The Near-Perfect Artist David Bowie Credited With Keeping Rock n' Roll Alive

A decade after his death, David Bowie remains one of the most iconic performers of all time. The talented singer-songwriter's music pushed boundaries, and his eccentric style and persona commanded attention. His impressive catalog of work often dealt with themes such as existentialism, culture and society, and love and romance. Beyond producing hit songs such as "Let Me Sleep Beside You" and "Sound and Vision," Bowie was also an accomplished stage and screen actor. Bowie's talent and innate artistic ability define what it means to be an artist. But even artists, especially the legendary ones like Bowie, still acknowledge the brilliance of other musicians. Case in point, the time Bowie declared that Neil Young was the one singer he felt was keeping rock n roll relevant.

David Bowie Once Praised Neil Young As One Of Rock N Roll's Trailblazers

David Bowie has been called the chameleon of rock. It is a title not given without merit, partly due to his innovative character and ever-evolving musical style. During his lifetime, Bowie produced 11 number-one albums in his native Britain, received six Grammy Awards, and toured the globe numerous times. In an early interview with Billboard, Bowie described his evolution as an artist. “I don’t find it a problem to use the techniques and styles I’ve used before, where at one time I thought, ‘I can’t do that!’ I was very into making the Big Artistic Statement — it had to be innovative, it had to be cutting edge. I was desperately keen on being original. Now I’m not trying so obsessively to be up against the sky. It’s almost like I'm finding a style — a David Bowie Sound! I just blossom late, I guess.”

Despite his widespread popularity, critical acclaim, commercial success, and contributions to rock ' n ' roll, Bowie remained relatively humble and instead credited other artists, like Neil Young, for revitalizing and carrying the torch for rock ' n ' roll. In fact, Bowie's admiration for Young ran so deep that he was inspired to write one of his own songs, "Dead Man Walking", thanks to Young's contribution to rock n roll.

"It’s a reflection on getting older,” as reported by Ultimate classic rock, Bowie claimed in a rare interview about the 1997-released song. “I recently worked with Neil Young at a benefit. He played acoustically with two members of Crazy Horse, and they would slowly dance in a tight tribal circle. It was so moving, so poignant, they seemed to evoke and bring to life all that their youthful dreams and energies rested on. Rock ‘n’ roll lives on.”

How Neil Young Inspired Coldplay's "Yellow"

David Bowie wasn't the only artist who has been inspired by Neil Young. In June 2000, British rock band Coldplay, fronted by singer and songwriter Chris Martin, released the single "Yellow" from their first studio album, Parachutes. Over 25 years after its release, the nearly five-minute-long song not only made Coldplay one of the world's most popular rock bands, but it is also one of the many tracks that truly showcases their musical genius. The single, which became an instant hit upon its release, peaking in the top 10 on both major British and American music charts, is an alternative-pop rock tune with dreamy lyrics that, as Martin once proclaimed, speak of brightness, hope, and devotion. However, according to the band, "Yellow" was initially not even considered for their album, let alone as a stand-alone single. What's more, the idea for the song came quite abruptly to Martin, as he recounted during an early interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, “I had this guitar tuned in some strange way to play another song, actually called "Shiver", which was supposed to be our big hit single,” Martin explained. “And we were in Wales, recording it. And what sort of frightens me is, it was just a complete accident. I was waiting around, and our producer, Ken, was talking about how beautiful it was outside because of the stars. And then, while I was waiting to do a take at the guitar, I was just messing around: [Sings] ‘Look at the stars/Look, they shine for you/They were all yellow’.”

But the song's primary inspiration, interestingly enough, came from Martin's admiration for Young. “I was thinking about Neil Young, and I was starting to do a Neil Young impression just to try and make everyone giggle,” revealed Martin in an interview with Howard Stern about how "Yellow" took shape. He later stated that the rest of the song came to be as he was listening to Young's album Harvest. Additionally, Martin credited Young with helping the band out of their creative slump. "As soon as that song ‘Yellow’ appeared, I was like, ‘OK, this sounds like a big hit single to me,” he recalled.