David Bowie

David Bowie lives in the middle ground — 28 moderate songs that balance intensity with control. 5 quiet anchors and 18 songs where they let go completely.

The character of David Bowie

Across the 51 David Bowie songs we've measured, intensity averages 54/100 — more charged than the typical song we measure (46/100).

They run from Where Are We Now (the calmest here, 11) to Diamond Dogs (the most charged, 87), with layered textures most common and a mix of the expected and the surprising. It spans 1969–2016.

The widest dynamic swing belongs to Heroes.

7.1
Avg Intensity
51
Songs Decoded
0
Fan Stories
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The songs that hit hardest

Moonage Daydream intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1972
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 9 · 1972
Suffragette City intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1972
The Jean Genie intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 8 · 1972
Aladdin Sane intense
complex texture · frequent changes · DR 8 · 1973
Diamond Dogs intense
complex texture · frequent changes · DR 9 · 1974
Wild Is the Wind intense
layered texture · none changes · DR 8 · 1976
Beauty and the Beast intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1977
Heroes intense
layered texture · mild changes · DR 10 · 1977
Ashes to Ashes intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1980
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) intense
complex texture · frequent changes · DR 7 · 1980
Cat People (Putting Out Fire) intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1982
Under Pressure intense
complex texture · frequent changes · DR 9 · 1982
Hallo Spaceboy intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1995
I'm Afraid of Americans intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1997
Little Wonder intense
complex texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 1997
Sue (Or in a Season of Crime) intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 2014
Blackstar intense
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 8 · 2016

The controlled burn

Space Oddity moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1969
The Man Who Sold the World moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1970
Life on Mars? moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1971
Quicksand moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1971
Five Years moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1972
Rock and Roll Suicide moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 7 · 1972
Starman moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1972
Ziggy Stardust moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1972
Drive-In Saturday moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1973
Rebel Rebel moderate
layered texture · none changes · DR 8 · 1974
Sweet Thing moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1974
Fame moderate
complex texture · none changes · DR 8 · 1975
Golden Years moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1975
Young Americans moderate
smooth texture · none changes · DR 7 · 1975
Be My Wife moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 5 · 1977
Sound and Vision moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1977
Boys Keep Swinging moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1979
Fashion moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1980
China Girl moderate
layered texture · moderate changes · DR 7 · 1983
Modern Love moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 8 · 1983
Blue Jean moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1984
Loving the Alien moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1984
This Is Not America moderate
complex texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1985
Absolute Beginners moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 1986
Jump They Say moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 1993
The Stars (Are Out Tonight) moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 7 · 2013
Dollar Days moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2016
Lazarus moderate
layered texture · mild changes · DR 6 · 2016

The quiet ones

Frequently asked about David Bowie

Answered from our measurements of every song above.

What is the most intense David Bowie song?

Of the 51 David Bowie songs we've measured, “Diamond Dogs” scores highest at 87/100 for intensity — computed from its dynamic range, texture, sudden changes and tempo.

What is the calmest David Bowie song?

“Where Are We Now” measures gentlest at 11/100. It runs 70 BPM. The songs here span 11–87 on our 0–100 intensity scale.

How intense is David Bowie overall?

David Bowie averages 54/100 intensity across 51 measured songs — more charged than the 46/100 average across our whole catalog.

What is the average tempo of David Bowie?

The David Bowie songs we've measured average about 113 BPM — upbeat.

Which David Bowie songs are calm enough for background listening?

These measure in our gentlest band (steady level, no sudden shifts): “Where Are We Now”, “Lady Stardust”, “Changes”, “I Can't Give Everything Away”.

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