The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Notes: Gardians of the Galaxy Vibes Best listening atmosphere: work or art making, dinner party (record 🤤) background FAV song: moonage daydream 2nd: It Aint Easy 3rd: Starman Least fav: soul love Cohesive: 5/10 Coolness: 9/10 Inventive/heart: 9/10

Great.

Always a good day to listen to Bowie

*Ziggy Stardust* is a fairly stripped-down and bare bones record sonically, so it lives and dies by the strength of the songwriting. The singles from this album-length meditation on what it means to be a rock star are uniformly excellent, but many of the deep cuts are solid also, giving it one of the highest hits-to-misses ratios in Bowie's catalog.

Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star, made by a guy who was probably a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star

Listened 3 times. Good album. New downloads.

fave song - five years least fave - suffragette city overall rating - 8.5/10

I have always viewed this album as a journey. I remember listening to it for the first time years ago when I was at university. It was well past midnight, and I was sitting alone in my dorm, blown away by the variety of sounds and quietly contemplating my life. I don’t revisit it often, but whenever I do, it instantly brings that memory back. It truly feels like an immersive sonic odyssey. The standout tracks are "Moonage Daydream", "Starman" and "Ziggy Stardust".

Second half of the album is pretty solid except for the last song. First half only has Starman and Moonage Daydream. Here's the thing with Bowie. To me, the songs that I don't like from him either annoy me or bore me, which is pretty bad. So the lows feel very low (Five years as an opening track almost made me quit), and some highs are better than other so what I look for in his albums is consistency. And the second half of Ziggy Stardust provides that consistency, minus the landing which in my opinion is a tad disastrous. Now, comparatively to other Bowie's albums this is pretty solid and I'd probably listen to the songs I liked multiple times. I also like the Ziggy Stardust character so that's cool.

I'm probably missing something, but I can't join the 5-star club on this one. It's good, and gets a bonus point for Starman alone which is one of my all-time favourite songs - but I think it gets a bit bland in the middle.

Heyyy pretty good!

Bowie before he got super weird. This album deserves more radio play than it got. I liked starman and Star

Pretty good for a 54 year old album

Liked this more than I expected to! 3.5 rounded up.

Moonage Daydream guitar solo is pretty good at end. Find myself disliking the beginning of most songs only to enjoy the second half or more of most. Starman a classic all the way through.

Pretty good. Don’t hate David Bowie. Like him a little more than before this album

Deeply impressed with Bowie in general, (fith album from him for me) and I think his catalogue is absolutely nuts. I had never listened to this album, but I knew 2/3 of the songs just through the ether, and that to me shows the impact of this particular project. They are many many smashes here, a vision and a cohesiveness that I am truly deeply impressed by. However, I think the songs I did not know (like Star, Hang on to yourself and It ain't easy) are not as good as the rest. Hence probably why I don't already know them. It's enough for me to deduct a star, but it is still a beautiful project and Bowie was and still is the guy.

Five Years is a great opening. I have never heard album in entirity before but did recognise Starman and Ziggy Stardust. Suffragette City and Rock and Roll Suicide also favourite tracks. I have always liked listening to albums with a theme or common thread through them and this gave me that. Now added to Tidal favorites

Mu buena musica, no se si la escuche en el momento correcto

This was interesting to listen to but I wouldn't go crazy for it

Finally, a Bowie album that I actually like. And liked a lot! While I struggled to like the full runs of the earlier suggestions (Station to Station being my favorite from the four previous), I thought this one was a good listen all the way through. There are some really iconic songs here. Ziggy Stardust, Starman, Moonage Daydream, and Suffragette City are songs I already knew and appreciated, and they are still memorable today for obvious reasons. Even aside from those tracks, pretty much all of the songs stand out from the crowd, musically-speaking. Which is really what Bowie is so often known for, generally-speaking. I liked that the style wasn't too similar on all the songs, even though they all fit together well. There were more ballad-like songs, some acoustic and piano-led tracks, and heavier rock songs. A couple felt like they could've been on a T Rex album, where others felt almost operatic. It stayed interesting and was never boring, all while telling the story of the title character. My only real critique is that there were a couple tracks that didn't do much for me. I think Soul Love was my least favorite song on the album. That may have had more to do with how I liked the other tracks more than it being bad, though. Other than that, I do dock it a little for the cover song (It Ain't Easy), which I liked but didn't really seem to fit with the album theme. Regardless, this is the Bowie I'm here for. It's a strong album with just a few issues. While they aren't huge, they do lower it down a tad for me. It's probably as close as you can get to a 5-star album without quite getting there. I would definitely listen again. Overall: 4.4/5

Tem algo muito melancólico nesse álbum por traz da energia do Bowie. Seria desnecessário apontar como ele é um grande vocalista, mas pontuo mesmo assim.

This is, by far, the best Bowie I've listened to. Like all of his stuff, it's weird, but this tells a compelling story (from the intricate folds of his creative—genius or lunatic or both—mind. There's good energy, start to finish, and songs that I've heard on classic rock stations, such as Starman, Ziggy Stardust and Suffragette City.

not bad

classic

8.0/10

Objectively the album is incredible, but for me personally it just lacked that little something that makes me fall in love with. I will probably give it a second listen later to see if my opinion changes. 4.5/5

David is always good

Recommend reading the bowiebible.com for each of the songs. Really fleshes them out.

I loved Moonage daydream and the first song on the album, I thought it had nice story telling but it wasn't something crazy to me.

Ziggy Stardust is Bowie's best album by far. I would give it 5 stars except I just can't get behind Moonage Daydream and Suffragette City for some reason. Other than that this is a perfect album. My favourite song: Five years

Great Bowie

Actually bangs.

no me gustan todas igual, y no he escuchado todas

Love the vibe, the star theme is pretty, Starman is on this album, 5 years is also pretty good

Yes, it's David Bowie, and yes, this has Ziggy Stardust and Suffragette City, but it's not my favorite Bowie album. It's not bad by any stretch – just more like a 3.5 or 3.75 for me. I'm rating it a 4 since those would both mathematically round up.

