Bowie by about a million miles.

This

Bowie did a duet with Bing Crosby

And Stevie Ray Vaughn played with Bowie a bit.

Fuck yo’ couch

How is this a question?  Rick was a fly by night hit maker.  David has influenced music for decades.  Besides that, David has a far better and bigger library with many great songs.  I choose DAVID!

Huh?

Rick James got his break late but when it happened, it happened big with a string of club hits.
James also wrote songs for the Mary Jane Girls, Teena Marie, Smokey Robinson and the Temptations.
Motown Records had run out of steam and it was Rick James who literally
kept Barry Gordy and Motown from bankruptcy.

It was also the constant public badgering by James that got MTV to play black artist videos
and that includes Michael Jackson.  Although MTV avoided playing Rick James videos.

Rick James is considered the godfather of Punk-Funk.

Prince opened for James on tour and openly stole some of his stage antics.

James had a physical tirade in a record executives office which included
standing on the guys desk swinging his dick at him.  After that incident
James was considered unmanageable and his record company put
it's resources towards catapulting Lionel Richie's career.

It was Rick James constant drug abuse that eventually caused his demise.

David Bowie, equally talented was far more sophisticated about career strategy
and thus stayed relevant for decades.  It was not so much Bowie's songwriting
as it was the producer's he worked with that expertly crafted his hits.
"Let's Dance" was one of Bowie's biggest hits but the driving beat and studio
arrangement are credited to Nile Rodgers (Chic) who reworked the song.

Laughs in George Clinton.

You are correct.  I meant to type "Punk-Funk".

I think they both suck.

Maybe this will change your mind

I'm partial to Bowie's duet with Robert Smith. Quicksand.

Being is how my Aunt had this on 45 RPM, I say Martha belts it out

Got through most of the day but thanks, time to take an Ativan. smh


Bowie you fucking Muppet.

Rick James is Responsible for Prince’s careers. He allowed Prince to be his opening act and became the biggest influence to Prince’s career. Eventually it became a huge rivalry after Prince stole Vanity from Rick