Studio Album · No. 15
Let's Dance Songwriting Credits by David Bowie
Produced by Nile Rodgers · Engineered by Bob Clearmountain, Dave Greenberg
Holds writing credit on 7 of 8 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 8 documented
Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 1
David Bowie co-produced Let's Dance with Nile Rodgers of Chic, a shift toward a polished dance-pop sound. Bowie wrote most of the songs, but the album includes notable outside material: "China Girl" was co-written with Iggy Pop, "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" came from Giorgio Moroder, and "Criminal World" was originally written by Peter Godwin, Duncan Browne, and Sean Lyons. The record became Bowie's commercial peak and showcased guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Let's Dance is the fifteenth studio album by David Bowie, released in April 1983 on EMI / Parlophone and produced by Nile Rodgers. The album was the biggest commercial success of Bowie's career, debuting at number one in both the UK and the United States and spawning three hit singles: 'Let's Dance,' 'China Girl,' and 'Modern Love,' all of which reached the top five on both sides of the Atlantic. Nile Rodgers's crisp, funk-influenced production and Stevie Ray Vaughan's searing blues guitar transformed Bowie's sound into something more accessible and commercially potent than anything he had previously attempted. The album sold over eight million copies worldwide and introduced Bowie to an entirely new generation of listeners who had missed his 1970s work. While some fans lamented the abandonment of his avant-garde experimentation, Let's Dance remains an expertly crafted pop record that demonstrated Bowie's extraordinary versatility.
Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Modern Love
#2
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 2 |
China Girl
#2
|
David BowieIggy Pop | David BowieIggy Pop | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 3 |
Let's Dance
#1
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 4 |
Without You
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 5 |
Ricochet
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 6 |
Criminal World
|
Peter GodwinDuncan BrowneSean Lyons | Peter GodwinDuncan BrowneSean Lyons | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 7 |
Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
|
David BowieGiorgio Moroder | David BowieGiorgio Moroder | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |
| 8 |
Shake It
|
David Bowie | David Bowie | Nile Rodgers | David Bowie (Lead Vocals) |