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The fiery Red Planet has captivated pop culture for decades. To celebrate the Curiosity rover's triumphant landing, here are 10 great songs that grapple with the mythos of Mars, extraterrestrial life and space travel — from David Bowie to the Misfits to Sun Ra.
Check out the video gallery above to hear Mars-related punk sing-alongs, elegiac ballads, psych-rock epics, hard techno, ambient instrumentals and the outer reaches of jazz.
Above:
'Life on Mars' by David Bowie (1971)
David Bowie made several references to Mars over the course of his storied career. "Life on Mars," one of his most enduring and memorable ballads, was released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. Bowie made his epic transformation into Ziggy Stardust a year later, in the classic 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.Blowback: Got Your Own Fave Mars Song?
Maybe you've got your own favorite song(s) for soundtracking a mission to Mars. If so, let us know in the comments below.
