Song · David Bowie
“1984” by David Bowie
From the album Diamond Dogs (1974)
“1984” by David Bowie appears on 2 radio countdowns from 1 station between 2002 and 2003. It was first released in 1974 on the album Diamond Dogs. Its best result is #1296 on the Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,713 alternative song of all time.
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"1984" anchors side two of Diamond Dogs, David Bowie's eighth studio album from 1974, and it's a leftover from a bigger plan. Bowie wrote it in 1973 for a stage musical of George Orwell's novel of the same name, a show that died when Orwell's widow, Sonia, refused permission, and within that story it's been read as Winston Smith's imprisonment and interrogation at the hands of O'Brien.
It's pure funk strut. Alan Parker's wah-wah guitar often gets compared to Isaac Hayes's "Theme from Shaft", and it's one of the few spots on the record where Bowie handed off lead guitar. Herbie Flowers plays bass, Aynsley Dunbar and Tony Newman drums, Mike Garson keys, and that funk and soul pull has been heard as a signpost toward Young Americans. RCA issued it as a single in the US and Japan.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1324 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 1296 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
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