Went in fully expecting theatrical space odyssey art pop, fully adorned in glitter and panache - but VERY surprised by the crunchy and gritty rock I was met with that, frankly, rips! Watch ya fingers, some dangerous guitar shredding embedded here. The vocals are real AF - not performing...expressing! A few of the tracks I knew but had no idea were Bowie, which makes me feel like terrible fraud who should be tarred and feathered in a Wal-Mark parking lot. Elton, Iggy, and even a little Sabbath weight in spots. Production is just "okay", but the vibe is SIKK. I want to get hammered at a pub and scream, "IT AIN'T EEEEASSSYYYY"

Solid album was my previous introduction to David Bowie and has some of his best songs on there. Only drawback is some of them sound really old and bland.

Some bangers on here for sure.

nice

Maybe Bowie's strongest album back to front, but also maybe not my favorite Bowie, if that makes sense? An irresistible marriage of iconography and music that really cemented glam rock as a genre.

si pones albums superconocidos y iconicos obviamente le voy a un cinco ademas si esto tiene importancia historica

I mean it’s got star man

i loved starman naturally but i couldn’t really get into it im very sorry goktug

Note to self: I should press my space face close to more things.

Mostly awesome tunes and loved the story arc of the album.

Blackstar continues his rise.

Nicee new genre

What an album. Mind you, it's not the best Bowie, but it's a stone classic. 8/10

man this was one i've really been waiting to hear! bowie is really talented, every track on this had its own character and work really well as both individual tracks and the whole album experience. what a project

This is my favorite Bowie album so far. There’s not much I can say about this album that hasn’t already been said, but we miss you Bowie. Thank you for leaving us such incredible art

As a British person, not even born of this time, there is something amazingly nostalgic about Bowie's voice that I couldn't imagine a more fitting voice to represent 70's Britain and the other music born from this time. Despite this, I can never quite get over the undertones of Bowie trying too hard to make 'Art' in the bougie sense. I suppose this is what someone means when they say the music is less accessible. For that reason, it will never reach the 5* for me. Maybe I just don't get it yet, but I'm always willing to try. Like Kate Bush, I'm always in an artists corner if they decide they want to take risks and make something different from the norm. I enjoyed "Moonage Daydream", "Starman", "It Ain't Easy", "Star", "Ziggy Stardust", "Suffragette City" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". So over half the album! That's not bad going. Want to hear more from Bowie, as the tracks that I did like do shine above the rest.

Easily the best of Bowie's work that I've come across on this list. I'm not anti-Bowie, but I am yet to fall under the spell he seems to have cast on a large number of the Musorati.

Peakness overall 8.8/10

Love the timings of Soul Love and Star, and the heaviness of It Ain't Easy (and it's unexpectedly cute ending). Starman is of course excellent. Love the mix of styles, like Suffragette City being straightforward 60s-sounding rock. Not a single dud! Not a massive fan of the first bit of the last one but the mood-shift and unexpected key change towards the end was great.

No skips

Is this secretly a soul album? The piano crisply bounces like it's being played by a church organist (well, maybe a Unitarian church) who finally gets to let loose on the piano. Bowie sings like he's trying to make sure his neighbors on Mars hear him. He's smooth and raspy simultaneously, sometimes rambling like a preacher who just HAS to get this sermon out before they keel over. The electric guitar sounds like it was possessed by a higher power, with the solos searing atop the rest of the instrumentation (reminds me a lot of guitar solos in Usher songs). I'm certainly familiar with David Bowie, and have heard this album before, but I've never really sat down and LISTENED to it. There's not a ton of classic rock albums from the early 70s that I'm super into, but with this certainly having a lot of unorthodox influences and the expansive vision of Bowie as he wrote and recorded, maybe that's part of the reason that I am finding myself enjoying this more than I expected. I don't know how "revolutionary" it sounds as I listen 54 years after it's release, but it still sounds fresh and interesting. It sounds lively and important. It just sounds GOOD.

Good chill album. Helps take you away from reality but also really grounding. Everything feels a little bit lighter with this on.

A classic

Æ vet mye nok om det her albumet til å vite at æ burde hørt på det med mer enn et halvt øre, så nu har æ litt dårlig samvittighet, men det va helt ok. Hørtes ut som forventa.

I honestly felt like I couldn't process this album fast enough. obviously I had listened to starman before hearing this album fully and to be honest I was kind of expecting the entire album to be that good. To be honest it wasn't, and I had unfairly set too high of expectations for them to be! this album obviously had a big impact on the music industry as a whole, which I am really grateful for. the music in this album was, in looking for the best term, quite experimental feeling at times. On the bright side i think 40 min is the perfect length for an album, and none of the songs felt like they dragged on or were too long, so I am super appreciative of that! I honestly thought I was going to enjoy this album more than I did, and am quite disappointed that im not giving it 5 stars. im sure seeing bowie perform this album live would have been an out of this world experience and the show would have been insane. Starman is a banger but the rest of the songs were ok! 7/10

Patiko.

sing it king!

starman is a beautiful song

4.5; Starman, Moonage Daydream

Favorite Songs: Starman, Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide Least Favorite Song: Suffragette City What an opening song and what a closing song. Sure, I might not have the same personal connection to this album that most people do, but it was fucking awesome.

8/10 - Favorite song: Lady Stardust

Great concept album, only Bowie could write about an rock n roll Alien. A great mix of glam rock, story telling and every song well placed.

I do love me some David Bowie. I don’t think this is my favorite of his, but it’s really good. I can’t lie and say I didn’t want a little more from this, but there are some absolute bangers on here. Great lyricism, great arrangements. I mean, it’s Bowie dude.

Very fun listen. Gotta love David Bowie

(4.5)

Riktigt bra platta, hög lägsta nivå och en del dunder låtar!!

Never listened to this one. At first pass I was waiting to get to "Ziggy Stardust". Ended up skipping ahead a few songs but then went back to spend some more time with it.

Pretty good album, to state the obvious understatedly.

This was the first Bowie album we've been given that I recognized songs from. Overall it was a actually enjoyable to listen to (much more so than some of the other tripe we've been served from this guy - rest his soul!). And while Starman etc was great, some of the tracks in between lacked power. I'm sure with a few more listens I'd love it, but that's not how this game works! 4 Stars.

