David Bowie

Modern Love

Song Review by

If the whole of David Bowie's Let's Dance had sounded like this, there could have been few complaints. A high-energy, effervescent rocker, it epitomizes all that was good about Bowie's 1983 reinvention as a willing superstar -- the speed with which so many of the production techniques began sounding dated, contrarily, merely highlights the flaws inherent in the reinvention itself.

Nevertheless, it is a furiously punchy number, redolent of an old-time rocker (producer Nile Rodgers later compared it to Little Richard) and, as a single, it reached number two in the U.K., number 14 in America. It was a regular in the Serious Moonlight tour repertoire; indeed, a live version appeared on the B-side of the single. It was performed live in 1987 and 1990, while Bowie also cut a version with Tina Turner for use in a Pepsi commercial.

Appears On

Year Artist/Album Label Time AllMusic Rating
Let's Dance 1983 Virgin 4:48
No Image 1983 Sony Music Distribution
No Image 1985 Polygram
Glass Spider [Video] 1988 Parlophone / Rhino 4:53
Changesbowie 1990 Rykodisc 3:59
The Singles: 1969-1993 1993 Rykodisc 3:56
The Video Collection 1993 Rykodisc
The Singles Collection 1993 EMI Music Distribution 3:57
Sounds of the Eighties: The Rockin' Eighties 1994
Various Artists
Time / Life Music 3:59
The Singles Collection 2 2000 EMI Music Distribution 3:57
Abrocken 2000
Various Artists
EMI Music Distribution 4:46
Best of Bowie 2002 Virgin 4:47
The Best of Bowie [DVD] 2002 Virgin 3:59
The Business: Music from the Motion Picture 2005
Original Soundtrack
EMI Music Distribution 3:57
The Platinum Collection 2006 Virgin 3:58
The Best of David Bowie 1980-1987 2007 Virgin 3:58
Now That's What I Call the 80s [3 CD] 2007
Various Artists
EMI Music Distribution 4:46
Now That's What I Call Music: 25 Years 2008
Various Artists
EMI 4:47
Adventureland 2009
Original Soundtrack
Hollywood Records (UK) 3:57
101 Running Songs 2009
Various Artists
EMI Music Distribution 3:58
Now! 1980's 2010
Various Artists
EMI / Emi Music Canada Distribution 3:57
Hot Tub Time Machine [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] 2010
Original Soundtrack
Rhino 3:57
Nothing Has Changed 2014 Columbia / Legacy 3:56
Legacy 2016 Columbia / Legacy / Sony Music 3:57
Loving the Alien (1983-1988) 2018 Parlophone / Rhino 4:53
Montreal 1983: The Canadian Broadcast 2 CD Set Golden Rain 3:53