Who’d Have Thought? David Bowie Scores First-Ever Country Music Hit

The late great David Bowie was a consistent musical player up until he died in 2016. Winning multiple Grammies, reaching massive success with two different identities, and racking up five No. 1 singles across multiple genres, Bowie has and will be the epitome of music royalty. However, one genre where he is not considered as such is country music. But, that is no longer the case.

Bowie now has acquired a country music accolade with Chris Young’s single, “Young Love & Saturday Nights.” Following its release in July of 2023, a year later the single climbed to the No.1 spot on the Country AirCheck country radio chart. With no surprise, Bowie continues to make his presence known in every facet of music despite that he tragically passed eight years ago.

The reason David Bowie garnered his first-ever country music hit single is because Chris Young gave him a songwriting credit on the song. Borrowing both riffs and the melody of Bowie’s “Rebel, Rebel,” Young reinvents the song with the help of the bohemian pop star. The song’s musical elements are recognizable, though the lyrics are entirely reimagined.

Young’s version holds nearly no parallels, as his tune is about innocent girls who keep falling in love with the wrong guys. Even though the two share the theme of naivety, it still seems Bowie would never write a song about such a subject. Nevertheless, Young’s use of Bowie is still exquisite.

Warner Chappell’s Purchasing of Bowie’s Catalog

When one listens to the song one might believe Young is “stealing” from Bowie. Well, he’s not, and according to Yahoo it’s all thanks to Warner Chappell’s purchasing of Bowie’s catalog in 2022. Young is just another great example of how these purchases aim to serve both living and deceased musicians.

Following the single’s release, Young spoke to Rolling Stone and said, “There are a lot of songs where people use something as a sample or have exactly the same melody or lyric. This is different. This is creating something new, with a nod to something that pre-existed.” He ended his statement saying, “And if you get the reference, it just made the song even cooler for you. Just to have a song that has David Bowie listed as a songwriter is amazing.”

To some die-hard fans this might tarnish David Bowie’s likeness and music. On the other hand, it might seem like a way to keep his image alive. Regardless, we are in a time where these tactics are the new norm and they aim to serve every musician who participates.

Photo by Steve Back/Daily Mail/Shutterstock