Patti Smith revealed in a 1978 Hit Parader article that David Bowie's "Heroes" is the most precious song she has ever heard, highlighting a deep artistic kinship between two of rock music's most influential figures. Smith's unwavering admiration for the track, which she had listened to repeatedly for three days upon the album's release, underscores the profound emotional and lyrical resonance the song achieved across generations of musicians.

Written by Bowie in 1977 after witnessing his producer Tony Visconti's extramarital affair in Berlin, "Heroes" explores forbidden love between two characters destined never to be together, with the line "just for one day" serving as its emotional anchor. Smith praised the song's raw authenticity, stating it "exposes us to our most precious and private dilemma" and captures "that desperate moment when one will die for love," describing the track as "pure" and calling it perhaps the finest achievement of Bowie's career.