The speculation everywhere was intense and, of course, it turned out it was not exactly what people were expecting, as scientists have ‘just’ found a new bacterium species that has adapted to extreme conditions and is using normally toxic arsenic instead of the regular phosphorus to build its DNA; but they thought it could change the way we look for extra-terrestrial life. It’s still a pretty cool story but people were already seeing green alien monsters and spacecrafts debarking in area 51.
Since the first thing that comes to mind when we think about extra-terrestrial life is our neighbor, the red planet, here is some music about Mars:
– Life on Mars? – David Bowie: Of course, the most obvious one, so dramatic, so victorious and so weird at the same time.
– The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie: I know, it’s not a song but the whole album is about a rock star alien, or an alien as a human being, so,… but this is one of the greatest album ever, with not a bad song! A Rock ’n’ Roll tragedy in space. And Bowie also wrote Space Oddity, a definitive obsession…
– Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time) – Elton John: He is talking about leaving, getting high, loneliness, the whole metaphoric thing, he mentions Mars and it is such a classic.
– Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen: Freddie at his best, it’s ascending, fast and fun, he wants to reach the sky, on his way to Mars,… sure he is not really talking about the planet once again.
– Satellite Of Love – Lou Reed: Say what you want about Lou Reed but this piano had always produced some magic for me, and there is also Bowie behind the scene, and yep Mars is there too.
– First Kiss On Mars – Stone Temple Pilots: It’s on the new album. I think he sounds a little like Bowie… again!?
– Teenagers From Mars – The Misfits: A punk song about the red planet, it’s a bit violent and scary. They also wrote Mars Attacks!
– Ballrooms Of Mars – T. Rex: The music sounds like a cross between Lennon and Bowie, and the lyrics are cryptic since I have no idea what these ballrooms are exactly.
– Take Me Ta Mars – The Flaming Lips: There is a constant obsession about Mars with the Lips, they even made a science fiction film, ‘Christmas on Mars’, and are used to come out from a giant flying saucers at their shows!
– Fields of Mars – Bad Religion: Another punk band interested by Mars, although the red planet may be some kind of warrior in disguise this time.
– Venus and Mars & Rock Show – Paul McCartney and Wings: The beginning sounds like the Beatles, the rest like Wings, and I’m not sure what is the connection to the planets.
– Man from Mars – Joni Mitchell: ‘Man from Mars/This time you went too far’ she is always right.