Many Bowie albums into this list, I’ve seen his highs and not-so-highs. This is one of the highs. Obviously there’s a story going on, and there’s a lot of context that helps to elevate the album once you know it, but even as a collection of songs without context, it’s super well done.

This was never one of my favorite Bowie albums, but on a careful listen I found many things on here I didn't notice before. Will it be a constant rotator for me? Not really sure, but there's a lot to love. Not too much wasted time on this one although you could probably lose one or two songs without breaking a sweat.

Obviously a classic. Amazing opening and closing tracks, and consistently great. I never really cared about the concept of this album but that doesn't really matter because the real star of the show here are the instrumentals. They are so lively, entertaining, soulful, and emotional. Bowie has some amazing choruses on this album, like on Starman, Five Years, and It Ain't Easy. This album makes me feel truly alive. 9/10.

Favorite song off the album: Man on the moon Number of songs I liked/added to a playlist: 4 Not one I’m likely to repeat but generally pleasing, it was pretty good and not quite but almost rock.

AMAZING. LOVED FIVE YEARS

I really wanted to give this five stars, as it has some absolutely brilliant tracks and still sounds new and exciting. But unfortunately there are a couple of real stinkers up front that prevents it. But four out of five ain't bad David.

Typically Bowie, some good tracks, others not so. Mick Ronsons guitar is great though. The album generator missed a trick putting this up on 7th January, it should have been the 8th or the 10th.

THERES A STARRRR MANNNNNNNNNNN

8/10

Unique sound! Very enjoyable.

Bowie album number 5, this is getting a little ridiculous. This is one of the two or three that I'd actually put on this list, but that doesn't get rid of the fact that this is the fifth album from this guy I've been given so far. Anyways, It's a good album, even if I prefer his more artsy stuff like Heroes or Blackstar. I like that songs on this album randomly become relevant again every once in a while, like Starman becoming a meme in 2024. As always, saxophone bonus points. I'm struggling to find stuff to say about this one, honestly. It's great, but not eighth best album of the list great.

I didn’t like the first song but the rest were pretty good! 8/10

Five Years sounds like me when I have a mental breakdown down at work. Aside from that, David Bowie always seems to take me on a fun ride when I listen to his music. Wish he was still around to make more music, but I'm glad this list keeps me hooked on David Bowie.

okay

This concept album tells the story of an androgynous alien rock star sent to Earth as a savior in the face of an impending apocalypse. It single-handedly defined the glam rock era, merging high-concept theater with raw rock and roll, and challenging traditional gender norms in pop culture. Guitarist Mick Ronson played a crucial role in shaping the sound, providing the muscular, melodically rich Les Paul riffs that grounded Bowie's theatrical whimsy. The closing track, "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," serves as a dramatic crescendo, showcasing a masterclass in vocal dynamics from a whispered opening to a screamed finale.

боуи не люблю, но тут есть че послушать

It was good but not necessarily to my tastes. Rock n roll suicide was probably my favorite track.

What I would give to be even 1/4 as cool as Bowie

While I don't think this is Bowie's best work from an artistic perspective, I still have to give this album its flowers for being as close to being a perfect pop/rock record as possible. This album's great and contains some of my favourite songs of Bowie's discography, but on the whole I just don't love it as much as I love his other work. I guess it's just a matter of personal taste. 4.5/5, but rounding it down to a 4. For now, at least. (Fuck Bowie for being an abuser, though. He was a great musician and songwriter, but not a great person, unfortunately.)

The only Bowie album I’m actually excited to hear. I enjoy his output overall, but the majority of his music is not impressive for me. This is the only album of his that combines fun instrumentation with satisfying vocals and does that consistently. Not every song is as fantastic as Moonage Daydream or Starman, but the majority of them are still great and engaging. Not a mind blowing album but still very enjoyable.

I liked this better now than the first time I listened to it.

Classic, but could be....more classic?

Great album! Musically energizing, excellent storytelling, fun, dystopian - Bowie at his best.

Fire to listen to while stoned.

4/5 - fantastic album overall, couple of songs I'm not as big a fan of but no misses

Probably the first time through this album in my life. My parents weren’t big Bowie fans and I never branched out of his hits. Ill cut myself some slack though… Bowie doesn’t seem approachable to most high school students. Im really digging the different sounds here. A lot of really simple percussion backed by super groovy progressions and the occasional riff. Lyrically, it feels like an Elton John record. Sonically, this matches closely what Lennon was doing in the early 70s as well. The vibe I generally hear is folksy, bluesy rock. The whiney backing vocals remind me of 50s/60s rock.

I quite enjoyed this.

There's a lot going on here, most of it good.

Strong.

It’s a classic Bowie album

Not the biggest Bowie fan but this one is solid

Every track on here is perfect except for it ain’t easy and hang on to yourself which pull the album down so much. It also isn’t top 3 Bowie for me. 8.5/10. I’m sorry

Weird album to choose for this list.

Used to think this was the best Bowie album. Not anymore but it still holds up well. Especially side A

Used to love Bowie never listened to this straight through.

Very good and impressive. Need to relisten. Added a few songs to playlist.

Pretty clear why this album is so hugely influential. Really good stuff. Not exactly my sound but still really enjoyable. Favorite tracks were Starman and Suffragette City. 8/10, 4 stars.

This is the type of music I would expect from someone who consumed strictly peppers, milk, and cocaine There’s a time right after the (supposed) lunar landing where a lot of space-themed music was being made. What a mind blowing experience that must have been. It makes sense that David Bowie was able to give life to a rock and roller from space character since both space and rock and roll associate well with the themes of transgressing impermeable barriers, otherness, alienness.

David Bowie’s boundary-bending rock and roller from space persona is very fun. This is the type of music I would expect from someone who survived solely on peppers, milk, and cocaine.

Seeing this album takes me back to when each Friday the local newspaper published the top 40 singles and top ten albums of the week. Ziggy Stardust was the top album for many weeks, and yet there were no singles from it in the top 40 - very unusual. Of course three of these tracks are frequently played on classic rock radio nowadays. This one is one of Bowie’s best albums in my opinion.

