Life on Mars?
David Bowie | Artist Essentials
First released: 1971 (year verified)
Original Hunky Dory studio recording
MusicAtlas editorial note: Follow the piano through the changing chords and hear how the vocal makes each new section feel like a wider view.
YouTube opens a title-and-artist search. The selected recording and date are identified below.
Release evidence and recording details
First released: 1971 (year verified)
Original album recording in 1971, before the later single campaign; a later Ken Scott remix is separately identified and is not selected.
Recording: Original Hunky Dory studio recording
Credit: David Bowie
Role in this collection: Primary artist
Original album: Hunky Dory
Hunky Dory - official catalog
December 1971 original album and tracklist including Life on Mars?, Changes and Oh! You Pretty Things. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
Nothing Has Changed - official version tracklists
Explicit full and single-edit presentations of Space Oddity, original single mixes of Starman and The Jean Genie, Ashes to Ashes single version, and the separate Pet Shop Boys remix of Hallo Spaceboy. Used for edition identification only. | Reviewed 2026-10-17
In the yearly lists
This selected recording is beyond the current yearly lists.
About David Bowie
David Bowie built his career around changes in musical style and performance identity. The success of 'Space Oddity' in 1969 was followed by the Ziggy Stardust character and albums that moved through guitar rock, soul and electronic textures. Collaborations with Tony Visconti, Brian Eno and Nile Rodgers shaped different periods. Alongside his recording career he worked in film and theater. His later recordings include The Next Day and Blackstar, extending a catalog in which concise pop songs sit beside more experimental album pieces.
Artist background sources
David Bowie - official biography
Scoped background: Space Oddity breakthrough in 1969, Ziggy persona in 1972, the soul direction of Young Americans, work with Visconti, Eno and Rodgers, film and theater work, and later The Next Day and Blackstar albums. The biography's erroneous or territory-specific incidental dates are not used for first-release dating. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
David Bowie (1969) - official catalog
Original November 1969 album, Space Oddity track and Gus Dudgeon production; the 1972 retitled reissue is separate. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Young Americans - official catalog
March 1975 original album and its full Young Americans and Fame tracks; recording and writing participants are distinct from the David Bowie release credit. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Low - official catalog
January 1977 original album including Sound and Vision. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Let's Dance - official catalog
April 1983 original album including Modern Love and the full title track; Bowie and Nile Rodgers production. | Retrieved 2026-10-17
Profile reviewed: 2026-10-17. Artist background does not establish a song's creative origin or release date.
Continue listening
Recommended positions express one editorial listening sequence. They are not measured quality scores.
Browse by year
1960-2025. Each year contains 150 selections.