David Robert Jones would have been 70 this coming Sunday, January 8th. So I think it`s time for a poll to find what the AfterWorders reckon are Bowie`s greatest/favourite STUDIO albums. There was a lot of feeling that `Black★Star`, the last studio album was The Great Man`s best.
So what do you think*?
Pick your FIVE choices numbered 1-5. Only your first 5 choices will be accepted. The scoring will be 5 points for your first numbered choice down to 1 point for fifth. If you fail to number your choices, the first 5 will be awarded 3 points each, the same applies for any entries with less than 5 choices not given preference.
Only STUDIO albums, no box sets, live albums or compilations allowed.
*i am very interested where `Black★Star` figures overall in D.B.`s superb catalogue, if you do not wish to participate, that is fine. I think we have posted our favourite D.B. albums before but not in a poll such as this. Let the thingy begin….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgcc5V9Hu3g
Baron Harkonnen says
Here`s mine,
1: Ziggy Stardust
2: Heathen*
3: Reality*
4: David Bowie/Space Oddity
5: Heroes
*Those albums have taken a lot of flack but I love `em.
Baron Harkonnen says
I forgot! Voting ends midnight January 29th.
Moose the Mooche says
Heathen and Reality have taken flack? From whom? Where do they live?
DogFacedBoy says
Reality is easily his weakest album. If it had been his last it would have been the dampest of sqibs
You know where I live
Baron Harkonnen says
Yeah but I love it. Opinions are only onions with a `P`.
Moose the Mooche says
I love Ps!
MC Escher says
1 Station To Station
2 Young Americans
3 Scary Monsters
These are the ones that I return to most. All the others are tied. I refuse to leave any out!
Leicester Bangs says
1. Scary Monsters
2. Hunky Dory
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Let’s Dance
paulwright says
Haven’t listened to Blackstar, so I am not helping:
1. Low
2. station to station
3. Ziggy
4. Hunky Dory
5. Heroes
Scary monsters would have been next.
Baron Harkonnen says
By my reckonings there are 12 different albums in the first 4 selections so it seems that most of D.B.’s output may be selected.
Native says
1. Blackstar
2. Low
3. Station to Station
4. Let’s Dance
5. Heathen
bang em in bingham says
1. Hunky Dory
2. Low
3. Station To Station
4. Black Star
5.Ziggy
dai says
If you need any of his 70s classics they are currently dirt cheap on CD:
http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/deal/deals-david-bowie-birthday-bonanza/
1. Ziggy
2. Station to Station
3. Hunky Dory
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Blackstar/Low
(cheated)
Baron Harkonnen says
5th place? 1st choice only.
moseleymoles says
1. Station To Station
2. Low
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Young Americans
5. Diamond Dogs
ivan says
Station to Station
Aladdin Sane
Ziggy
Hunky Dory
Let’s Dance
bricameron says
Station to station.
Scary monsters.
Young Americans.
The first day.
Heroes.
bricameron says
The next day. Oops!!
Got my David’s mixed up there LOL
I’ve just put it on. Sounds fabulous
Baron Harkonnen says
The Next Day instead of?
bricameron says
Sylvian/Fripp
If I ‘m reading your question correctly?
Mick50s says
OK –
1 Station to Station
2 Hunky Dory
3 Young Americans
4 Heroes
5 Man Who Sold The World
and Black Star only doesn’t make it cos the others are so fine
Gary says
1. David Bowie/Space Oddity
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Blackstar
4. Young Americans
5. Station To Station
Glad to see you included Space Oddity too, Mr Baron sir. It rarely gets praised but I adore it. A collection of good songs with some good lyrics too. Three particular favourites: Memory Of A Free Festival is so evocative of an innocent time (Someone passed some bliss among the crowd and we walked back to the road unchained”), God Knows I’m Good is a great story-song and Letter To Hermione is beautiful.
Baron Harkonnen says
You`re bang on @gary, memories of more innocent times and good songs. It`s a lovely album.
bengwy says
The brilliant Pushing Ahead Of The Dame blog did this exercise at the end of 2015 and published the results just days before the release of Blackstar and the subsequent Monday morning bombshell…sorry, rambling, here are mine:
1. Hunky Dory
2. Station To Station
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Scary Monsters
5. Low
Moose the Mooche says
Another plug for PAOTD. It’s almost the best thing on tinternet.
DogFacedBoy says
Also recommend the Rebel Rebel book by the blog author which covers the first ten years or so of his songwriting
Baron Harkonnen says
I`ll have a look at PAOTD, wasn`t aware of it.
Moose the Mooche says
It’s absolutely huge-trouser-tastic.
Moose the Mooche says
Hunky, Aladdin, Station, Heroes, Ziggy.
ip33 says
1. Low
2. Hunky Dory.
3. David Bowie. (The first album)
4. David Bowie/Space Oddity
5. Aladdin Sane
The above does make it look as that I don’t rate Bowie after the 70s but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Moose the Mooche says
I’m looking forward to your Peter Gabriel top five….
Baron Harkonnen says
Ha!
ip33 says
1. Melt
2. Security
3. So
4. Scratch
5. Car
Lost interest after So.
Baron Harkonnen says
I lost interest after Security so shuffle the first four up, well no, my favourite is Security, then whatever.
I still bought the rest of the f%@kin` albums!
Moose the Mooche says
Car is brilliant. I don’t know why no-one else likes it. It ought to have sold like Rumours.
Excuuuuuuuuuse me!
ip33 says
Not heard it for ages. I’ll dig it out for a listen at work tomorrow and report back.
