Podcast Summary
Podcast: Ongoing History of New Music
Host: Alan Cross (Curiouscast)
Episode: Why Bowie Still Matters – Part 3
Date: December 10, 2025
Episode Overview
In this third and final chapter of "Why Bowie Still Matters," Alan Cross explores the last 20 years of David Bowie's career, highlighting Bowie's ongoing relevance, his pioneering use of technology, his financial foresight, and the profound finish of his life and work. The episode delves into Bowie's late albums, his innovative approach to the internet, the creation of "Bowie Bonds," his discreet withdrawal from the public eye, and the lasting significance of his art, culminating in a reflection on his death, legacy, and why Bowie remains one of music's most influential figures.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Recap and Focus of Part Three
- The episode picks up after Bowie’s experimentation in the early 1990s, shifting focus to his last two decades (1995–2016).
- Explores Bowie's late-career reinvention, technological innovation, and enduring cultural footprint.
2. Earthling and Embracing Electronic Genres
- Bowie’s 21st Album "Earthling" (1997):
- Released after his 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden.
- Incorporated elements of industrial, techno, jungle, and drum & bass.
- Cross highlights how "Earthling" is now viewed more favorably with time, showing Bowie's ability to recognize and legitimize emerging sounds.
- Quote: "Time is key. Time allows for re-evaluation. And honestly, Earthling is a good record." (05:23)
3. Bowie and the Internet: A Futurist’s Vision
- In the mid-1990s, Bowie became fascinated with the Internet and its cultural possibilities.
- BBC Interview Clip (1999):
- Bowie predicts the profound, exhilarating, and terrifying societal impact of the Internet, refuting the host’s notion that it’s “just a tool.”
- Memorable exchange:
- Bowie: "No, it's not. No. Now it's an alien life form. What do you think?" (08:02)
- Host: "Is there life on Mars?"
- Bowie: "Yes, it's just landed here." (08:18)
- Bowie was an early adopter (sending email in the late 1980s), released "Telling Lies" for download in 1996, and created BowieNet, a full-fledged ISP and online fan community, years ahead of its time.
- BowieNet Features (1997–2006):
- User email addresses, exclusive content, live tracks, a 3D virtual world, song contests.
- "BowieNet was incredibly ahead of its time… I can't emphasize this enough." (12:32)
- Notable moment: The fan song contest resulting in "What's Really Happening" on the 1999 album "Hours," co-written with a 20-year-old fan.
4. Financial Innovation: Bowie Bonds
- Cross details how, in 1997, Bowie revolutionized artist financing by issuing "Bowie Bonds," leveraging future royalties for immediate capital.
- Used $55 million to buy back song rights lost to former management, setting a precedent for artists monetizing their catalogs.
- Quote: "This was the first time in financial history that a performer had used their cash flow potential to make money." (15:20)
- Although later made risky by industry changes (piracy, MP3s), Bowie's move prefigured today’s multibillion-dollar catalog sales.
5. Bowie’s Creative Renaissance (1999–2003)
- Return with “Hours” (1999): Included the contest-winning song by Alex Grant.
- Heathen (2002):
- First collaboration with Tony Visconti since 1980.
- Art rock tone, themes of dystopianism, affected by 9/11 and personal events.
- Strong critical and commercial performance.
- Notable collaborators: Pete Townshend (The Who), Dave Grohl.
- "Almost 50 years after his first record, Bowie proved he was still relevant." (20:47)
- Reality (2003):
- Supported by a major tour—Bowie’s last—before a 2004 heart attack forced him to curtail public life.
6. Retreat and Secrecy (2004–2013)
- After his heart attack, Bowie became highly private (“a ghost” in NYC).
- Blending into city life, last onstage performance (May 19, 2007) was an impromptu comedic turn with Ricky Gervais at Madison Square Garden.
7. Secret Comeback and the Surprise Album
- Bowie quietly wrote and recorded 29 songs (2011–2012) with extreme secrecy, misdirection, and minimal staff.
- The Next Day (2013): Released as a complete surprise on Bowie’s 66th birthday, debuting at #1 in the UK and lauded by critics.
- "The greatest trick Bowie ever pulled was convincing the world he'd retired." (28:02)
- Bowie pioneered the "surprise album drop," adopted later by acts like Beyoncé.
8. Final Works and Farewell
- Health Decline & "Blackstar" (2016):
- Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2014; continued working on diverse projects (musicals, soundtracks).
- "Blackstar" embodies themes of mortality, fusing art-rock, jazz, and experimentation.
- Released on his 69th birthday, coinciding with his death two days later—a characteristically grand, theatrical exit.
- Quote: "It was like he tried to jam everything he loved about music into one record." (29:30)
- Fans dissected Blackstar for Easter eggs in its packaging, lyrics, and design, interpreting it as his masterful parting gift.
9. Legacy and Tributes
- Global Mourning and Memorials: Bowie’s NYC building, Brixton mural, Berlin tributes.
- Secret cremation per his wishes; ashes spread in Bali during Buddhist rituals.
- Estate distribution: family, loyal assistant Coco Schwab, son’s nanny.
- Bowie’s legacy includes leadership in music, art, technology, and finance—his "DNA" spans genres from glam to hip hop.
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, commemorative stamps, statues, and even asteroid and spider species named after him.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On innovation and foresight:
- "He never stopped looking for what was next." (03:50)
- On the Internet’s significance:
- Bowie (1999, BBC Interview, 08:02):
- "No, it's not. No. Now it's an alien life form. What do you think?"
- Bowie (1999, BBC Interview, 08:02):
- On BowieNet’s legacy:
- "BowieNet was incredibly ahead of its time." (12:32)
- On Bowie Bonds:
- "This was the first time in financial history that a performer had used their cash flow potential to make money." (15:20)
- On Blackstar as a final act:
- "He hung on until this last album was released and his birthday. And then after that, his job was done." (31:27)
- On Bowie's versatility:
- "You can even argue that because of his ability to constantly reinvent himself, he may have influenced more musical genres than anyone, even the Beatles." (35:55)
- On Bowie's future-facing mindset:
- "If Bowie were still alive, I guarantee you he would be using AI as some sort of tool. Just imagine what he might have done with it." (37:27)
Key Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:13 | Context for Earthling's electronic experiments | | 06:40 | Bowie’s prescient 1999 BBC interview on the Internet's significance | | 08:50 | Release of "Telling Lies" as an online song; creation of BowieNet | | 12:32 | BowieNet features and influence | | 14:35 | Explanation and implications of Bowie Bonds | | 19:05 | Return to creative form: "Hours," "Heathen," and "Reality" | | 20:47 | Artistic resurgence - high-charting albums | | 21:46 | Heart attack and public retreat | | 24:33 | Last on-stage appearance with Ricky Gervais | | 25:30 | Secret comeback: The Next Day; pioneering the surprise album | | 29:30 | Blackstar as farewell; thematic richness and Easter eggs | | 31:41 | News breaks about Bowie’s death; worldwide tributes | | 33:05 | Blackstar’s chart-topping success | | 34:30 | Memorials, ash scattering in Bali, legacy honors | | 37:27 | Final reflection on Bowie, AI, and the future |
Conclusion
Alan Cross closes the episode by arguing that Bowie’s relentless creativity, technological vision, and innovative business acumen explain why David Bowie not only still matters but will endure for future generations. Bowie's insatiable hunger for reinvention left fingerprints on countless genres, technologies, and cultural moments—and his ability to surprise us, even in death, remains unparalleled.