko Ono , were estranged.
If Anyone Understood Fame, It Was David Bowie and John Lennon Lenno...