Which 1969 David Bowie song references an astronaut named Major Tom?

The 1969 David Bowie song that references the astronaut Major Tom is “Space Oddity.”

Released as a single on 11 July 1969, “Space Oddity” tells the story of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut who loses contact with Ground Control after entering space. The song’s eerie narrative combines an apparently successful launch with isolation, malfunction and an uncertain fate far above Earth.

Bowie was partly inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as his own feelings of alienation. The song was released shortly before the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and the BBC used it during coverage of the mission—although the lyrics’ darker implications made that pairing rather uncomfortable.

“Space Oddity” became Bowie’s first major commercial hit, reaching number five in the UK. Major Tom later returned in “Ashes to Ashes” and was referenced again in “Hallo Spaceboy” and “Blackstar,” though those later appearances reinterpret the character rather than continue a single straightforward story.