Hawkfall says
Bundershaft are you going daft?!
James EB says
Lost interest in So, it’s really not that good and sounds more dated than The Silent Sun. Post-So, only the soundtracks shine, though Big Blue Ball is interesting.
DogFacedBoy says
1. S2S
2. Hunky Dory
3. 1. Outside (The Nathan Adler Diaries: A hyper-cycle)
4. Aladdin Sane
5. Diamond Dogs
Blackstar doesn’t make that list but doesn’t mean it wasn’t best LP released last year. And that in years to come it won’t make that Top 5. It’s a moveable feast
Baron Harkonnen says
All preferences change over time and ★ could be even more revered than some now hold it, who`s to say it won`t be No 1 in this poll.
DogFacedBoy says
No-one.
Baron Harkonnen says
Don`t upset an upstanding member of our community DFB.
Moose the Mooche says
Are you talking about me?
oh… sadly, you can’t be…
Baron Harkonnen says
How`d you guess Moosey, but no.
LesterTheNightfly says
1. Station To Station
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Hunky Dory
4. Ziggy Stardust
5. Low
Bargepole says
1 Station To Station
2 Hunky Dory
3 Low
4 Aladdin Sane
5 Scary Monsters
Paul Wad says
1 Ziggy Stardust, by a long way
2 Hunky Dory
But then it’s difficult to choose between Aladdin Sane, Station To Station, Low, Scary Monsters, Heathen and Blackstar, but for sake of the poll I’ll say
3 Station To Station
4 Scary Monsters
5 Aladdin Sane
dai says
Surprised by the love for Aladdin Sane, a rather hurriedly recorded and released effort. I think it is far inferior to Ziggy with more filler than (almost) any other 70s album. Still a few great tracks of course.
ip33 says
It’s worth it just for the Mike Garson solo on the title track, a thing of terrible beauty.
DogFacedBoy says
Yup Garson ‘s playing on that album is supernaturally good which is why I like it so much
dai says
True guys.
Moose the Mooche says
…Inked Ravens of Despair Claw Holes In The Arse Of The World’s Mind….
DogFacedBoy says
I suppose that’s more nonsense from this Derek Bowie
Kid Dynamite says
I can’t pretend to be much of a judge of poetry. I’m an English teacher, not a homosexual.
slotbadger says
I suppose I am one of the “unhappy bubbles of anal wind popping and winking in the mortal bath”
ruff-diamond says
Well, I’m one too…
ruff-diamond says
“It’s worth it just for the Mike Garson solo on the title track, a thing of terrible beauty”.
That, and Lady Grinning Soul, which Garson is all over as well.
DogFacedBoy says
Garson thanked me on Twitter for my praise of his playing on that track. Made my year that
Moose the Mooche says
And then you went and ruined it by responding with “Now do Roll Out The Barrel!”
Black Celebration says
1. Low
2. Scary Monsters
3. Heathen
4. Ziggy
5. Hunky Dory
Jackthebiscuit says
I really cannot choose so am more than happy to go down the 3 points each road.
INPO.
Ziggy Stardust
TMWSTW
Hunky Dory
Aladinsane
Pin ups. (Yes, I know its a covers album, but I think it is magnificent)
Baron Harkonnen says
Thing is `Pin Ups` is your 6th choice so it dosen`t count @jackthebiscuit.
Jackthebiscuit says
Very droll, you are right, INPO is my first choice.
The rest are in no particular order.
DogFacedBoy says
INPO is a great bootleg thou.
It’s Bowie’s lost TMWFTE soundtrack with Low acoustic demos as filler
Moose the Mooche says
You’re allowed bootlegs?
No votes yet for Leon or Toy.
DogFacedBoy says
Live
1. Strange Fascination (Universal Amitheatre , LA 1974)
2. Transmission (Bremen 78)
3. Hammersmith 2002
4. Outside Tour Rehearsals 1995
5. Earls Court 1978
Studio
1. Fresh From Divorce / Strung Out In Heavens High (Scary Monsters)
2. Toy
3. Beckenham Oddity aka David n Hutch 1969 demo tape
4. Leon
5. My own comp of the rest of the BBC sessions from 1968-2003 (4 CD)
Moose the Mooche says
I like the Beckenham stuff. Over the wall we go!
Montreux 02 is tremendous too (complete performance of Low – danke schoen!)
Baron Harkonnen says
`INPO` is a long lost album, a great long, long very lost album.
ruff-diamond says
The demos are better….
ipesky says
Ziggy Stardust
Hunky Dory
Aladdin Sane
Station to Station
Young Americans
minibreakfast says
I finding ranking very difficult, but let’s give it a try:
1. Station To Station
2. Low
3. Hunky Dory
4. Ziggy
5. Blackstar
Hey, that wasn’t so hard after all!
Moose the Mooche says
You find ranking difficult?
I’ll lend you my Beat albums!
Tiggerlion says
1. I Just Can’t Stop It
2. Wha’ppen?
3. Special Beat Service
Moose the Mooche says
Hands off. She’s mine.
Baron Harkonnen says
Aghh! There you are Mr T.
Not you Moosey!
SteveT says
I am Mr T – he is a wannabe.
Moose the Mooche says
I pity the fool!
minibreakfast says
What, no “hard” comment? I am disappoint.
