"Changes" is a song by English singer-songwriter
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, originally released on his 1971 album ''
Hunky Dory
''Hunky Dory'' is the fourth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 17December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, '' The Man Who Sold the World'', Bowie took time off from recording and tourin ...
''.
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
then released it as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
from the album on 7 January 1972. Written following his promotional tour of America in early 1971, "Changes" was recorded at
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry. ...
in London between June and July that year. Co-produced by Bowie and
Ken Scott
Ken Scott (born 20 April 1947) is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff B ...
, it featured
Strawbs member
Rick Wakeman on piano and the musicians who would later become known as
the Spiders from Mars
The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie's backing band in the early 1970s, and initially consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums.
The group had its origins in Bowie's earlier ba ...
: guitarist
Mick Ronson
Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...
, bassist
Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with the Spiders from Mars, the backing band for David Bowie, a ...
and drummer
Mick Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rel ...
. The song also marks the first instance of Bowie playing the
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
on one of his recordings.
At this point in his career, Bowie had experimented with numerous musical styles, all of which failed to earn him stardom. The lyrics of "Changes" reflect this, with the first verse focusing on the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention and distancing oneself from the rock mainstream. The second verse concerns clashes between children and their parents, urging them to allow their children to be themselves as teenagers, a topic Bowie had spoken out about before. Musically, "Changes" is an
art pop
Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...
song that features a distinctive piano riff. Upon release as a single, "Changes" flopped like its parent album. It wasn't until the success of its follow-up ''
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (often shortened to ''Ziggy Stardust'') is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 16June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-pr ...
'' that the song garnered success. RCA later chose it as a B-side for the reissue of "
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...
" in 1975, which became Bowie's first UK number-one single.
Retrospectively, "Changes" is regarded as one of Bowie's best songs, with many praising Bowie's vocal performance and Wakeman's piano playing. It has also appeared on several best-of lists. His biographers have viewed the track as a manifesto of his entire career, predicting a constant change of musical styles. Bowie performed "Changes" frequently during his concert tours; it was the final song he performed on stage before
his death in 2016. The song has appeared on numerous
compilation albums and is the namesake of several. Several artists have covered the song, including Australian singer
Butterfly Boucher
Butterfly Giselle Grace Boucher (born 2 June 1979) is an Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer born in Adelaide. From the age of 15 years she played bass guitar in her older sister, Rebecca Boucher Burns (Becca ...
for the 2004 film ''
Shrek 2
''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the ...
'', whose version featured new vocals from Bowie.
Writing and recording
After completing a promotional tour of America in early 1971, English singer-songwriter
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
returned to his home at Haddon Hall in
Beckenham
Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, in Greater London. Until 1965 it was part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south-east of Charing Cross, situated north of Elmers End and E ...
, London, and began writing songs. In total, he composed over three-dozen songs there, many of which would appear on his next album ''
Hunky Dory
''Hunky Dory'' is the fourth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 17December 1971 through RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, '' The Man Who Sold the World'', Bowie took time off from recording and tourin ...
'' and its follow-up ''
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (often shortened to ''Ziggy Stardust'') is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 16June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-pr ...
''. One of these tracks was "Changes", which he
demoed between May and June 1971. Featuring Bowie on piano, the demo contained different lyrics from the final recording and remains unreleased.
Work on ''Hunky Dory'' officially began at
Trident Studios
Trident Studios was a British recording facility, located at 17 St Anne's Court in London's Soho district between 1968 and 1981. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield, drummer of the 1960s group the Hunters, and his brother Barry. ...
in London on 8 June 1971 and concluded on 6 August. "Changes" was recorded sometime between June and July. Co-produced by Bowie and
Ken Scott
Ken Scott (born 20 April 1947) is a British record producer and engineer known for being one of the five main engineers for the Beatles, as well as engineering Elton John, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Duran Duran, the Jeff B ...
, he recorded it with pianist
Rick Wakeman and the musicians who would later become known as
the Spiders from Mars
The Spiders from Mars were rock singer David Bowie's backing band in the early 1970s, and initially consisted of Mick Ronson on guitars, Trevor Bolder on bass guitar, and Mick Woodmansey on drums.
The group had its origins in Bowie's earlier ba ...
: guitarist
Mick Ronson
Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...
, bassist
Trevor Bolder
Trevor Bolder (9 June 1950 – 21 May 2013) was an English rock musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his long association with Uriah Heep and his tenure with the Spiders from Mars, the backing band for David Bowie, a ...
and drummer
Mick Woodmansey
Michael "Woody" Woodmansey (born 4 February 1950) is an English rock drummer best known for his work in the early 1970s as a member of David Bowie's core backing ensemble that became known as the Spiders from Mars in conjunction with the rel ...
. Wakeman, a noted
session musician and member of the
Strawbs, was asked to play during the ''Hunky Dory'' sessions and accepted. He had previously played
Mellotron on Bowie's
1969 self-titled album. He recalled in 1995 that he met with Bowie in late June 1971 at Haddon Hall, where Bowie played him demos of "Changes" and "
Life on Mars?" in "their raw brilliance". He recalled: "He
layedthe finest selection of songs I have ever heard in one sitting in my entire life...I couldn't wait to get into the studio and record them." Bowie plays a
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
solo on the final recording – his first feature of the instrument– which he recollected was recorded "when I was still going through ideas of using melodic saxophone." Bowie has said that the track "started out as a parody of a
nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
song, a kind of throwaway".
Composition
Music
Musically, "Changes" is an
art pop
Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...
song.
While primarily in 4/4
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
, the
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
changes to 2/4 twice (on the lines "different man" and "necks in it"), and four simultaneous bars of 3/4 feature different chords on each bar and are accompanied by Woodmansey's drum fills. According to James Perone, it features a "standard British pop
song structure
Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
", with "clearly defined" verses,
choruses and middle-eight sections. The song begins on a
tonic chord
Tonic may refer to:
* Tonic water, a drink traditionally containing quinine
* Soft drink, a carbonated beverage
*Tonic (physiology), the response of a muscle fiber or nerve ending typified by slow, continuous action
* Tonic syllable, the stressed ...
(
C major 7th) piano and strings, thereafter moving up in semitones:
Dadd6th,
D minor7,
E7,
F7. Critic Wilfrid Mellers described this intro as "near-anarchic", finding that the sequence "violates orthodox musical grammar". From there, the piano follows the same sequence:
C–
E–
G–
B (Cmaj7),
D–
F–
A–C (Dm7), F–A–C–E (F7), and E–G–
B–D (E7). O'Leary calls the progression "quintessential Bowie": it was "found by random movement, that sounded 'right' despite being technically 'wrong'."
After an "oh yeah" from Bowie, piano and kick drum eighth notes build anticipation before a distinctive riff begins. According to author
Peter Doggett
Peter Doggett (born 30 June 1957) is an English music journalist, author and magazine editor. He began his career in music journalism in 1980, when he joined the London-based magazine ''Record Collector''. He subsequently served as the editor ...
, Bowie did not know the chord changes on guitar or piano, but "he followed his fingers as they crept, slowly up and down the keyboard, augmenting familiar shapes or simply reproducing them a step or two along the ivories." Played by piano, saxophone, bass and strings, the riff is an eighth note melody that Doggett describes as a rising "diatonic major descent". O'Leary notes that the riff only appears twice in the entire song: once before the first verse and second after the first chorus.
The piano and bass are similar to the album track "
Oh! You Pretty Things
"Oh! You Pretty Things" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on his 1971 album ''Hunky Dory''. It was the first song he wrote for the album. Bowie recorded the song as a demo before giving it to singer Peter Noo ...
", going up and down a C to D scale. Doggett writes: "It was as if the piano was scared to rest in one place for more than a couple of beats, in case it would be hemmed in or halted. By restlessly moving, it kept its options open and its spirit alive." Like "Oh! You Pretty Things", "Changes" ends how it begins: on the C major 7th chord, although the chord sequence is in reverse. Saxophone, piano, strings and bass all play their final notes, fading into the distance.
Lyrics
The lyrics of "Changes" focus on the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention and distancing oneself from the rock mainstream. Perone calls them "thought-provoking," and "clearly autobiographical." At this point in his career, Bowie was frequently being told how to musically progress by his managers and labels, leading him to experiment with genres such as
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
,
hard rock and
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
. This is reflected in the first verse, in which the narrator looks at himself through a mirror to help find his true identity. Perone argues that the verse serves as a "public acknowledgment" that these earlier styles, all of which failed to earn him stardom, were not the "true David Bowie style." Biographer
Nicholas Pegg identifies the line "I turned myself to face me" as mirroring Bowie's encounter with himself in his 1970 track "
The Width of a Circle". O'Leary writes that with "Changes", Bowie commits to a "life of constant revision." By saying "look out you rock 'n' rollers", Bowie is "throwing the gauntlet down to existing rockers" and "putting a distance between himself and the rock fraternity."
Like "Life on Mars?", "Changes" was a response to
Frank Sinatra's "
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
"; biographer David Buckley cites the line "turn and face the strange" as "not a valedictory farewell, but a prophetic hello." According to Buckley, the phrase 'strange fascination' "not only embodies a continued quest for the new and the bizarre but also carries with it the force of compulsion, the notion of having to change to stay afloat artistically." The first verse elucidates the three most important components in Bowie's quest for stardom: the themes of identity, the "mutability" of character" and a "sense of play" in both first and third person, signaling the creation of
Ziggy Stardust. Throughout the 1970s, Bowie had a "pathological fear" of repeating himself, both musically and visually. He gave himself the epithet 'faker' and proclaimed himself as "pop's fraud; the arch-dissembler." Pegg states that his identification of himself as the 'faker' gives him anxiety, believing that he is "much too fast" to be affected by how others' opinion of him.
The song's chorus, Bowie stuttering the 'ch' at the beginning of the word 'changes', has been compared to the English rock band
the Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, specifically their 1965 song "
My Generation
"My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, which became a hit and one of their most recognizable songs. The song was named the 11th greatest song by ''Rolling Stone'' on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It becam ...
". Both songs have stuttering vocals and similar lyrics ("hope I die before I get old" versus "pretty soon now you're gonna get older"). The second verse concerns clashes between children and their parents, urging them to allow their children to be themselves as teenagers. This is reflected in the line "Time may change me, but I can't trace time", which Pegg believes resembles
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "
The Times They Are a-Changin'". Bowie had previously spoken about this issue in an interview with ''The Times'' in 1968: "We feel our parents' generation has lost control, given up, they're scared of the future. I feel it's basically their fault that things are so bad." In ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s contemporary review of ''Hunky Dory'', John Mendelsohn acknowledged this, considering "Changes" to be "construed as a young man's attempt to reckon how he'll react when it's his time to be on the maligned side of the generation schism."
The song has also been interpreted by ''NME'' editors
Roy Carr
Roy Carr (1945 – 1 July 2018) was an English music journalist, covering pop, rock and jazz. He joined the '' New Musical Express (NME)'' in the late 1960s, and edited ''NME'', '' Vox'' and '' Melody Maker'' magazines.
Biography
Born in Bla ...
and
Charles Shaar Murray
Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the ''New Musical Express'' and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of ...
as touting "Modern Kids as a New Race".
Release
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
released ''Hunky Dory'' on 17 December 1971,
with "Changes" sequenced as the opening track. It was subsequently released as the first single of the album on 7 January 1972, with the catalogue number RCA 2160 and fellow album track "
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...
" as the B-side; it was Bowie's first single released by RCA. In France, the B-side was "
Song for Bob Dylan
"Song for Bob Dylan" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie for his 1971 album ''Hunky Dory''. The song references Bob Dylan's 1962 homage to Woody Guthrie, " Song to Woody". Yet while Dylan opens with "Hey, hey, Woody Guthrie ...
", despite the label stating that it was "Andy Warhol". This single has been cited as Bowie's official US chart debut.
Upon release, like the album, it flopped commercially, failing to chart in the UK, and peaking at number 59 and 66 on the US ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and
''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts, respectively. Despite this, it became English disc jockey
Tony Blackburn's record of the week. It was not until the success of Bowie's following album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (1972) that recognition was brought upon ''Hunky Dory'' and "Changes", which according to Pegg quickly became a "turntable favorite" and "embedded" itself into the "pop-culture psyche". Carr and Murray later argued that "Oh! You Pretty Things" was the "obvious single" from the album over "Changes".
In 1975, RCA released "Changes", along with the ''Ziggy Stardust'' outtake "
Velvet Goldmine
''Velvet Goldmine'' is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. It is set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, and tells the story of fictional bisexual pop star ...
", as a B-side of the UK reissue of "
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...
", which became Bowie's first UK number one single. This release also charted higher in the US, at number 38 and 41 on the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and ''Billboard'' Hot 100, respectively, and also peaked at number 32 on the Canadian ''
RPM
Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines.
Standards
ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
'' Top Singles chart.
Following
Bowie's death in 2016, it charted again, peaking at number 49 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
,
and number 10 on the US ''Billboard''
Rock Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alterna ...
chart.
It also reached the top-five in Sweden and number 84 in France.
In April 2022, the
British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI) awarded the song a gold
certification for sales and streams exceeding 400,000 units.
Critical reception
"Changes" was met with positive reviews from music critics on release, with ''Billboard'' magazine naming it one of the strongest songs on the album. ''
Cash Box'' said that it has "one of the most infectious
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
lines in recent memory." Reviewing ''Hunky Dory'', Danny Halloway of ''NME'' called "Changes" a "fantastic pop song", describing it as Bowie's "life story". In another review in ''Rolling Stone'', John Mendelsohn called the song's chorus "irresistible". Retrospectively, "Changes" has continued to be viewed in a positive light. In his book ''The Complete David Bowie'', Pegg calls Wakeman's piano performance "superb" and the song overall one of Bowie's "pivotal recordings". Paul Trynka writes that even though the song wasn't a commercial success initially, it would "energize a group of believers, who helped their golden boy ascend to fame over the months that followed." Ned Raggett of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
calls the chorus "absolutely wonderful" and compliments everything from Wakeman's piano, Bowie's vocal performance and the performances of the Spiders from Mars. He concludes saying: "The descending chords of the bass hint at that particular glam rock element's incipient dominance, while Ken Scott's production and Mick Ronson's excellent string arrangement – not to mention Bowie's own winning sax part – complete the package."
"Changes" has frequently appeared on lists of Bowie's greatest songs. ''
Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
* Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* ' ...
'' magazine listed it as Bowie's fifth best track in 2015.
''Ultimate Classic Rock'', in their list of Bowie's ten best songs the same year, listed it at number two, calling it "a beautiful tune" and praising Bowie's vocal performance as one of his finest, "showcasing one of the most unique voices in rock history."
The staff of ''Rolling Stone'' listed "Changes" as one of Bowie's 30 essential songs, writing that although Bowie said it started as somewhat of a "parody of a nightclub song", it ended up being a "st-st-st-stuttering rock anthem".
In ''The Guardian'',
Alexis Petridis voted it number 15 in his list of Bowie's 50 greatest songs in 2020, calling it a "perfectly written, irresistible mission statement that few heeded at the time." In other lists, "Changes" has ranked at number three, eight and nine by ''NME'', ''
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' and
Smooth Radio in 2018, 2015 and 2020, respectively.
In another 2016 list ranking every Bowie single from worst to best, ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' placed "Changes" at number two, behind "
Heroes
Heroes or Héroes may refer to:
* Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good
Film
* ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama
* ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film
Gaming
* ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
", calling it "a pre-'Ziggy' burst of pop exuberance that still shines".
Accolades
"Changes" has appeared on numerous best-of lists. In 2015, ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' placed the song on their list of the top 200 songs of the 1970s, writing, "Even before his career took off, Bowie was giving a glimpse of his future, singing about change in a voice that sounded an awful lot like a certain rock 'n' roll troubadour from Mars. After a few stumbling years, Bowie found his voice on 1971's ''Hunky Dory''. "Changes" is his coming-out party." The song was ranked at number 128 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of
the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...
in 2010; it was re-ranked number 200 in its 2021 revised list. It is one of four of Bowie's songs to be included in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's
500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
. In late 2016, the American
Recording Academy
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
inducted the song into the
Grammy Hall of Fame
The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
. Based on the song's appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website
Acclaimed Music lists "Changes" as the 12th most acclaimed song of 1971, the 48th most acclaimed song of the 1970s and the 226th most acclaimed song in history.
Analysis
Retrospectively, "Changes" is described by Bowie's biographers as a manifesto of his entire career. Throughout the 1970s, Bowie changed his musical styles and appearances constantly; Doggett notes that each album he released between 1974 and 1977—''
Diamond Dogs
''Diamond Dogs'' is the eighth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 24 May 1974 through RCA Records. Bowie produced the album and recorded it in early 1974 at Olympic and Island Studios in London and Ludolph Studios i ...
'', ''
Young Americans
''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and ...
'', ''
Station to Station
''Station to Station'' is the tenth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 23 January 1976 through RCA Records. Regarded as one of his most significant works, the album was the vehicle for Bowie's performance person ...
'' and ''
Low''—could not have predicted the next. He was dubbed the "chameleon of rock" by numerous publications and biographers due to his constant reinvention throughout his career,
which matches the overall theme in "Changes". Buckley notes that 1971 was a pivotal year for Bowie; it was the year in which he became "something of a pop-art agent provocateur. In a time when rock musicians looked to traditions and established standards, Bowie looked to be radically different and challenge tradition, reinventing himself again and again, thereby creating new standards and conventions.
Doggett also notes that "Changes" is a "statement of purpose": it was the first track on ''Hunky Dory'', the first time his audience had heard of him since ''
The Man Who Sold the World'' (1970), and his previous hard rock and metallic sound was not present. Furthermore, he states that the song was unlike "Space Oddity" and its parent album, but rather "pure, unashamedly melodic, gleefully commercial, gorgeously pop."
Live versions
Bowie played the song for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's ''Johnny Walker Lunchtime Show'' on 22 May 1972. This was broadcast in early June 1972 and eventually released on ''
'' in 2000. Bowie frequently performed "Changes" throughout his concert tours. According to the artist, "it turned into this monster that nobody would stop asking for at concerts: '' 'Dye-vid, Dye-vid – do Changes!' '' I had ''no'' idea it would become such a popular thing."
'' (2008). Another previously unreleased performance from
'' (2020). Live versions from the
'' (2010), respectively.
at the Black Ball fundraiser in New York. Also performing "
", it was Bowie's final live performance before his death in 2016.
'' (2016). In 2015, the song, along with its parent album, was remastered for the ''
. It was released in CD, vinyl, and digital formats.
A quotation from the song was used as an
'' (1985):
:...And these children
:that you spit on
:as they try to change their worlds
:are immune to your consultations.
:They're quite aware
:Of what they're going through...
The song also appears in the 2015
near the end of Bowie's life. The English pop group
. Although officially unreleased, their version was leaked to the internet in 2016. That same year, the song was ranked at number 74 by
station WDDF Radio in their first top 76 of the 1970s countdown.
In 2004, a new version of "Changes" by Australian artist
, featuring Bowie on additional vocals, was recorded for the soundtrack of the animated film ''
''. Boucher, who was commissioned by the film's studio to provide a song, sent a recording of "Changes" to Bowie in December 2003 during his A Reality Tour, requesting additional backing vocals from the artist. In
for the tour, Bowie travelled to Compass Point Studios, where he had previously recorded with the rock band
producing. Pegg describes this version as having a "lush arrangement" featuring piano, saxophone and strings. He and O'Leary both praise Bowie's vocal performance as one of the finest of his later career. That same year, Portuguese singer
''.
An alternative mix of "Changes" by Ken Scott was released in December 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ''Hunky Dory'', accompanied by a new lyric video. Scott explained in a statement:
All tracks are written by David Bowie.