Yahoo! I'm almost through my album backlog (thanks, grading). Did you know Mott the Hoople is a band and not a dude?! Anyway, this was fun and I enjoyed it. And it had a Jacques Brel reference, who I now know about thanks to this list! Highlights: 'Five Years' (long been one of my favorite songs, thanks to the very loyal Placebo cover), 'Starman' (where he says "boogie" the same funny way some people say "Bowie"; no wonder Wiki tells me the song "is often linked to Hopemaxxing", which, [insert "I'm like the Cryptkeeper" gif here]), 'Ziggy Stardust', 'Rock 'n' Roll Suicide'

already familiar ♡ soul love starman ziggy stardust

Wenn Bowie singt wqirds Ikonisch. Gute Stücke Melodisch und auf den Punkt gebracht.

faves: five years, starman, rock n roll suicide i can see how this man is such an inspo an icon to so many

Sólido, coerente. 4

reconsdier later 5 or 4

7/10

Weird experimental songwriting and story telling that can only be written by an man as enigmatic as David Bowie

When I listened to Station to Station for the first time on Sunday, I certainly didn’t anticipate that my week would be ending off with David Bowie’s most iconic album! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mad about it – I’m just surprised to be getting two Bowie albums in the same week when it took listening to 90 albums before I even got the first one. Then again, I got two Paul McCartney albums back-to-back just a few weeks ago, so I suppose these occurrences are bound to happen every now and again. Where do I even begin with Ziggy Stardust? I suppose I’ll just establish that I found the album to be quite good, despite the crushing weight of my expectations (which probably would have been even higher if I hadn’t just come off of a fairly middle-of-the-road David Bowie album)! It’s got a ton of great songs, including the all-time classic “Starman” and the lore-rich “Moonage Daydream.” It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I genuinely enjoyed the album from start to finish. At the same time, I do feel like there’s a discrepancy between the Ziggy Stardust that has lived in the minds of longtime fans and the album I just listened to. People talk about The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars as if it’s this perfectly-executed rock opera that tells the tragic story of an intergalactic rockstar who is destined to herald the Earth’s savior, but ultimately succumbs to the weight of his own ego and popularity. It’s a fair assessment, but only to a certain extent. In my experience, the album was more just a collection of good songs, many of which are loosely tied together through its lore in a somewhat non-sequential way. I did enjoy Ziggy Stardust more than most Book Albums (so far, anyway), but I honestly got more out of the album’s narrative from reading Genius annotations and Wikipedia summaries than from the actual lyrics of the project. I reckon the novelty of David Bowie making a rock opera centered around a character he conceived and then performing on tour as that character for over a year probably overinflated how highly people think of this album. Highlights: Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, It Ain’t Easy, Lady Stardust, Hang on to Yourself, Suffragette City, Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

Great but did not live up to the hype. Creative story does not equal a 10 out of 10 album. I’d say first listen 8/9 out of 10

melodramatic, with flashes of brilliance

recognize as great but still never going to just go and put on. Also loved the first half not the second as much but may bc I was rancid from work towards the end of the day.

I'm a bit biased on this one. I grew up listening to Bowie. Bowie was my older sister's favorite artists, and one that kicked off my musical tastes. This album has a few hits that have stood the test of time along with some other great tunes like "hang on to yourself" that you don't really hear a lot about unless you are a die hard Bowie fan. For the early 70's this was genre changing stuff and just a great overall listen.

Lady Stardust, one of the best songs I've listened to this year.

I totally understand why people hold this album in such high regard. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would going in. David Bowie is pretty hit or miss for me. I need to listen to this a few more times to truly appreciate it though. I didn't fully comprehend the story that was happening throughout, but the music is solid.

Veldig kult! Liker det godt

I think I'm finally getting what the fuss is about

Bowie indeed good.

A good listen, as you'd expect from Bowie, although I feel some of the earlier songs are a bit inconsistent compared to the singles and the latter half of the album.

No fall here.

Favourite Track: Moonage Daydream

A classic and a pleasure to listen to

4,4 - Das Album hat nicht ein Lied, das kein Knaller ist. Aber die absoluten Highlights sind ein bisschen zu rar, um zum absoluten Klassiker zu werden. Highlights: Moonage Daydream, Starman

What can you say about this album? One of the greatest, by one of the greatest. I wish the musical would have happened.

My second David Bowie album, The Rise Of the longest title name for an album ever. This is a nice bunch of songs that are sometimes cinematic and sometimes just plain happy, like frolicking in the flowers happy. Its nice! 8/10

The crème de la crème of his generation and still worth a listen more than 50 years later.

Some other worldly songs in this album and a classic, despite having some very unusual rhythms in it 8/10

Dirty guitars, raucous rock, pure fun and energy!

blissfully 38 minutes long, wonderful to a level alike divinity for possibly half of them - i have generally not been an 'album' person in my life, and i have no regrets about being inspired to finally listen to stareyed british boy's Full Length Superman (2025) Inspiring Album

Shocked at how short this is considering its status honestly. I think knowing this is top 20 of all time on aoty got my hopes up a bit too high. Love the variety of instruments used, makes every song feel fresh and distinct, but I think it's also pulling a lot of weight. I like Bowie's voice here I think but these soundscapes would benefit from someone with a bit more power in their voice. Highlights were the last 3 tracks.

Standouts: 5 years Moonage Daydream Rock'n'Roll Suicide (Too short!) it's got a distinctly old sound, I wonder how it sounds on original vinyl I'm a fan of how many instrument combinations there are already Wait I've heard Starman before this is wild. Everything was really unique and there was a lot of cool stuff going on I think I probably need to relisten to this to appreciate how good it is. I think the whole album lacked a solid direction. 4/5 is my current opinion

Classic

This one I’ve heard

Great one

An album of foot stomping bangers. Except three songs. Loses a star for having filler. In my own personal Top 1089 Albums of All Time, Ziggy would scrape in at number 846. Not as good as The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Veronica Falls or Young Marble Giants. Soz.

listening when: while journaling in the morning thoughts: first david bowie album cuz i skipped i think 2. does that mean they’re all on here? anyway, it’s exactly what you would expect from david bowie. no notes just bliss rating: 8/10

4/5 stars (8/10) Favourite Song: Starman Least Favourite: Star

Þetta er David Bowie sem ég fíla. Hann kann alveg að semja góð rokklög karlinn. Þótt ég teljist seint vera Bowie-aðdáandi þá hef ég hlustað sjálfviljugur á þessa plötu áður og hún var alveg janfgóð núna

Starman and suffragette city bumps this to a 4. Will listen again as I don’t get the love for it.