Moose the Mooche says
Well, you would be.
slotbadger says
Heroes
Young Americans
Hunky Dory
Lodger
★
Rigid Digit says
Hunky Dory
Ziggy Stardust
Low
Heroes
Station To Station (my most listened to album of 2017)
fitterstoke says
1. Low
2. Station to Station
3. The man who sold the world
4. Scary Monsters
5. Heroes
Kid Dynamite says
1) Low
2) Ziggy
3) Heroes
4) Station To Station
Moose the Mooche says
The Thin White Lines album doing very well so far…
Moose the Mooche says
PS. Blimey…. for “doing very well” now read “wiping the floor with Hey Man, We Can Be In The Villa Of Quicksand”
Bartleby says
Low
Young Americans
Station to Station
Hunky Dory
Diamond Dogs
Pajp says
1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. Young Americans
4. Space Oddity
5. Diamond Dogs
A list born of nostalgia, I think. But none the worse for that, I hope.
Hoops McCann says
Hunky Dory
Low
Station to Station
Scary Monsters
Blackstar
NigelT says
1. Hunky Dory
2. Pinups
3. Heathen
4. Young Americans
5. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Uncle Wheaty says
1. Hunky Dory
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Pin Ups
4. Aladdin Sane
5. Let’s Dance
Wiggy says
1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Station to Station
3. Hunky Dory
4. Young Americans
5. Blackstar
Hot Cider says
1. Station To Station
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Low
4. Hunky Dory
5. Ziggy Stardust
Tiggerlion says
1. Low
2. Blackstar
3. Station To Station
4. Hunky Dory
5. The Buddha Of Suburbia
6. “Heroes”
7. Aladdin Sane
8. Young Americans
9. The Next Day
10. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
minibreakfast says
You big ranker.
Moose the Mooche says
It’s enough to make you fall ranking to the floor.
duco01 says
But I thought you loved “Outside”, Tigger?
Looks like it’s a “ranking” Outsider…
Tiggerlion says
I do. Truth is my twentieth favourite is fabulous. My main problem with Outside is the chit-chat. The vinyl cuts most of it out and is much better for it.
11. 1. Outside
12. The Man Who Sold The World
13. Heathen
14. Reality
15. Diamond Dogs
16. Scary Monsters
17. Pin Ups
18. Earthling
19. Let’s Dance
20. Space Oddity
I’ve just spent all day listening to Earthling. Glorious.
Baron Harkonnen says
`Not heard `Earthling`, is it truly good Tiggs?
Tiggerlion says
It’s loud, it’s raucous, it’s drum and bass but Bowie cannot help being melodic and bursting with Pop smarts. It’s definitely better than Let’s Dance.
Moose the Mooche says
Earthling is boss!!
My Nights In review right there.
newpathstohelicolin says
Dead Man Walking on Earthling is bloody fantastic.
Moose the Mooche says
What can you say about an album that begins
Stinky weather, Fat shaky hands, Dopey morning Doc, Grumpy gnomes
Little wonder then, little wonder
You little wonder, little wonder you
Big screen dolls, tits and explosions, Sleepy time, Bashful but nude
Little wonder then, little wonder
You little wonder, little wonder you
He’s taking the piss.
Or is he?
Or isn’t he?
and so on ∞
DogFacedBoy says
He was using that Verbasizer programme to write lyrics at that point wasn’t he?
Moose the Mooche says
William Burroughs says : “‘Appen in my day you had to cut words out of a booook and purrem together ont kitchen tebble usin’ yer ‘ands thy knows. Kids these days don’t know they’re born”
DogFacedBoy says
Tizzues for my eyezz
Wuzza wuzz
Carl says
1) Hunky Dory
2) Let’s Dance
3) Scary Monsters
4) Heroes
5) Ziggy Stardust
Mousey says
1 Station To Station
2 Low
3 Lodger
4 Heroes
5 Blackstar
duco01 says
“Heroes”
Low
Station to Station
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Blackstar
attackdog says
Why do you exclude ‘live’ albums?
‘Live’ albums often include enhanced or otherwise reworked versions of tracks (sometimes entire studio albums) which bring to life what may otherwise be mundane filler.
And the Dame is a typical case.
Tiggerlion says
Live albums are more of struggle:
1. A Reality Tour
2. Live At Nassau Coliseum ’76
3. BBC Radio Theatre
4. Santa Monica ’72
5. Stage
Moose the Mooche says
Hmmm.
You once told me off for saying that Reality Tour was better than the BBC Radio Theatre.
TOLD ME OFF.
Hmmm.
Tiggerlion says
No. You are right. Switch them.
I’m being sentimental and I think that’s why Stage has snuck in. I saw Ziggy (in ’73 actually), Isolar II, Reality, plus Glass Spider and Serious Moonlight. After his death, I got gooey eared listening to those live albums, probably thinking they are better than they were.
Moose the Mooche says
Do not bloody switch them!
Alright, BBC starts with that Wild is the Wind but ART is a case of More Is More – it never lets up the quality for nearly three hours. Luxury!
PS. As I’ve said before, Stage is worth it for the dynamo drumming of dearly departed Dennis D.
Tiggerlion says
Even more so on Nassau.
ruff-diamond says
I think we can all agree though that David Live is cocaine-fuelled arsewater?
Moose the Mooche says
It’s Bowie fast-forwarding to an imaginary future where he’s a resident turn at Caesars Palace. I like it most days but…. I would. Easily the worst album in his (proper) catalogue.
Tiggerlion says
Worse than Tonight, Never Let Me Down & Tin Machine II?
Moose the Mooche says
Yes! All of those albums have good stuff on them. David Live has grease slathered absolutely all over it.
In fact, I like all of Tonight. ALL OF IT!
