David Bowie is hardly a music superstar that you can imagine having a country music hit. But the chameleon-like celeb did actually manage to accomplish that feat - and it happened eight years after he died in 2016 at age 69. This takes a little explaining, I admit. So here goes... Per Rolling Stone, a couple of months ago, a song from Chris Young called "Young Love & Saturday Nights" that initially dropped last year achieved the no. 1 spot "on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase country radio chart." Now here is the connection to Bowie. The guitar riff on "Young Love" comes from Bowie's song, "Rebel Rebel." There is a borrow from the melody as well.
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So that thereby gives David Bowie a country music chart-topper. Imagine what Ziggy Stardust would say about that!
What Is Interpolation?
The Trend Is How Bowie Managed To Hit The Country Chart
Interpolation sounds like something really fancy, but the concept is very simple. It's when classic songs or parts thereof are (legally) blended into new ones. That describes why you think of "Cruel Summer' by Taylor Swift when you hear "Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo. Put another way, interpolation peps up the new song while breathing fresh life into the old one.
There Is A Little More To How David Bowie's Song Got Incorporated Into Young's Tune
It Involved A Music Industry Business Deal
Per the outlet, Warner Chappell Music bought David Bowie's music catalog two years ago. That permitted his songs to be utilized for interpolations like the one that appears on Chris Young's song. Bowie is credited with penning "Young Love & Saturday Nights" alongside three songwriters from Nashville. Not bad!
Chris Young Sounded Very Pleased With The Final Result
Young Said The Inclusion Of David Bowie's Material Made His Own Song 'Cooler'
Young reportedly said to Rolling Stone in 2023, "There are a lot of songs where people use something as a sample or have exactly the same melody or lyric. This is different. This is creating something new, with a nod to something that pre-existed. And if you get the reference, it just made the song even cooler for you. Just to have a song that has David Bowie listed as a songwriter is amazing."
