Song 93 - Space Oddity David Bowie

With the first introduction of the character Major Tom, a fictional astronaut, Space Oddity was released in 1969, five days before the Apollo 11 mission launched and 10 days before they would walk in the moon. Putting the cultural reference of the space race against Bowie's music, it makes sense why Bowie's lyrics throughout his career played around with the themes of space. I mean who doesn't look up in the sky and wonder what lies between the stars.

When it was first release in 1969, it reached number 5 in the UK chart and went on to win the Ivor Novella award in the same year. In 1975, Space Oddity was re-released and reached number 1 in the UK chart, which was his first single to hit the top of the charts. The character Major Tom appears again in the singles Ashes to Ashes, Hello Spaceboy and Blackstar. 

Taken from the album David Bowie, it became the first pop-video transmitted from space when astronaut Chris Hadfield performed the song from the international space station in 2013.

To hear Major Tom's first outing
David Bowie - Space Oddity

Written by David Bowie
Album - David Bowie, 1969