Bartleby says
This is interesting – claims Bowie never heard David Live:
http://www.phillymag.com/ticket/2016/01/11/david-bowie-david-live-tower-theater/
I’ve always had a love/hate thing with DL. Most of all, I hate the dreadful and unrelenting guitar tone. Earl Slick uses a phased distort ion sound throughout that just doesn’t suit much of the material. Throw in a few half-hearted Ziggy and Aladdin Sane numbers and it’s easy to dismiss. But I think the Diamond Dogs material is great – particularly Bowie’s singing on Sweet Thing.
attackdog says
Anyway, aside from the mighty Stage, my vote.
1. Aladdin Sane
2. Blackstar
3. Scary Monsters
4. Heathen
5. The Next Day
I’ve never had an easy relationship with Bowie. His vocal inflections, often emotionless detachment from the melody, his rather uneasy but self aware posturing always grated with me. My main interest was always the anticipation of what he did next, musically.
Blackstar and his death within days of it’s release was curated as though the events were some sort of dystopian art installation.
But the two closing tracks on that album are just sublime, marrying beautiful melody, balanced and considered lyricism and heart felt delivery.
Baron Harkonnen says
Sorry I`m late getting back to you @attackdog, I didn`t include live albums because I wanted to stick with `studio` akbums. That`s not an answer is it? IMHO including live albums then opens up the bootlegs, why not include them? No reason apart from maybe not many people may have the bootlegs, I have, DFB also & Tiggs no doubt and others, but then the voting gets spread across too many albums. I have more boots than studio albums. So it`s a `Studio` albums only poll. If you wish and `cause I like this kind of thing we can do a `Live`/`Boots` poll.
attackdog says
Oh I understand perfectly Mr Harko (sorry, Baron, Sir, – bows deeply -).
It’s just my fixation of several years now – live albums. If the buggers can cut it live it must be good and, generally, so much more exciting.
What are these additional ‘live’ DB albums of which you speak? Is it not just Stage? How would one go about securing copies – for the purposes of posterity and digital archiving of course.
(Taps nose. Winks. Fawns. Offers funny handshake. Rolls up trouser leg. Keeps mouth shut. Asks no questions. Guv).
DogFacedBoy says
You could take a trip to BowieStation
*you ain’t seen me, roight?*
Moose the Mooche says
COUGH guitars101 COUGH
SteveT says
Ziggy
Low
Hunky Dory
Space Oddity
Scary Monsters
Davidg says
Heroes
Ziggy Stardust
Diamond Dogs
Station to Station
Low
And bubbling under
Hunky Dory
Let’s Dance
Sewer Robot says
I will admit to not being overly familiar with the 85-2000 period, although I haven’t, for the most part, been blown away with those bits I have heard. So, with that caveat..
1. Ziggy
2. Stationtostation
3. Hunky Dory
4. Scary Monsters
5. Aladdin Sane
retropath2 says
Hunky
Low
Blackstar
Lodger
Ziggy
gunsofbrixton says
1 Hunky Dory
2 Station to Station
3 Ziggy Stardust
4 Scary Monsters
5 Heathen
billy shears says
1. Aladdin Sane
2. Station To Station
3. Blackstar
4. Buddha Of Suburbia
5. Low
Tiggerlion says
Ah. Another Buddha. Good man.
Moose the Mooche says
No Earthling yet.
One of the many, many albums I like that no-one else does.
I should have been leader of North Korea. I’m fat enough.
Black Type says
I like it too, Moose. A lot. It’s ridiculously difficult to confine favourite Bowie albums to five.
Baron Harkonnen says
Fair point @black-type but I thoight right or wrong that 5 albums was enough from a discography of 25 solo albums.
Johnny Concheroo says
1) Hunky Dory
2) Ziggy Stardust
3) Aladdin Sane
4) Station to Station
5) Pin Ups
Blue Boy says
My knowledge of Bowies catalogue is only partial,but here’s five from me. Station to Station wins by a mile – probably would be in my top five albums altogether, never mind just by Bowie
1. Station to Station
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Hunky Dory
4. Blackstar
5. Let’s Dance
simon22367 says
1. Outside
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Station to Station
4. Hunky Dory
5. Aladdin Sane
John Walters says
1. Scary Monsters
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Ziggy
4. Hunky Dory
5.Black Star
Locust says
Hm…judging by this poll I guess I’ll have to buy Hunky Dory at some point…!
From my current knowledge of Bowie’s albums:
1) Aladdin Sane
2) Scary Monsters
3) Blackstar
4) Ziggy Stardust
5) Diamond Dogs…or Young Americans? hmmm OK; Diamond Dogs it is!
minibreakfast says
You can get Hunky Dory for about three quid at HMV online and Amazon at the moment.
Tiggerlion says
I think you’ll love it, @Locust. You will go a long way before you find a better collection of songs, a lot of them surprisingly personal for a chameleon.
Locust says
The reason I haven’t bought it yet is that I do own most of the tracks on different compilations etc already, and I always prefer to buy something brand new. But hearing songs on the actual original album can often change your view of them, for the better, so I’ll probably get around to it one of these days!
Hawkfall says
1) Hunky Dory
2) Low
3) The Man Who Sold The World
4) Ziggy Stardust
5) Heathen
nickduvet says
1. Hunky Dory
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Diamond Dogs
4. The Man Who Sold The World
5. Station To Station
Artery says
I own a first pressing of Hunky Dory with “Rasputin” in the deadwax. Anyone else ever heard one? The sound is as good as vinly ever gets. Worth two grand probs. With that in mind:
1. Hunky Dory
2. Diamond Dogs
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Young Americans
5. Blackstar (because of side one)
Apologies to Scary Monsters and TMWSTW. STS I have always found oddly difficult to like all the way through. Perhaps it’s the side effects of the cocaine.