Phwoar

PEAK PEAK PEAK Fave track is Suffragette City "Hoo haa!" "AhhhhhhhHHHH WHAM BAM THANK YA MA'AM!!!" Edit Apr 15 2026: 5 --> 4

I wish I was into it as much as Bowie is. Amazing ideas here but a little lost in execution

I am a HUGE Bowie fan. As a fan I can recognize that while this is in fact a classic album it is much like a lot of his albums and that's a roller coaster ride of quality. This is with David Bowie the highs are SOOOOO high you can here pieces of it and its influence in music for decades after. We rarely talk about the swing and misses. More hits than misses on this.

I know I should be giving this a 5, David Bowie and all that. I love David Bowie but he is not consistently great, for me it varies between really good (maybe not genius) and rather average. Same with this album. I do love that this is a concept album and one of the most influential ones, and some songs are stunners (my favourite probably being Suffragette City). Absolutely needs to be on the list.

Great few tracks. Good album

A classic and known as one of the most iconic concept albums ever made. I had no idea of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character (the alien androgynous bi-sexual rockstar persona) but hearing the whole album front to back really shows how complete this is. I feel Bowie is the weirdest artist in commercial music, especially at the time. To me that makes him one of a kind. Legendary artist and a legendary album. This is a glam rock opera that shows David Bowie's talent for lyricism, packing as much feeling and soul into each song. It sounds theatrical, glam and full of energy, however still encapsulates deep melancholy underneath all the glam and the glitter. The album captures the rise and fall of fame, alienation, and self destruction. I appreciate the combination of glam rock, art rock, and pop. The instrumentation is tight, the guitar work from Mick Ronson stands out and Bowie’s vocals are confident and emotional. The transitions between songs flow beautifully, making it feel like a full story rather than just a collection of tracks. Even decades later, it seems like it still sounds fresh and inspiring for many people. A defining album of the 70s and one that shaped the identity of glam rock. Overall, this is one of those albums that really grows on you, or to me at least. I had to listen to it a few times to fully grasp it and appreciate everything it’s doing. The more I focused on it, the more it opens up and makes sense. Of course I already knew of Starman which is the iconic track of the record, however apart from that I enjoyed, Five Years, Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Lady Stardust, Star, Hang on to Yourself, Ziggy Stardust and Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide.

Awesome album, five years is AMAZING, and the rest of the album is really good

A classic record for great reason.

Solid. Starman is a highlight 4/5

Hab mich nie mit Bowie beschäftigt, bis zu diesem sehr guten Album. „Star“ und „Starman“ sind direkt in meine Playlist gewandert. Für 5 Sterne reicht es aber nicht ganz.

Schmeckt.

Hat für mich trotz der kurzen Spielzeit ein paar Längen, aber das macht das Album als ganzes nicht schlecht. Das ist wirklich sehr gut in seinen größten Momenten und von denen gibt es definitiv genug.

Out of the whopping NINE albums Bowie has on the list, this is my first. There's plenty of good stuff here, but some of it isn't exactly my vibe. That's not to say it isn't good, because it is objectively a great album. Musically, it's excellent. Lyrically, it's good but not great(except Rock and Roll Suicide, which probably has the best writing on the album). Whether this truly is his greatest work remains to be seen, as I have many other albums of his to listen to.

It was great to listen to a classic album all the way through that I probably haven't before, but this didn't pull me in like a tractor beam the way Hunky Dory did.

I enjoyed this album more than expected, since I’m not a fan of the title track and early Bowie’s voice is shaky. I found myself grooving along, enjoying gems like Soul Love I’d never heard before, and then along came Suffragette City, which I love but didn’t even realize was on this album.

4,5

One of the few albums that gets better deeper into the album - really takes off in the last third

Lady Stardust has a very similar sound and some lyrics with Young Americans

Really bloody cool vibes. So many songs on there that I knew, several I knew and didn't realise where they were from this album. It did geta little samey by the end (plinky plonk piano and guitars) but overall enjoyed it very much.

This is the third Bowie album here. As I said before, I'm not a fan, but Ziggy Stardust is a completely different thing. It is a loose concept album that conveys its message in 38 minutes, which is exceptional. The production is great, although the instruments are sometimes too dominant. Still, it is a classic for a reason.

Call me a basic Bowie bitch but I just enjoy his pure straight-up rock albums so much more than his other stuff. Give me Starman, It Ain't Easy, Suffragette City or Rock'n'Roll Suicide over every minute of the quirky art rock experiments. I'm glad he made it all, I respect the hell out of him and love that he pushed those boundaries before it was cool but I'm going to rate based on what I want to listen to more than what piques my curiosity and seems clever.

Good but as good as hunky dory

Namensvetter des Hunds von Robin und mit Starman als einer der besten Songs ever! (in my humble opinion) Dass Bowie den Ritterschlag 2003 verweigerte macht alles noch etwas mehr rebelious...

Fun one.

Rating: 3.7 Definitely his best I’ve heard. The singles definitely tower over the other songs here but this is undoubtedly the point in his career where he cared the most before he got older and started doing stupid stuff with drugs and Iggy Pop.

Seminal classic

Very good album, I haven’t listened to this in its entirety before.

Classic Bowie great song writing and production! Brings back memories!

Starman 🥹🥹

Man, Bowie had the magic sauce. Somehow everything he touches turns to rock’n’roll gold! And in the time of studio control and attempts at homogenization he was wholly original on and off the vinyl.

Hur har jag aldrig lyssnat på denna?????????

I'm resisting the default 5 and going with how it felt yesterday.

