5 Musical Chameleons

The man who all but invented what it means to be a chameleon in music, David Bowie was never content with being pigeonholed as a single entity. After starting as a glam rock pioneer, Bowie went on to dip his toes into any genre that he felt would suit him such as blue-eyed soul, kraut rock, ambient, dance, metal, and even industrial music.

A lot of this inspiration seemed to come from Bowie's friendships with other rock eccentrics such as Lou Reed and Patti Smith. Instead of alienating his audience with each release, Bowie always seemed to welcome listeners on a journey through what musical avenues made him tick at the moment. In that sense, Bowie never saw his career as something that was completed after he attained success. His musicianship was always an ever-growing pursuit that never had a retirement date.

Over years of experimenting, Bowie grew into much less a musicianly figure and more an artist using music as his canvas to create something spectacular. Most importantly, Bowie understood the fact that his art is a reflection of himself, and up until his death he spent every waking hour revealing the person who exists behind the instrument.