DogFacedBoy says
1st UK press has rasputin and bobil in the run out groove
https://www.discogs.com/David-Bowie-Hunky-Dory/release/422921
It’s not MWSTW dress cover level thou
Johnny Concheroo says
The easiest was to spot a 1st press Hunky Dory is the laminated sleeve. It hardly sold at all on release, but after Ziggy took off demand for the earlier albums soared and HD was re-pressed with a matt cover
Johnny Concheroo says
Easiest WAY not was not was
Johnny Concheroo says
Also, I suppose it depends when/where you first heard the albums.
My first Bowie listening experience was Ziggy on release in 1972
This was followed in short order by Hunky Dory and TMWSTW retrospectively.
Then came Aladdin Sane, Pin-Ups, Diamond Dogs etc and then every album in release order up to Let’s Dance in 1983. After that I lost interest, but eleven years of wall-to-wall greatness is unsurpassed by anyone up to and including Dylan and the Beatles I’d say.
I never really took to the first two albums, despite having them on LP and CD.
Bartleby says
I’ve given up trying to buy Hunky Dory on new vinly. Every copy I’ve tried has been scratchy and poppy. Hoping an older pressing might be better.
Hawkfall says
It would be interesting to plot votes against year at the end. So far, I think there are only 4 votes or so for the 20 years between 1983 and 2002.
What I find interesting is that the two artists who I think had the best 1970s, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie, both ran out of steam at around the same time: 1983 or so.
Johnny Concheroo says
I’ve often thought about starting a thread plotting the career curve of great artists as you describe. Dylan would be the hardest as he’s had several great periods
Hawkfall says
It would be fun to overlay the curves. I bet that for 60s and 70s artists there would be this trough lasting from 1983 – 1997 or so.
Johnny Concheroo says
We could see the exact point where Stevie Wonder’s career fell off a cliff.
DogFacedBoy says
1983 was arguably Bowie’s most sucessful year in terms of records sold, bums on seats and public profile.
I’d say his fallow period was quite short from say, Absolute Beginners theme in 86 to 1993’s Black Tie White Noise. More fool the people who didn’t get back on board.
Buying Outside on the day of release and encountering this headfuck of an album was genuinely thrilling. Such a shame few bothered as we may well have got the other two planned sets with Eno
Hawkfall says
Let’s Dance has had a fairly respectable number of votes so far. I should have said 1984 – 2001. For that time period, there are a couple of votes each for Outside and Buddha of Suburbia and none at all for the other seven albums.
I remember Black Tie White Noise being seen as his comeback too, but when we’re asked to name our Top 5s we’re pretty much ignoring the best part of 20 years.
bricameron says
We’re not ignoring it. We’re judging it. Lots of fabulous songs from then but not,it would seem,a cohesive enough of a long player to warrant inclusion.
Johnny Concheroo says
I used to know someone whose fave Bowie album was, inexplicably, Black Tie White Noise. Mind you, she was 20 years younger than me.
Bartleby says
I’d personally say the fallow period began in 1984 and Tonight, Blue Jean aside (although I think there are signs of it in half the Let’s Dance material). I worked on the record counter at Boots at the time and a hell of a lot of copies came back with mystery ‘scratches’ – the time honoured way of returning an unwanted purchase round our way.
ip33 says
Hi @Bartleby Boots? Record counter? 80s? Me too!!!!
Which branch? I was in the fashionable (?) Worthing branch.
Bartleby says
Ooh get you with your fancy Pavilion theatre, coast and downs type stuff! I was in the sh*thole that was and still is Bridgend, south Wales.
Baron Harkonnen says
Good idea @hawkfall, I`ll do something with that in mind when I post the results.
Monkeyhanger says
1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Hunky Dory
3. Diamond Dogs
4. Aladdin Sane
5. Station To Station
Chrisf says
1. Hunky Dory
2. Scary Monsters
3. Station To Station
4. Blackstar
5. Let’s Dance
Junior Wells says
Station to Station
Diamond Dogs
Young Americans
Heroes
Low
metal mickey says
1. Hunky Dory
2. Station To Station
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Heroes
5. Low
The top 3 are pretty much set in stone for me, 4 & 5 could have been any of a dozen others depending on my mood, as it happens I’ve been in a Berlin mood since Christmas…
(… and I’d have included Bowie At The Beeb if I’d been allowed.)
Baron Harkonnen says
Bowie `At The Beeb` is great but………………………
Twang says
Ziggy
Hunky
Station
Aladdin
Let’s dance
A mate loaned me Reality which i liked a lot – quite proggy.
Twang says
My pal Ben corrects me. The one I meant (which he loaned me) is Outside not Reality. His 5 are:
Outside
Hunky Dory
Diamond Dogs
Ziggy
Aladdin Sane
Scary Monsters (I know I know, only 5 etc)
biggles says
Hi,
As at 07:45 today:
1. Low
2. Hunky Dory
3. Station To Station
4. The Buddha Of Suburbia
5. Blackstar
deramdaze says
Listening to some comedy prose for radio shows this morning, namely “Stop Messing About” on BBC 4 Extra (repeated at noon and 7.00 p.m.), and there is a piece on it entitled “2002, A Space Oddity.”
The transmission date was Sunday, 4th April, 1969; the 45, inspired by Bowie seeing Kubrick’s film, wasn’t released until Friday, 11th July.