Wanted to like this more than I did. (First Bowie Album) It started off strong with Five Years (one of the more memorable songs I’ve heard this year), as well as Moonage Daydream, but the excitement quickly dissolved. Would listen again though. (Edit: Listened again and liked it a lot more!)

first album that I know for sure is like a classic classic so I'm excited to hear what all the fuss is about Five Years: cool opener, love a slow build that actually has a payoff. surprised by the screaming, didn't know he was chill like that Soul Love: oh this chorus eatssss. love the lounge-y groove. Moonage Daydream: the vocals are chewing hard on this album. this is what I was expecting to get from a Bowie record (positive) Starman: the mix on this is out of fucking control. good song It Ain't Easy: I love how hair metal his voice is here, and the chorus hits like a truck. sounds like a classic but it's one of the least listened tracks on the album. Lady Stardust: vocals are the star again and again. it's good but it's not a hit to me Star: sounds so much like Billy Joel. or maybe Billy Joel sounds like this, I don't actually know who did it first Hang on to Yourself: insane that this song is over fifty years old. a British post-punk band would drop this shit today zero hesitation. Ziggy Stardust: this is like when people make fun of prog rock. really love the mix on this one though Suffragette City: the guitar tones are suuuuuper nice. great chorus + great energy, big fan of this one Rock 'n' Roll Suicide: his nonchalant delivery at the start really stands out from the rest of the album and then it just builds and builds in intensity until it boils over. this song is fucking amazing genuinely. happy to say that I was not disappointed by this one, I completely understand why it gets glazed so hard. not everything on here is to my taste but the quality is undeniable, and I feel like the songs that I liked will be growers __ SCORE: 7.5/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Soul Love, Moonage Daydream, Starman, It Ain't Easy, Suffragette City, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

I mean like classic. Starman. Rock n roll suicide. It ain’t easy. Suffragette city. He’s amazing here. I need to listen to this more. 4/5

slušo

Good

It’s giving me “dreams of starting a garage band” “what will life be like in 30 years” “campfire lyrical improv”

- after years of not getting how people enjoy David Bowie, much less revere him... I get it maybe 10% more now - I don't think I'd listen to this album (or any individual song) again by choice, but I didn't actively dislike it, either. this didn't make me a Bowie fan, but I'm curious about his other musical efforts - I get the impression that his musicianship was the avenue in which he was able to become the icon he is today, but it wasn't because of it, if that makes sense

God, 5 Years is a flawless opener, probably my highlight.

I've heard so much about David Bowie, yet never listened to his albums. While the genre is not for me, I did enjoy listening to it. Starman is the highlight for me, that chorus has such a crazy hook.

Got already

Classics on here with Starman and Ziggy Stardust. I love the vibe on this album. Music, vocals, lyrics, the whole shebang. Not his best album, but definitely a 4.

Bowie entering his weird phase. Not my favorite of his album but Suffragette City is easily in the top 10 of best songs ever written.

Good listen. He’s less of a weirdo on full albums than I expected

Rigtig godt album. Har ikke så meget andet at sige

Another great record from Bowie, and it might be the best. Favourite Track(s): Starman, It Ain't Easy Least Favourite Track(s): Soul Love

This album would get five stars from me if it wasn't so "glammy" because I did love several of the tracks on it, of course including the fantastic "Starman".

I haven’t been impressed with Bowie in the past. Everything I've heard from is inoffensive but nothing extraordinary. Pair aggressive mediocrity with the hype surrounding him, I came into this record with some pessimism. But, what a good rock record. Pure fun from the get-go, but it really found its groove and elevated around 3-4 tracks in. Phenomenal pacing on this record; it felt consistent and complete with great variety. There's grit and power while also boasting glam and drama. Instrumentation is a strength of this record. Bright 12 string guitar, sparkling piano riffs, cools synthesizer sounds in tracks like "Suffragette City" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," and love the stylophone(? at least I think its a stylophone). I love cool and unique textures and timbres. Deserves its place on this list. Classic and unique rock 'n' roll record. 8/10 Standouts: Starman It Ain't Easy Suffragette City

4.1 3x better than expected... looking forward to the documentary of the same name

Maybe the only enjoyable Bowie album. Still overrated, but at least listenable.

Very good album, my favorite of Bowie in the Ziggy era

I wonder how many drugs were taken to form the name of this album

Enjoyed this. I love storytelling songs like this. Many Bowie hits on here as well.

I found myself listening to this album over and over again. I am a sucker for the soundscapes of the 70s and suspended chords and this albums delivers on both very well. It’s definitely something I will revisit again.

David Bowie has always been a fun listen for me. Partially, I enjoy that he always makes me think of the Labyrinth and partially just because he has a free-ness about him that I don't know how to articulate. He's a good time listen for me. He's got the story telling, I could 100% picture myself dancing around my house to this (and have with some of these songs), overall I'm into it.

Five Years makes me feel like Bowie was ripping rails listening to Lou Reed Montage Day Dream fuckin rips. Is this album Bowie doing Elton or had Elton been doing Ziggy? There’s something about Bowie that feels so effortless but so meticulous. It’s crisp and thoughtful rock and roll jams but it also feels like he just walked in and started rambling on the mic, I mean that in the best way. Maybe I mean it feels so organic and genuine for Bowie and he’s such a charismatic auteur that it feels like he was born to do this. Hang on to Yourself sounds like the Violent Femmes heard it and decided to make an entire band based on it. The title track rips so hard man. In fact the second half of the album feels so fuckin dope. It’s straight up rock n roll romp. This one feels hard to star. It feels a bit too strong to be a five but it’s a smidge to big for a four.

Almost certainly a 5 to everyone else. Multiple fantastic songs - but would I choose to listen to it as an album? Probably not. Five Yeare, Starman, Moonage Daydream, Suffragette City - some incredible songs, but there's definitely filler in places. A very, very strong 4.

C’est ce qu’on appelle une valeur sûre!

Day and night compared to hunky dory... Is David Bowie finally growing on me? this was the best out of the 3 albums I have heard from him so far :)

A really good rock album. Except for a little dip in the middle of the album, it stats consistently good throughout. Starman is one of the best songs ever written. 8/10

Passionately sentimental I had a bit of a weird day today but listening to this album made it worth while

Great collection of songs and slightly bonkers concept.

