Space Oddity (song)

"Space Oddity"
Single by David Bowie
from the album David Bowie
B-side	"Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud"
Released	11 July 1969
Genre	Psychedelic folk folk rock
Label	Phillips (1969 UK Release) Mercury (1969 US Release)
Songwriter(s)	David Bowie

“Space Oddity” is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released as a single on 11 July 1969 and later used as the opening track on his second album, David Bowie.

The song tells the story of a fictional astronaut named Major Tom, who gets lost in outer space. Its title and lyrics were partly inspired by the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey and Bowie's feelings of alienation (not belonging) at that time in his career. It had a very different sound from his first album and was one of the most complex pieces of music Bowie had written up to that point. The single was released quickly to come out before the Apollo 11 Moon landing. “Space Oddity” got good reviews from critics and was used by the BBC as background music during its coverage of the event. The song did not sell well at first, but soon reached number five on the UK singles chart, becoming Bowie's first and only hit song for another three years. Reissues by RCA Records became Bowie's first US hit in 1972, and his first UK number-one in 1975.

Many artists have made cover versions of “Space Oddity” and others have released songs that mention the Major Tom character. A cover by the astronaut Chris Hadfield in 2013 became famous for being the first music video filmed in space. The song has also been used in many movies and TV shows. "Space Oddity" is one of David Bowie’s most popular songs and is often thought to be one of his best. The song has appeared on many "best-of" lists, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”.