Fame (David Bowie song)

"Fame"
Single by David Bowie
from the album Young Americans
B-side"Right"
Released
  • 2 June 1975 (1975-06-02) (US)[1]
  • 25 July 1975 (1975-07-25) (UK)[2]
RecordedJanuary 1975
StudioElectric Lady (New York City)
Genre
Length
  • 4:21 (album version)
  • 3:30 (single version)
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
David Bowie singles chronology
"Young Americans"
(1975) 		"Fame"
(1975) 		"Golden Years"
(1975)

"Fame" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released on his 1975 album Young Americans and was later issued as the album's second single by RCA Records in June 1975. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, it was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City in January 1975. It is a funk rock song that represents Bowie's dissatisfaction with the troubles of fame and stardom.

The song was a major commercial success in North America, becoming Bowie's first number 1 single on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Singles Chart. The song was one of the most successful singles of the year, ranking at number 8 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. However, it was less successful in Europe, reaching number 17 in the UK Singles Chart.

In 1990, Bowie remixed the song under the title "Fame '90" to coincide with his Sound+Vision Tour. "Fame" has since appeared on many compilation albums, and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

The song is one of four of Bowie's songs to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

  1. ^ Griffin 2016, chap. 6.
  2. ^ Clerc 2021, p. 228.
  3. ^ Taylor, Steve (2006). The A to X of Alternative Music. Continuum. p. 45. ISBN 0826482171. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2013. ...'Fame', a funk workout...
  4. ^ Breithaupt, Don; Breithaupt, Jeff (15 October 1996). "The Sound of Philadelphia: Philly Soul". Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 59. ISBN 031214704X.
  5. ^ Elliott, Paul (30 May 2016). "The Top 20 Greatest Funk Rock Songs". Classic Rock Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 March 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  6. ^ Molanphy, Chris (27 July 2018). "The Feat. Don't Fail Me Now Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  7. ^ Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "It Came From the Suburbs: Marc Bolan and David Bowie". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 332. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.