Have to say, wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, it was interesting to hear such a monster as Bowie...

Pretty good

La primera canción me gustó mucho. El eco

Bowie's best? Certainly the most iconic. I love this album.

David Bowie can do no wrong. Fave: Moonage Daydream HMs: Starman, Suffragette City

The 1001 album exercise has shown me that the double-edged sword of growing up with Bowie (and Elton and many other rock stars of this era) is that I fell in love with the greatest hits without ever listening to the albums they came from. As a result, I'm sometimes disappointed by the "lesser" songs that I'm not familiar with, at least at first. I really enjoyed this album, but I need to spend more time absorbing it before it can earn my full five stars.

One of the greatest concept albums of all time.

The album title is a bit of a mouthful, but that's about all I can say negatively about this. Although he has some other great albums, this remains Bowie's best record.

Incredible album. Previous I'd only heard Starman but this album rules. 4/5

Album #2 I listen for this project. I'll start this one by saying that I had a prejudice against Bowie. He was my ex fav artist, to an insane degree, and that was off-putting even if I liked his music. In this album, I only knew Starman. I very much liked how ominous, absurd and, in a strange way, optimistically nihilistic Five Years was. I liked the album quite a lot, but I would benefit from listening it several times and becoming more familiar with it. Added to my library and will revisit for sure.

This was the Bowie record I've been waiting for. It sounds classic from the start. Repeated listens reveal hidden gems within already solid rock and roll compositions. There's details that are easy to remember, catchy enough to have you singing along without the music playing. This project explains the David Bowie hype in a way I can accept, and maybe even lean into. I actually want this record in my collection, I look forward to giving it an occasional listen in the future. On a personal note, this is one of the few records where I'm a much bigger fan of the A-side than the B-side. The latter half definitely stands on its own, but that's probably because it feels like a project with the structure of a well told story. As a concept album it doesn't struggle to hold itself up. It doesn't feel like anything is sacrificed for the sake of the story, and the story isn't imposed in a way that could ruin the effort, either. Masterful. 3.8/5

bell

"Liev stu disc, miett c ualler nella recensione" cit mia madre.

peak?

Really liked it. I already liked Bowie but this was different and great.

Standouts Moonage Daydream Starman Ziggy Stardust Suffragette City

A good one

"A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest And a queer threw up at the sight of that" Everytime I see a Bowie album, I think "fuck yes I love Bowie" then I listen to it and remember that I don't actually love Bowie, but I want to because of lyrics like the above lyric. Sometimes he's just annoying though :/

To some, the apex of Bowie. For me, not quite, but still good nonetheless. This album has it all. It has a story that's to be respected, and the musicianship is a benchmark on how to create an album with a timeless quality mixed with a lot of memorable riffs and passages. It perfectly mixes being an album with a lot of mainstream ease to it, but also being admirable from a “musical wanker” standpoint with the reinvention of the psychedelic sound on Moonage Daydream, rock n roll on Suffragette City, or because of the sheer amount of depth it possesses. From any point you look at it, a stone-cold classic.

One of my all-time favorite Bowie tracks is on this album, which is "Moonage Daydream"! Back when I first got into David Bowie a little over 20 years ago, this was the first album I listened to, and I was hooked. Thanks to this album, I've dug deeper and deeper into his discography and have been a fan ever since.

*listened before the project* I don’t hate him but No more David Bowie plz

It's started out ok. Then banger after banger. 4.25*

This was an album I had already heard numerous times before starting this list of 1001 albums, so I knew I was in for a good listening experience. Not sure there's much I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. It's clear to see how this is the album that kicked off Bowies album. It's really only an album he could create. Not sure where we can go from here as this was the first album of all 1001 that I pulled. Strong start.

I liked this one a lot, and had previously only heard Starman and Suffragette City. I have a hunch this is one that would grow on me. 4 stars for now.

Nu har jag lyssnat massor på denna skiva. Tycker det är stor skillnad från förra albumet (young American). Ett annat sound (inga blåsinstrument tex :) ). Första låten, five years, är nåt annat..möjligen att "across the universe" på förra skivan liknar musiken på detta album. Hur som helst detta var betydligt bättre, alla låtar är mer eller mindre bra! Kul.

Classic Bowie album. Half the album are tracks I’ve listened to so many times since I first heard this album like 15 years ago. The other half never really stuck with me on the same level. Favorite tracks: “Five Years”, “Moonage Daydream”, “Rock and Roll Suicide”

Woah

Brilliant album by a transcendent artist and his Martian spider friends.

Great album with a few of my favorite Bowie songs on it.

Stærk start

David Bowies voice is so unique and the way he switches up his tone is interesing. There were a few songs that I listen to growing up on the album and I still really like them! But truth be told I was not a fan of most of the songs.. the instrumentals in the songs really did not stand out with the exception of the guitar in Ziggy Stardust and a couple others. Over all the albums is worth the few classics on it.

Overall, solid tracks on this album. Classics like star man and new tracks for me like rock n roll suicide. I like the changes throughout the album from faster tracks to slower ballads. I can certainly hear the inspirations modern bands took from David Bowie!

Groundbreaking sound. Only wish I could have seen him in person to enjoy the show.

I love the instrumentals and everything :3

Brought me back. Fun album.

Quite the stuff.

Prime stuff. Funky and unusual and silly and cool and narrative. Such an inimitable voice. (4.5 stars)

daddy david i love you

I listened it a while ago and it is not one of my favorite albums made by Bowie it's just okay. Fav. tracks: Five Years Moonage daydream Starman

This must have been mind-blowing to hear at the time but it doesn't quite stand up to his later peak. He must not have discovered quite the right cocktail of drugs yet.

I generally love every David Bowie song. I have not listened to this particular album in the past but loved it just as I expected. When it came up I was genuinely excited. He just brings the perfect energy. I hesitate to give this a 5 though because I know he has more gems.

Best Bowie album I have heard so far. This makes a lot of sense given that this is the most acclaimed Bowie album. Cool jams and wacky vocal performances. Also I really like the chord progressions on the title track Ziggy Stardust, it reminds me of a progression you would hear Led Zeppelin do, just much less hard rock.

