Major Tom, Coming Home

Gif Source: giphy.

David Robert Jones also known by his stage name, David Bowie, has died (8 January 1947-10 January 2016). In A Space Oddity (1969), Bowie introduced his astronaut character Major Tom, who appears in the later song Ashes to Ashes (1980), as well as songs by other artists: Peter Schilling (1983); Plastic Bertrand (1983) - his Schilling cover is here; the Pet Shop Boys (1996), in an adaptation of Bowie's Hallo Spaceboy (1995); At the Drive-In (2000); K.I.A. (2002), covered by Sheryl Crow in 2011; the Tea Party (2004); and Shiny Toy Guns (2009). Elton John's Rocket Man (1969) does not have a connection to Bowie's character although the themes are similar. The same can be said for Matthew Wilder's Bouncin' Off the Walls (1984). Wiki lists other artists and songs which refer to Bowie's astronaut:

Major Tom also has had and continues to have passing references in other popular songs, such as: Five Star's Rain or Shine (1986), Def Leppard's Rocket (1987), Marilyn Manson's Apple of Sodom (1997), Lorraine Bowen's Space (2002), The Mars Volta's live rendition of the song Cicatriz (2005) featuring a lengthy jam, which would evolve into the song Cassandra Gemini, Cold's Happens All The Time (also 2005), Alphabeat's Fantastic 6 (2007), The Cab's Angel with a Shotgun (2011) and Lana Del Rey's Terrence Loves You (2015).

In 2011, William Shatner produced an album, Seeking Major Tom, with tracks related to this evolving Bowie character. There are many Youtube playlists (like this one) with Major Tom tributes. The character has also been mentioned in video games, television shows, cartoons, novels, and online media, demonstrating how much of an influence just one of David Bowie's songs had on popular culture. A Space Oddity was previously mentioned in this post, and Dia Sobin's 2014 tribute with links to Mac Tonnies's posts on Bowie is here. Below the jump, see some of the main Major Tom videos.

Ashes to Ashes (1980), LP: Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Video Source: Youtube.

Peter Schilling: Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst) (1983), LP: Error in the System. Video Source: Youtube.

Peter Schilling: Major Tom, Coming Home (English version; 1983), LP: Error in the System. Video Source: Youtube. The original MTV hit video is here.

David Bowie: Hallo Spaceboy (1995), LP: Outside. Video Source: Youtube.

Pet Shop Boys: Hallo Spaceboy (Remix) (1996), LP: Somewhere (1997). Video Source: Youtube.

At the Drive-In: Cosmonaut (2000), LP: Relationship of Command. Video Source: Youtube.

The Tea Party: Empty Glass (2004), LP: Seven Circles. Video Source: Youtube.

Shiny Toy Guns: Major Tom (Coming Home) (2009), LP: Girls Le Disko. Video Source: Youtube.