Song · David Bowie
“Kooks” by David Bowie
From the album Hunky Dory (1971)
“Kooks” by David Bowie appears on 2 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1991 and 2022. It was first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. Its best result is #560 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #7,211 alternative song of all time.
"Kooks" is David Bowie's welcome card to his newborn son, Duncan Jones, tucked onto Hunky Dory when RCA put the album out in December 1971. The news of the baby reached Bowie on 30 May 1971 while a Neil Young record was playing at home, so the song came out as a fond Neil Young pastiche, daft and tender in equal measure.
He'd already sung it for John Peel's BBC In Concert show on 3 June, a take that finally surfaced on Bowie at the Beeb in 2000, and he did it again for Bob Harris on Sounds of the 70s that September. On the record Bowie plays 12-string guitar and co-produces with Ken Scott, Mick Ronson adds electric guitar and backing vocals, Rick Wakeman plays piano, Mick Woodmansey drums, and Trevor Bolder doubles on bass and trumpet.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 921 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) | 1002 |
| 2022 | 560 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
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