Song · David Bowie
“John I'm Only Dancing” by David Bowie
Released 1972
“John I'm Only Dancing” by David Bowie appears on 10 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 1989 and 2005. It was first released in 1972. Its best result is #459 on the WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,063 alternative song of all time.
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"John, I'm Only Dancing" slipped out on 1 September 1972 as a stand-alone single with no album attached, cut in London that June with David Bowie and Ken Scott producing at Olympic Studios. It's glam rock with an R&B wiggle: Mick Ronson's guitar slashing and sneering, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey keeping the strut tight, and Bowie coolly assuring his lover there's nothing to fret about in the girl he's out on the floor with. Plenty of listeners heard a gay relationship in it, and RCA got cold feet and kept it out of America, though it reached number 12 in the UK, helped along by a cheap-and-cheerful promo clip from Mick Rock.
Bowie wouldn't leave it alone. A saxophone-laced remake was cut in January 1973 with an eye on Aladdin Sane, and a funk-and-disco overhaul from the Young Americans sessions finally surfaced in 1979 as "John, I'm Only Dancing (Again)", hitting number 12 all over again.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 459 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1989) | 500 |
| 1999 | 785 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) | 2000 |
| 2000 | 836 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) | 2001 |
| 2001 | 842 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) | 2002 |
| 2001 | 972 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2002 | 842 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) | 2003 |
| 2002 | 1741 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) | 2002 |
| 2003 | 840 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) | 2004 |
| 2004 | 840 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) | 2005 |
| 2005 | 840 | CD101 | CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) | 1994 |
Also listed as: John, I'm Only Dancing.
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