Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) cover art

  Studio Album · No. 14

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) Songwriting Credits by David Bowie

1980 RCA Records 10 tracks 46 min

Produced by David Bowie, Tony Visconti  ·  Engineered by Tony Visconti, Larry Alexander, Jeff Hendrickson

RCA Records Art RockNew WavePost-Punk
90%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 9 of 10 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 9 / 10 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.

90%
9 trackswritten by David Bowie 1 trackoutside writers
David Bowie's roles on this album

Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist90%
Composer90%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

10
Tracks
2
Lyricists
2
Producers
1
No.1 Single
4.3 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1980
Released
Data Insight

David Bowie wrote every song on Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) except the Television cover "Kingdom Come," written by Tom Verlaine, while "It's No Game (No. 1)" used Japanese lyrics translated by Hirota Michi. The album's centerpiece "Ashes to Ashes" revisits the Major Tom character from his 1969 song "Space Oddity," recasting him as an addict. Bowie produced the record with Tony Visconti and used it to close out his RCA years with a sharper, post-punk informed sound.

David Bowie's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), released September 12, 1980 on RCA Records, is the triumphant coda to the Berlin era, a harder, more aggressive art-rock statement that reasserted Bowie's commercial dominance while retaining the experimental spirit of Low, Heroes, and Lodger. Bowie wrote nine of the ten tracks himself, with Tom Verlaine's 'Kingdom Come' the sole cover, and produced the album alongside Tony Visconti with guest guitar from Robert Fripp and Pete Townshend. 'Ashes to Ashes,' which returned to Major Tom from 'Space Oddity,' reached number one in the UK and remains one of Bowie's most discussed songs; the album itself also hit number one in the UK. The propulsive 'Fashion' was an international top-five hit, and 'Teenage Wildlife' is a nine-minute centerpiece that many consider Bowie's greatest epic since 'The Width of a Circle.' The album closes with a second take of 'It's No Game,' sung partly in Japanese, a bookending structural device that shows Bowie's complete artistic control of the record from start to finish.

Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
It's No Game (No. 1)
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
2
Up the Hill Backwards #32
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
3
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) #20
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
4
Ashes to Ashes #1
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
5
Fashion #5
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
6
Teenage Wildlife
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
7
Scream Like a Baby
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
8
Kingdom Come
Tom Verlaine Tom Verlaine David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
9
Because You're Young
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
10
It's No Game (No. 2)
David Bowie David Bowie David BowieTony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 3 contributors

More from David Bowie

1967 100%
David Bowie
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1969 100%
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1970 100%
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1971 91%
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1972 91%
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1973 90%
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1974 100%
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1975 88%
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1976 83%
Station to Station
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6 tracksProd. Harry Maslin
1977 100%
Heroes
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1977 100%
Low
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11 tracksProd. David Bowie
1979 100%
Lodger
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10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1983 88%
Let's Dance
EMI / Parlophone
8 tracksProd. Nile Rodgers
1984 67%
Tonight
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9 tracksProd. David Bowie
1987 91%
Never Let Me Down
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11 tracksProd. David Bowie
1993 67%
Black Tie White Noise
Savage Records
12 tracksProd. Nile Rodgers
1993 100%
The Buddha of Suburbia
Arista Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1995 100%
Outside
Arista Records
14 tracksProd. David Bowie
1997 100%
Earthling
Arista Records
9 tracksProd. David Bowie
1999 100%
'hours...'
Virgin Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
2002 75%
Heathen
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2003 82%
Reality
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11 tracksProd. Tony Visconti
2013 100%
The Next Day
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2016 100%
Blackstar
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Frequently Asked Questions Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

When was David Bowie's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) released?
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) was released in September 1980 on RCA Records. It was Bowie's last studio album for the label.
What genre is David Bowie's Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)?
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) is an art rock album that incorporates new wave and post-punk. It is often cited as the album where Bowie absorbed the energy of the punk and post-punk acts he had influenced.
What is "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie about?
"Ashes to Ashes" revisits Major Tom from "Space Oddity," reinterpreting the astronaut as someone struggling with addiction. It reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, and its video was among the most expensive made at the time.
How did "Fashion" from Scary Monsters chart?
"Fashion" reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart and number 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It became one of Bowie's most recognizable singles of the era.
Which song on Scary Monsters did David Bowie not write?
"Kingdom Come" is the only track Bowie did not write; it is a cover of a song by Tom Verlaine of Television. Bowie wrote all the album's other songs, with "It's No Game (No. 1)" featuring Japanese lyrics translated by Hirota Michi.
What were the singles from Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)?
The singles were "Ashes to Ashes" (UK number 1), "Fashion" (UK number 5, US number 70), the title track "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)" (UK number 20), and "Up the Hill Backwards" (UK number 32).
How well did Scary Monsters sell?
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) has sold around 4.3 million copies worldwide. It was certified Platinum in the UK, Canada, and Australia, and Gold in France.

Sources