Excellent and not even his best stuff

Catchy stuff

I liked this a lot more than I thought. No misses and a real fun time all the way through. Suffragette City is such a banger by the end in context.

a classic

We love David bowie

Definitely my favorite of Bowie's albums.

4 sterne

Rock, 1972 -> 4

Good album. I knew a few songs.

*1972 - Bowie's 5th studio album. *Really enjoyed this, especially the first half. *Fave track - Five Years is the opening track, and hooked me immediately. *Will be relistening. RATING - 8/10

Al bekend, het lukt me nooit om helemaal in to Bowie te raken.

I am not a DB superfan and I might be being rude to folk music but he has that style of singing which does grate on me at times. Anyway that said in terms of a mega pop album I think this sets itself aside from others. Intersting as not long listened to Abbey Road / Beatles which is arguably another masterpeice of pop history. I personaly rate this higher as it is more engaging as an album and the songs entirely complement each other (And extremely limited weakness across the range). It was immediately striking how the simplicity of the first song started with the bass hits on the drums. It sounded great and hooked me in. Slow plod that then eventually burst and that theme came in and out which I liked across the album. I dont think I have heard DB push the limits of his voice to quite such an extent. The last song was an example of this. He must have given it his all. His voice was to be celebrated mostly on this album in its own right which is not my normal go to statement for DB. Pop Album mastery of the Beatles, Edgy vision and musical / songwriting gift of Prince and just managed better than both. If there is a better pop album I am not sure. Maybe Elton John??? Looking forward to hearing more DB. Has every right to be on this list.

Don't mind relistening to this one. There isn't a bad song. 8.5/10 for me.

Excellent train listen on the way to see John Cena lose at summerslam

Listening to the first few songs, I didn’t think this was going to be for me which was surprising because I’m a fan of David Bowie and rock operas. But then the album hit stride around “It Ain’t Easy” and it swept me away from there. It gives vibes of Rocky Horror with the dramatics and story. Most definitely will listen to this again.

Some very good songs here, pretty consistent quality throughout, love that it ends with a repetition of "you're not alone"

1) Five Years - Hmm welll .... apocalyptic and ecological grief 2) Soul Love - 3) Moonage Daydream 4) Starman - 5) It Ain't Easy 6) Lady Stardust 7) Star 8) Hang on to Yourself - "Come, on, ah" 9) Ziggy Stardust 10) Suffragette City 11) Rock 'n' Roll Suicide Umm samajh nahi aaya zyada. Eccentric Album. Bisexual Alien saving the earth from apocalypse. I guess that is the theme.

Finally! Anothee Bowie album I really like. Everything about this just works. It's fun, danceable, a vibe.

I enjoyed this.

A solid glam album and tbh Bowie at his best for me. A great album

Classic Bowie

solid 4. always loved Suffragette City.

I think this is the David Bowie I've been wanting to discover (I've had a few of his albums generated but they were newer). This helped me understand him as an artist a little more. I really liked the music in this album.

Zig stars

С годами стал больше любить глэм начала 70-х, но, конечно, не весь. Этот хорош.

First time hearing this album in full. Pretty cool. Favorites: Soul Love, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City Would I listen to it again: Yes

Ich tu mich weiterhin schwer mit David Bowie, aber dies hier war wenigstens durchgehend angenehm zu hören. Habe mir das Album tatsächlich 2x angehört und beim zweiten Mal die Story des Concept Albums durchgelesen und die Songtexte durchgelesen. Macht danach mehr Sinn und eine spannende Sache. Allerdings reicht es vom "Feeling" bei mir niemals für 5 Sterne. Starman ist aber ein absoluter Banger

Was fun would listen again but I’m not a huge Bowie fan I probably lack context because I feel like I really should love him

Already listened ❤️

Iconic reputation, but the reality of the matter is the music is great, but even for the time not especially innovative. Still, it is a great album 4.0/5.0: Great

classic bowie

A true must listen. I'm not a big 70's music fan, but this is genuinely a great album.

It's really great. I'm a sucker for a concept album and love Bowie. It's not my favorite thing of his (Black Star is a perfect album), but this is certainly some of his most iconic stuff. 4.5/5

Bien sympa

I think I finally figured out my odd relationship to David Bowie. It lies in the idea that I am still like a kid listening to an adult who is trying to get me to understand a concept I am not quite grasping. He was, and still is ahead of his time. Often music is dated or placed in time and space or "timeless" but I feel like David Bowie's collective works have not even quite landed yet. It is like my mind has not yet expanded enough to fully comprehend his life lessons, but that I catch glimpses of meaning now and then and he is most definitely deep and profound on a next level basis. Guess I have to keep listening...

Bingus

Great album. Obviously a huge influence on most of the bands I like today.

I now get the hype behind David Bowie. Much like with The Beatles, I never understood why people really enjoyed Bowie and saw his work as archaic. I had only listened to Starman, Fame and the singles from his last album in 2016. Now, after going through his most popular album I can confidently say I understand why people ride on his dick and balls. The songwriting is on point throughout every song, I wasn't disinterested for a single second. I love a good concept album (Tommy, The Wall and To Pimp A Butterfly were heavily influential to my music taste), and the story here of a bisexual jesus-like rock and roller is so unique to the time I can't help but be enthralled. All the musicians are giving their all the entire record. Bowie is giving an amazing vocal performance that's at once silky smooth and has the edge of the punk movement that's still half a decade away. The drums are never overplayed, the guitar solos are sublime, and the basslines underneath carry the record to a somewhat funky territory. Overall, I'm kinda sad i haven't pulled the trigger on discovering this album earlier. I always thought I'd just think it was eh, but I'm certain that late highschool, stoned me would've listened this to with such fervor as I did with The Wall. An absolutely astounding album I've neglected for too long

The album was good! I thought I wasn’t a huge fan of the record, but I was really wrong. The only song that I thought was ok was Star, but other than that, all the tracks were great! The lyrics, production, and instrumentation make the songs stand out. This is truly an amazing album.

Super fun, what else is there to say?