Was the title “Space Oddity” adopted after he had heard a Kenneth Williams’ sketch on the Beeb?
Johnny Concheroo says
There are demos of Space Oddity going back as far as Feb 1969, although I’m not sure if it had a title at that stage.
Musicians on the record were Mick Wayne (guitar, from Hull band Juniors Eyes, who backed Bowie for a while in 1969), Rick Wakeman (Mellotron), Herbie Flowers (bass) and Terry Cox, drummer out of Pentangle
Here’s an impossibly rare 1969 Australian 7″ EP by Junior’s Eyes. The band only made one LP Battersea Power Station but around the same time they played on Bowie’s second album Space Oddity and backed him on a BBC session
http://i.imgur.com/cttfjJv.jpg
Foxnose says
1. Low
2. Hunky Dory
3. Station To Station
4. ★
5. Heroes
TRMagicWords says
1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Station To Station
3. Hunky Dory
4. Low
5. Diamond Dogs
Friar says
1. Scary Monsters
2. Station to Station
3. Hunky Dory
4. Heroes
5. Low
The Muswell Hillbilly says
1. Scary Monsters
2. Young Americans
3. Station to Station
4. The Buddha of Suburbia
5. Blackstar
Black Type says
Today, its…
1. Low
2. Ziggy
3. Hunky Dory
4. Blackstar
5. The Man Who Sold The World
madfox says
[1] Ziggy
[2] Hunky
[3] Low
[4] Station
[5] Blackstar
James EB says
1. Station To Station
2. Heroes
3. Low
4. Hunky Dory
5. Reality
Reality is a much underrated gem. Blackstar is excellent but only on a par with Diamond Dogs, Young Americans or Man Who Sold The World.
Moose the Mooche says
Reality has got Bring Me the Disco King on it, which means it would be a great album even if all the other tracks were a mashup of The Mumfords and Bombalurina.
jezk says
1. Station to station
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Hunky Dory
4. Low
5. Blackstar
dai says
Top 5 collated so far (approximately):
1. Hunky Dory
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Station to Station
4. Low
5. Blackstar
Hmm, I chose all 5 (in a different order)
minibreakfast says
Same here, and jezk above. They clearly must be the best five!
Baron Harkonnen says
Bit of skullduggery, eh dai?
seekenee says
1 station to station
2 the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars
3 “heroes”
4 diamond dogs
5 1.Outside
pencilsqueezer says
1) Hunky Dory.
2) Ziggy.
3) Station to Station.
4) Low.
5) Man Who Sold The World.
DrJ says
I get less certain the further down the list I go. STS has to be number one, and I think Blackstar is a great record, even if you can remove the circumstances from it. I started getting into Bowie in 1990 with the CD reissues, so I only experienced classic 70s Bowie in retrospect. There are some album that I’ve owned over twenty years that I’m only finally revising now, particularly Young Americans, which I never really liked but since getting it on the vinyl in the WCIBN? box, I’m changing my perspective on it. Similarly Lodger is an album that whenever I put it on I think “This is great, I should listen to this more!” then I forget about it for a bit. Maybe its best to keep it at arms length, so it’s not blunted by over-familiarity.
Being a latter day Bowie fan, I have huge love for his post 1990 records, because I was *there* and I was happy and excited to buy them. Three fine albums in 93-95, each one totally different, a treat if you were paying attention. Black Tie… is the true follow up to Let’s Dance: Nile Rogers and Dave do commercial, part 2. Buddah of Suburbia has two of his best songs ever: the title track and Stranger When We Meet. I agreed with DaveDFB that Outside was a gloriously mad disc that should have led to more of the same.
I disagree with DaveDFB when I say that Reality is a great album, better than Heathen. It’s as good as The Next Day, but it just didn’t have its zeitgeist. The Next Day wasn’t a return to form, it’s just that the public had returned to demanding new music from Bowie, for the first time in 25 years.
Having said all that:
1. STATIONTOSTATION
2. Hunky Dory
3. Low
4. Blackstar
5. The hardest place to fill: Today it’s Lodger.
count jim moriarty says
1. Station To Station
2. Low
3. Heroes
4. Aladdin Sane
5. Blackstar
Sewer Robot says
After watching that “Heroes” video at the top:
1. Old gnashers
2. New gnashers
Moose the Mooche says
I think we also need a ranking of Bowie hairstyles.
It was actually pretty poor in the late 70s, but he sorted it out for Scary Ms.
The Let’s Dance look was at least funny – like a cartoon cloud made of custard.
The absolute peak for me was the time of the first Tin Machine album. I doubt anyone has ever looked cooler.
The 1969 bubble perm is surely the nadir. He looks like Dierdre Barlow without the glasses.
Gary says
For me the nadir was the Glass Spider Bono-like mullet-quiff. The peak was the Hours-era long straight hair with centre parting.
Turtleface says
1. Low
2. Young Americans
3. Station to Station
4. Scary Monsters
5. Hunky Dory
Baron Harkonnen says
Over 70 selections up to now, which is, err a lot! Then it is David Bowie.
Tiggerlion says
Especially when you consider that he only released 28 studio albums.
Baron Harkonnen says
Over 70 AWers selections @tiggerlion, please don’t stress me out. I had enough shite on that vinyl thread through my words being misconstrued; ))
Tiggerlion says
Only pulling your chain. 😉
Baron Harkonnen says
I know Tigger, I did smile. It`ll take more than a load of grumps { ; )) } to get me down.
pencilsqueezer says
I think I may know what might.
