Song · David Bowie
“Hang on to Yourself” by David Bowie
From the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)
“Hang on to Yourself” by David Bowie appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 2002 and 2022. It was first released in 1972 on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Its best result is #419 on the Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,526 alternative song of all time.
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Bowie first put "Hang On to Yourself" out in 1971 with his band Arnold Corns, on the flip of "Moonage Daydream", but the version that counts is the one he recut at Trident Studios in London that November for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. It's revved-up rockabilly under the glitter, the riff taking its cue from Eddie Cochran and pointing straight at the punk to come; the Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy" is one of its descendants.
Bowie strums 12-string and sings, Mick Ronson slashes away on electric guitar, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey drive the bottom end, and Bowie and Ronson add the handclaps. Bowie and Ken Scott produced.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 419 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2022 | 825 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
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