Bowie sucked outright from 1981-1996.

Modern Love, Absolute Beginners, Zeroes and Baby Universal are the only songs he wrote that were worth a damn in that span.

Still, he gets my vote because I like him a lot better than the other two and nobody had as many great albums in a row as he did

Has done nothing worthwhile since "Life's an Eskimo Pie, Let's Take a Bite."

I have "Easy Lover" stuck in my head now, you fuckstix.

way to keep it confusing, bob.

i'll vote for johnny cash.

Dude, Let's Dance is a GREAT album! Introduced the world to SRV, and featured the magnificent touch of the brilliant Nile Rodgers. And the first Tin Machine record kicks ass. Other than that, though, I can't disagree with your take on the rest of his output during that era.

She's got a hold on you...BELIEVE IT!

Remember the video with him and Phillip Bailey in the helicopter?

That is the second best white/black male duet of the '80s, right after "Yahmo Be There."

yeah, I thought that "Fingertips" was released in 1959 though, which would've justified his inclusion pretty well.

Good point. I failed to take that into consideration. I will say that outside of Bowie, Berry and possibly Sam Cooke, Stevie had the strongest 10-year solo run of anyone. His mid-'60s to mid-70s output is phenomenal.

He's probably the only one not on my list who really should be. And maybe Ray Stevens, though I think the children's choir on "Everything is Beautiful" constitutes a band.

No and no and no.

Modern Love = great song
China Girl = rewrite of an song he already wrote six years ago
Let's Dance = good video, the song is utter pap

the rest is awful except for Cat People, which passes for mediocre

I have not pulled out Let's Dance in probably fifteen years, and it's easily his fifth or sixth worst album (all of them are clustered in that timeframe).

The first Tin Machine album is alright, but by Bowie's standards, it's middling and weak. The second one is beyond awful. In my opinion, the stuff only looks good coming off of Never Let Me Down.

Conventional wisdom is that he caught a major case of the suck that combined with long stretches of inactivity would violate the 10 year rule. I wonder sometimes though whether everyone who claims that he caught the suck has actually heard the albums or is just spouting off what they've heard. I know I personally have heard only a small percentage of the work of Neil, Bob or Stevie from the last 20 years.

I think if you go by ten year runs, at least 60% would be classic R&B/Soul artists. Which is trouble, because do you count the Stax guys that had the destinct advantage of having the bet backing band ever conceived playing with them and guys like Isaac Hayes writing songs?

and what about someone like Miles Davis? I'm thinking about this way too much.

The version of "Cat People" featured in the film is mediocre (even worse, actually), but the album version with Stevie Ray absolutely smokes. As for Tin Machine, we'll have to agree to disagree. That's the best thing he's ever done outside the '70s.

This is a fun thread, if I do say so myself. And IT'S MUSIC RELATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why do you hate women.

This is the key to your statement. I don't disagree that nothing from that period is worth owning and listening to (primarily because you can grab a much Better bowie album to listen to) but to objectively say it all sucks on its own merits is wrong imo.

I pulled out Never Let Me Down the other day to listen to just one song. There are isolated tunes that stand the test of time, but the albums SUCK.

Aretha would definitely be a contender, as would Haq's suggestion of Emmylou Harris. And I would certainly be remiss if I failed to mention Juice Newton.

i think i just called to say i love you counts for at least 10 years.

Hollywood would answer this poll with Ray Charles and/or Johnny Cash.

The two Tin Machine albums are ferocious, so you're wrong.

I don't really think any of those would qualify. Aretha had a great period but has she been that consistent? I haven't heard a lot of her post '75 work but I was under the impression that most of it was just ok. Emmylou didn't even write her first song until the age of 50 so its hard for me to really put her in the same category as Dylan. And Juice, you must be joking.

Maybe Joni Mitchell, but she's the only woman I can think of that had a long long run of qual. Still no one would have voted for her so you did fine in descriminating.

The fact that it isn't obvious leads me to believe I need to redouble my efforts at being ridiculous.

"Stateside"? "Ferocious"???????????

that's maybe the funniest thing I've heard in 10 years.

Funny you should mention "Stateside," because I've always liked that song, in spite of its obvious lameness. That second TM album falls far short of the first one.