Still Reeling: David Bowie Just Died and I Can't Even Deal With It

It was just announced a couple hours ago on the official David Bowie Facebook page that everyone's favorite rock & roll extraterrestrial has died.

You can read more at The Hollywood Reporter, including a fairly extensive biography of the icon. Here's the statement from the family:

"January 10 2016 - David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."

UPDATE: David Bowie's last release, Lazarus, was a 'parting gift' for fans in carefully planned finale

David Bowie is probably my fifth-favorite musician of all time, right up there with Faith No More, Pink Floyd, The Clash, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. He's always been a part of my life — from when I was a little kid and I stole my brother's Bowie poster because I thought he looked cool, right up to these past few days as I've listened with euphoric levels of glee to his latest release, Blackstar. He seemed like Mount Rushmore, or the Golden Gate Bridge — a musical monolith, as precise in his artfulness as he was stolid and apparently eternal.

My fandom for the Thin White Duke has ebbed and flowed over the years, hitting a peak somewhere around 1991-1992 when I was in my weirdo 70s music phase (that's also when I fell in love with Frank Zappa), and probably sinking to its lowest point around 1997-1998, when I was all caught up in the whole death metal thing. Over the last fifteen years or so his music has steadily wormed its way back into my soul. The man was an absolute genius. There will be never be another like him.

As sad as I am over this news, I'm so grateful that he was able to give us Blackstar before he passed. It's his best, most adventurous album in years, and it's a genuine inspiration that he managed to remain so vital and boundary-pushing right up to the end.

I don't have a whole lot more to say about this. I'm still trying to process. But I know I want to celebrate him and his genius, so in no particular order here are my 10 favorite David Bowie songs:

Lazarus (2016)

Let's start with his most recent. Blackstar, written and performed with some of the world's best jazz musicians, is a truly amazing achievement — particularly now that we know it was made while he was dying. The single "Lazarus" was originally written for a new off-Broadway musical that was inspired by his 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth. It's the best track on an already brilliant record, and in retrospect it seems obvious that it was planned to be his swan song. I can't think of a better one.

I'm not going to have much to say about the rest of these. Just enjoy them.

Heroes (1977)

Station to Station (1976)

The Hearts Filthy Lesson (1995)

Even when I moved away from Bowie for awhile, I took this song with me.

Life on Mars (1971)

Just so goddamned pretty.

Suffragette City (1972)

Where Are We Now? (2013)

Bowie as an older man reflecting on his memories of Berlin. So beautiful and melancholy. It's actually a little too painful to listen to this song right now.

Cat People (Putting Out Fire) (1983)

This song got re-popularized after Tarantino used it in Inglorious Basterds, but I'll always remember it as the only good thing about Paul Schrader's terrible remake of Cat People, Val Lewton's 1942 horror classic.

Queen Bitch (1971)

Ziggy Stardust (1972)

Keep in mind I'm not arguing these are the definitive 10 best Bowie songs. These are just my favorites, the ones I enjoy the most, and this list could change at any time depending on my mood. There are so many others I could talk about — "Space Oddity," "Fame," "Starman," "Changes," "Diamond Dogs," "Rebel Rebel," "Golden Years," "Modern Love," "Sound and Vision," "TVC15," "The Jean Genie," "Young Americans," "All the Young Dudes," and on and on and on and on. The list is almost literally endless.

R.I.P.