Which 1980 David Bowie song reintroduced the character Major Tom?

The 1980 David Bowie song that reintroduced Major Tom was “Ashes to Ashes.”

Released as a single in 1980 and included on Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), “Ashes to Ashes” revisited the astronaut character Bowie had introduced in “Space Oddity” in 1969. Its lyrics refer to Major Tom while presenting him in a far more ambiguous and troubled light than the earlier song.

The track marked Bowie’s move into the new decade with a hybrid of art rock, new wave and electronic textures. It became his second UK number-one single and was accompanied by an elaborate video featuring Bowie in a Pierrot costume alongside figures associated with a bleak, dreamlike world.

Listeners sometimes connect Major Tom only with “Space Oddity,” but the character also appears in “Ashes to Ashes” and is referenced again in “Hallo Spaceboy.” “Ground Control” and the astronaut narrative make “Space Oddity” the original introduction; “Ashes to Ashes” is the 1980 return.