Forever Changes is a big load of slightly soiled girls pants. 👅
Baron Harkonnen says
Listen Van Gogh! When I`m pushed close to the edge things can get nasty ; ))
Moose the Mooche says
Is that a bad thing then?
Baron Harkonnen says
Not with my mate pencil!
Arthur Cowslip says
1. Low
2. Station to Station
3. Scarey Monsters
4. Ziggy Stardust
5. Diamond Dogs
StuartReeves says
Today’s selection:
1, Heroes
2, Blackstar
3, Aladdin Sane
4, Low
5, Station to Station
badartdog says
1. Ziggy
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Diamond Dogs
4. Scary Monsters
5. Hunky Dory
SixDog says
1. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
2. Heathen
3. Diamond Dogs
4. Station to Station
5. Blackstar
duco01 says
“Low” is universally acknowledged as a classic album now, but I seem to recall that when it was released, it’s sales were pretty disappointing, despite the reasonably successful “Sound and Vision” single.
Tiggerlion says
Exactly. Bowie referred to it as the one that didn’t sell.
DogFacedBoy says
Didn’t Bowie say the record company reaction was “Could you go and do something like Young Americans again. We don’t want THIS”
Tiggerlion says
It began a tremendous year, 1977. I remember picking it from a record shop near New Street just after Christmas (Bowie obviously liked to release his albums near his birthday). I gazed at the cover in awe for ages. Finally, I put it on. I haven’t anything like it before or since.
Hawkfall says
You should listen to Heroes then, Tigger. That sounds an awful lot like it.
*ducks*
Tiggerlion says
Ha! It shares a similar structure but a completely different sound.
Moose the Mooche says
Yes – specifically the reverb of a Nazi ballroom.
The most important difference is Bowie’s vocals – he’s uncharacteristically terse and staccato after the croonsome YA and STS.
Black Type says
Definitely. Side one of “Heroes” is definitely, recognisably ‘rock’ whereas Side One of Low was, to these ears, absolutely ‘New Music Night And Day’ (love that title…shoulda used it, DB). I’d never heard anything like it. That drum sound was/is phenomenal – ‘fucking with the fabric of time’ indeed, Mr Visconti!
Declan says
1. Station To Station
2. Aladdin Sane
3. Low
4. Scary Monsters
5 Pin Ups
almost: Heroes
Junior Wells says
Interesting the love for SM and relative lack of love for AS.
You’d think AS was in the peak period and SM on the fag end but obvs OOAA
Johnny Concheroo says
When Aladdin Sane was released it was a huge deal, coming immediately after the genre-changing Ziggy. And yet, despite a great cover and some wonderful packaging, it didn’t quite meet expectations. The sound of the album was somewhat harsh and the songs just weren’t as good as those on Ziggy and Hunky Dory. I still love the album though.
Hawkfall says
If you grew up in the 80s then Scary Monsters is probably the first Bowie you became aware of. The first time I saw him on TOTP was for the Ashes to Ashes video. It introduced him to people who were listening to the New Wave and early New Romantic music (isn’t it interesting that everything was “New” around 79-81: New Wave, New Romatic, NWOBHM etc).
Anyway, I think it’s interesting it’s so high simply because I don’t think it’s that great an album; i think the quality drops away dramatically on Side Two.
Black Celebration says
You might be right there. I was at that crucial early teenage period when SM came out and although Bowie was already known to me as a birrova genius, when Ashes to Ashes appeared it sounded extraordinary. The video cost fourteen thousand pounds! That was reported as a “the world’s gone barmy!” item at the end of the news.
I loved the fact that Bowie seemed healthy and was still producing the kind of music that wouldn’t occur to anyone else. He was quite old, after all! If we use the four singles as a guide to the album, they are four very different pieces and certainly not yer usual pop chart fodder. There was a pleasingly sleazy and sinister edge to the album too – lightened by Up the Hill Backwards (which reminds me of Grandma Pepper).
Bartleby says
Spot on both. SM was when Bowie came into my peer group’s consciousness. Those of us keen to project a pale and interesting tortured bedroom genius vibe were somehow made aware of Hunky Dory and then the rest of the catalogue was typically bought Nice Price or at second hand record stores. Aladdin Sane had lots of skippable songs (Panic, Drive In, Prettiest Star), a cover version that could have been by Showaddywaddy and a “classic” track whose significance didn’t really resonate.
Black Type says
Whoa! ‘Panic In Detroit’, ‘Drive-In Saturday’ skippable ? Are you completely, er, insane man? And to which particular classic track do you allude? There are several to go at.
Moose the Mooche says
I think he meant in the sense that you can skip to them. Panic In Detroit – I can see that, but Drive-In would be a struggle.
Skipping is essential for a young omi to have lallies of iron.
ruff-diamond says
great bulging lallies…
Moose the Mooche says
…thews like an oak…
Bartleby says
Jean Genie. Never really did it for me. See also Rebel Rebel and John I’m Only Dancing. I notice you don’t mention The Prettiest Star!
Rest of the album pretty great mind.
nickduvet says
Aladdin Sane was relatively expensive to buy at the time, because of the cover (I think, with the silver or is it mercury?). I can’t remember how much it was – maybe £3 when most albums were retailing for £2:50. But if I remember correctly, I had already bought Jean Genie and Drive-In Saturday on 45, and my feeling was that it was a bit of rip-off to expect fans to buy an album with singles on it they’d already bought.
Also, musically (and this isn’t hindsight talking) it’s a bit of a mish-mash. If it had all been like Drive-In and the title track, it would have been a real classic. Diamonds Dogs has that quality, but on AS there are too many bog-standard boogie songs (Watch That Man, Cracked Actor, Let’s Spend the Night Together). I’m a big fan of Mick Ronson’s playing on Hunky Dory and Ziggy, but it’s all a bit one-dimensional on Aladdin Sane.
Johnny Concheroo says
I don’t think it was silver foil on the sleeve but it was a gatefold with inner sleeve and a fan club membership card on early pressings. At that time RCA had a pricing system on the back cover, eg HH. GG etc. I’ll check AS when I get home and report back
Moose the Mooche says
Foil would have been more appropriate for Station to Station.
Oho!
Artery says
Bowie was doing coke in a big way by 1973 just to cope with the madness. Of course it made the madness worse. I don’t think he would have treated the Spiders so badly if he had left the coke alone (and not listened to Tony Deep Freeze).
Johnny Concheroo says
I checked and RCA UK didn’t introduce price code lettering on the sleeves until 1974, so the first one with a code is Diamond Dogs which has “HH” on the back of the LP sleeve. This presumably represents full price.
The earlier RCA LPs may have had the price code added on later pressings but this is how they first appeared on UK pressings from 1974 to 1980
Diamond Dogs – HH
David Live – GG/FF
Young Americans – HH
Station To Station – ZZ
Low – ZZ (later YY)
Heroes – ZZ (later YY)
Stage – 2 x EE
Lodger – ZZ
Scary Monsters – ZZ
http://i.imgur.com/aiir6C7.jpg
Price code for David Live
Moose the Mooche says
No, that code means that Stage was recorded in Yorkshire.
ruff-diamond says
“Bowie was doing coke in a big way by 1973…”
Wait, WHAT?!?!?!?
Tiggerlion says
I see Aladdin Sane is getting a bit of a kicking. It’s the Goats Head Soup of his catalogue, dirty, sleazy, flawed and magnificent. Sure, he had writer’s block, ending up doing a cover, an old, previously rejected one, one he’d written for someone else and one with a huge hole to fill (fortunately Mike Garson filled it with aplomb). The mix is unbalanced, the musical styles range from theatre to metal and the lyrics are bonkers. Yet, Aladdin Sane has etched its place in my heart. It is a definitive sex, drugs and rock & roll album and, its flaws are essential to its appeal. Cracked Actor is as disturbing as You Can Leave Your Hat On. Panic In Detroit is Iggy in a Funk. Watch That Man is the most debauched party you could wish for. Drive-In Saturday is a stoned afternoon in bed and Lady Grinning Soul eroticism from another world. The piano is florid, the drum kit a set of bins, the guitar rips snorts and the bass bounces like a maniac. Play it loud.
Alias says
I agree. One of my sisters had that LP, one of very few pop LPs in our house. It got played to death and I knew every word thanks to the lyrics on the inner sleeve. But in those days TVs got hot and one of us kids left it on the TV and it warped. Flattening it overnight with about 10 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica didn’t quite do the trick, so I as the youngest sibling old enough to go was delegated to take it back. The next Saturday I went to Robins Records and told them that I had bought this battered, warped LP last Saturday and it was in this condition so could you please replace it (and no, I didn’t have the receipt!). Needless to say I was sent packing, but if I listened to that same LP today I’m sure I would still know when it would click.
Black Type says
By any normal standards, Aladdin Sane would be a career-defining album. Just shows what an incredible career Bowie had that according to the most discerning cognoscenti on t’internet 😉
it only ranks as an also-ran.
Timbar says
I’m a 70s Bowie fan. So for me it’s:
1. Hunky Dory
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Station to Station
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Low
These are the albums I grew up with, so there’s a big emotional attachment to them.
ruff-diamond says
After a lot, a LOT of thought, here’s my list. For now:
1) Ziggy – my introduction to Bowie
2) Aladdin Sane – It seems a lot of people don’t rate this one too highly because of what came before, but for me Side One (in old money) is as good a collection of songs Bowie ever released, and while the second side maybe trails off in quality (I am not now, nor have I ever been, a fan of Time, reeking as it does of Bowie’s obsession with tedious cabaret eurobore Jacques Brel) but it does finish with one of Bowie’s most gorgeous songs. And I even like the Stones cover!
3) Low, because OBVIOUSLY….
4) 1.Outside – I admit I am a late convert to this, as I only got a copy last year after reading about it in Nicholas Pegg’s peerless Bowie compendium, but holy fuckballs what an incredible, amazing album. Were it not for Blackstar it would stand as his finest post-imperial phase album.
5) Hunky Dory – I just couldn’t leave this out – when I feel like just sitting in my comfy chair and mellowing out, this is the one I reach for.
Bubbling under – TMWSTW, Station, Blackstar, Buddha, Scary Monsters
minibreakfast says
Hang on: “Were it not for Blackstar it would stand as his finest post-imperial phase album.”
Then why have you rated it ABOVE Blackstar?
ruff-diamond says
CURSE! I believe you may have spotted the fatal flaw in my argument….
Baron Harkonnen says
Hey @ruff-diamond I hope you don`t think I attached the `Time` video to the `Update` to wind you up, just seen your comments on it!
I agree about `Outside`, should have put it in my 5.
jockblue says
1. Ziggy Stardust
2. Scary Monsters
3. Lodger
4. Station to Station
5. Aladdin Sane
pete says
1. Diamond Dogs
2. Low
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Blackstar
5. Aladdin Sane
Razor Boy says
1) Low
2) Young Americans
3) