<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fame (David Bowie song)</span>

Fame (David Bowie song)

<p>"<b>Fame</b>" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter <a href="/en/David_Bowie" title="David Bowie" class="wl">David Bowie</a>. It was released on his 1975 album <i><a href="/en/Young_Americans" title="Young Americans" class="wl">Young Americans</a></i> and was later issued as the album's second <a href="/en/Single_(music)" title="Single (music)" class="wl">single</a> by <a href="/en/RCA_Records" title="RCA Records" class="wl">RCA Records</a> in June 1975. Written by Bowie, <a href="/en/Carlos_Alomar" title="Carlos Alomar" class="wl">Carlos Alomar</a> and <a href="/en/John_Lennon" title="John Lennon" class="wl">John Lennon</a>, it was recorded at <a href="/en/Electric_Lady_Studios" title="Electric Lady Studios" class="wl">Electric Lady Studios</a> in New York City in January 1975. It is a <a href="/en/Funk_rock" title="Funk rock" class="wl">funk rock</a> song that represents Bowie's dissatisfaction with the troubles of fame and stardom.</p>

<div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none" about="#mwt1">1975 song by David Bowie</div>
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<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles mw:Transclusion">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1066479718" typeof="mw:Extension/templatestyles">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-header,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-subheader,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-above,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-title,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-image,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data,body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .infobox-below{text-align:center}</style><div class='mobile-collapse'><header class="mobile-collapse-header mobile-collapse-btn"><b>Quick facts: "Fame", Single by David Bowie, from the album...</b> <span class='arrow'>▼</span></header> <table class="infobox vevent mobile-collapse-element"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above summary notheme" style="background-color: khaki; font-size: 125%;">"Fame"</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size"><a href="/en/File:Bowie_Fame.jpg" class="mw-file-description image media-thumb" data-hash="File:Bowie_Fame.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Bowie_Fame.jpg" decoding="async" data-file-width="200" data-file-height="203" data-file-type="bitmap" height="203" width="200" alt="Bowie_Fame.jpg"></a></span></td></tr><tr class="description"><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header description notheme" style="background-color: khaki;"><a href="/en/Single_(music)" title="Single (music)" class="wl">Single</a> by <a href="/en/David_Bowie" title="David Bowie" class="wl">David Bowie</a></th></tr><tr class="description"><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header description notheme" style="background-color: khaki;">from the album <i> <a href="/en/Young_Americans" title="Young Americans" class="wl">Young Americans</a> </i></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap"><a href="/en/A-side_and_B-side" title="A-side and B-side" class="wl">B-side</a></span></th><td class="infobox-data plainlist">"<a href="/en/Right_(David_Bowie_song)" title="Right (David Bowie song)" class="mw-redirect wl">Right</a>"</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Released</th><td class="infobox-data plainlist">
<ul><li>June<span>&nbsp;</span>1975<span style="display:none"><span>&nbsp;</span>(<span class="bday dtstart published updated">1975-06</span>)</span> (US)<span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-Billboard_1-0"><a href="#cite_note-Billboard-1" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 1;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[1]</span></a></span></li>
<li>25<span>&nbsp;</span>July<span>&nbsp;</span>1975<span style="display:none"><span>&nbsp;</span>(<span class="bday dtstart published updated">1975-07-25</span>)</span> (UK)</li></ul>
</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Recorded</th><td class="infobox-data plainlist">January 1975</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/en/Recording_studio" title="Recording studio" class="wl">Studio</a></th><td class="infobox-data plainlist"><a href="/en/Electric_Lady_Studios" title="Electric Lady Studios" class="wl">Electric Lady</a>, New York City</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/en/Music_genre" title="Music genre" class="wl">Genre</a></th><td class="infobox-data category hlist"><div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/en/Funk" title="Funk" class="wl">Funk</a><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-funk_genre_2-0"><a href="#cite_note-funk_genre-2" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 2;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[2]</span></a></span></li><li><a href="/en/Funk_rock" title="Funk rock" class="wl">funk rock</a><span class="mw-ref reference" id="cite_ref-funk_rock_3-0"><a href="#cite_note-funk_rock-3" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 3;"><span class="mw-reflink-text">[3]</span></a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Length</th><td class="infobox-data plainlist">
<ul><li><span class="duration"><span class="min">3</span>:<span class="s">30</span></span> (single)</li>
<li><span class="duration"><span class="min">4</span>:<span class="s">21</span></span> (album)</li></ul>
</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><a href="/en/Record_label" title="Record label" class="wl">Label</a></th><td class="infobox-data hlist"><a href="/en/RCA_Records" title="RCA Records" class="wl">RCA</a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap"><a href="/en/Songwriter" title="Songwriter" class="wl">Songwriter(s)</a></span></th><td class="infobox-data hlist"><div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/en/David_Bowie" title="David Bowie" class="wl">David Bowie</a></li><li><a href="/en/Carlos_Alomar" title="Carlos Alomar" class="wl">Carlos Alomar</a></li><li><a href="/en/John_Lennon" title="John Lennon" class="wl">John Lennon</a></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label"><span class="nowrap"><a href="/en/Record_producer" title="Record producer" class="wl">Producer(s)</a></span></th><td class="infobox-data hlist"><div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/en/Harry_Maslin" title="Harry Maslin" class="wl">Harry Maslin</a></li><li>David Bowie</li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header description notheme" style="background-color: khaki;"><a href="/en/David_Bowie" title="David Bowie" class="wl">David Bowie</a> singles chronology</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data">
<table style="background: transparent; width: 100%; min-width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; display: inline-table;" class="notheme">
<tbody><tr style="line-height: 1.4em;">
<td style="width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding: .2em .1em .2em 0;">"<a href="/en/Young_Americans_(song)" title="Young Americans (song)" class="wl">Young Americans</a>" <br>(1975)</td>
<td style="width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding:.2em .1em;">"<b>Fame</b>" <br>(1975)</td>
<td style="width: 33%; text-align: center; vertical-align: top; padding: .2em 0 .2em .1em;">"<a href="/en/Golden_Years_(David_Bowie_song)" title="Golden Years (David Bowie song)" class="wl">Golden Years</a>" <br>(1975)</td></tr>
</tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> <footer class='mobile-collapse-footer mobile-collapse-btn'><b>Close</b> <span class='arrow'>▲</span></footer></div>

<p>The song was a major commercial success in North America, becoming Bowie's first number 1 single on both the US <a href="/en/Billboard_Hot_100" title="Billboard Hot 100" class="wl"><i>Billboard</i> Hot 100</a> and the <a href="/en/Canadian_Singles_Chart" title="Canadian Singles Chart" class="wl">Canadian Singles Chart</a>. The song was one of the most successful singles of the year, ranking at number 7 on the <a href="/en/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1975" title="Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975" class="wl"><i>Billboard</i> Year-End Hot 100</a>. However, it was less successful in Europe, reaching number 17 in the <a href="/en/UK_Singles_Chart" title="UK Singles Chart" class="wl">UK Singles Chart</a>.</p>

<p>In 1990, Bowie remixed the song under the title "Fame '90" to coincide with his <a href="/en/Sound+Vision_Tour" title="Sound+Vision Tour" class="wl">Sound+Vision Tour</a>. "Fame" has since appeared on many <a href="/en/Compilation_album" title="Compilation album" class="wl">compilation albums</a>, and was remastered in 2016 as part of the <i><a href="/en/Who_Can_I_Be_Now%3F_(1974–1976)" title="Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)" class="wl">Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976)</a></i> box set.</p>

<p>The song is one of four of Bowie's songs to be included in <a href="/en/The_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame's_500_Songs_that_Shaped_Rock_and_Roll" title="The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" class="mw-redirect wl">The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll</a>.</p>



"Fame" is a song recorded by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released on his 1975 album Young Americans and was later issued as the album's second single by RCA Records in June 1975. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, it was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City in January 1975. It is a funk rock song that represents Bowie's dissatisfaction with the troubles of fame and stardom. The song was a major commercial success in North America, becoming Bowie's first number 1 single on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian Singles Chart. The song was one of the most successful singles of the year, ranking at number 7 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. However, it was less successful in Europe, reaching number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. 