Top 15 David Bowie Songs

In the wake of the hullabaloo following David Bowie's death, I have three of his albums on high rotation: 1972's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars; and, from 1976 and 1977 (a period in which he famously subsided on cocaine, red peppers and milk), Station to Station and Low.
While ...Ziggy Stardust is deservedly hailed as the Thin White Duke's quintessential classic, the latter two are surely his most influential and experimental. Station to Station is a bloated, brilliant beast, all coke-dusted urgency with moments of divine tenderness (see "Word on a Wing"); Low, the first of the so-called 'Berlin Trilogy', a kaleidoscope of colour and texture, its tunes evaporating just as they warm up, its latter half all Eno-conjured ambience and no vocal – and yet it works. Nostril-clogged he may have been, but the man was in control: the two albums blend soul, art-rock, funk, electronica and avant-pop to incomparable affect.
Here are, ahem, Bowie's 15 best songs. It's a list that would have had much more of a 'normal' – or 'greatest hits' – feel three months ago; now it's energised with tracks from the aforementioned albums. While I feel a little guilty that it took his death to truly appreciate these sublime works, I'm glad that I did get around to them: they've shaped and soundtracked 2016's first quarter.
Naturally, some bona fide belters miss the cut, including "The Man Who Sold the World", "Five Years", "Queen Bitch", "Golden Years", "TVC15", "Sound and Vision", "What in the World", "Young Americans", "Rebel Rebel", "Let's Dance" and his epic sign-off, "Blackstar".
Finally, a word on "Under Pressure". As a duet with Freddie Mercury that appeared on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space, it doesn't qualify. Top five, comfortably, if it did. The tune's true quality, and the sheer genius of its collaborators, is best captured on this vocal-only track. Lots of talent-less dross have tainted popular music over the years; Bowie and Mercury are shining examples of the other end of the spectrum.

 1.  Word On A Wing Station to Station
 2.  Space Oddity Space Oddity
 3.  Life On Mars? Hunky Dory
 4.  Quicksand Hunky Dory [also capably covered by End of Fashion]
 5.  Starman The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...
 6.  Suffragette City The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...
 7.  Station to Station Station to Station
 8.  "Heroes" "Heroes" 
 9.  Always Crashing in the Same Car Low
10. Ashes to Ashes Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
11. Changes Hunky Dory
12. Breaking Glass Low 
13. Ziggy Stardust The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...
14. Moonage Daydream The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...
15. Modern Love Let's Dance 

Top 15 'Sun' Songs

Some tunes just exude warmth; their harmonies and silky musicianship transforming you from the grey smudge of winter - or your mind - to a sprawling sandy beach or pool-side lounge chair, cool drink to hand, the rays roasting your skin.
Here’s are the 15 best tracks with the word ‘sun’ – or a variant such as ‘sunrise’, ‘sunshine’ or ‘sunset' – in the title. (I've excluded ‘Sunday’, that’s for the upcoming ‘Weekday’ list.)
Some use the scorching star to atmospheric effect, some use it as a metaphor for love, while some are just good songs.
Honorable mentions are many, including: The Beach Boys’ "Warmth of the Sun"; Fleet Foxes’ "Sun it Rises"; Brian Cadd’s "A Little Ray of Sunshine"; Sex Pistols’ "Holidays in the Sun"; Soundgarden’s "Black Hole Sun"; Chemical Brothers’ "Setting Sun"; Violent Femmes’ "Blister in the Sun"; and The Temper Trap's "Sweet Disposition".
And Katrina and the Waves’ "Walking on Sunshine", I guess.

 1.  Here Comes The Sun The Beatles
 2.  Waterloo Sunset The Kinks
 3.  I'll Follow The Sun The Beatles
 4.  You Are The Sunshine Of My Life Stevie Wonder
 5.  You Are My Sunshine Rice Brothers / Jimmie Davis
 6.  Ain’t No Sunshine Bill Withers
 7.  Got My Sunshine Mojave 3
 8.  Things Behind The Sun Nick Drake
 9.  Sun In Your Eyes Grizzly Bear
10. The House Of The Rising Sun The Animals
11. Sunloathe Wilco
12. Sunshine Of Your Love Cream
13. Sunny Afternoon The Kinks
14. Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In The 5th Dimension
15. Sun Is Shining Bob Marley & the Wailers

Top 15 'Sweet' Songs

While not on a par with ‘love’, the word ‘sweet’ has become a saccharine lyrical constant in its own right, so much that when musicians use it – particularly in song titles – it can be hard to take them seriously.
Is she really sweet? Is life really bittersweet?
Here are 15 ‘sweet’ tracks not so mired in cliché. (Well, the U2 number is, but one guilty pleasure is surely allowed.) As always with lists, it’s subjective – although seriously, if you don’t have the same top five as me, what is wrong with you?

 1.  Sweet Thing Van Morrison
 2. My Sweet Lord George Harrison
 3. Sweet Lullaby Deep Forest
 4. Bittersweet Symphony The Verve
 5.  Sweet Child O'Mine Guns N' Roses
 6. Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond
 7.  When You Were Sweet Sixteen The Fureys and Davey Arthur
 8. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Traditional / Fisk Jubilee Singers
 9. Ain't She Sweet Milton Ager and Jack Yellen
10. (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone Aretha Franklin
11. Sweet Home Alabama Lynyrd Skynyrd
12. Sweet Jane The Velvet Underground
13. Sweet About Me Gabriella Cilmi
14. The Sweetest Thing U2
15. Sweet Dreams Eurythmics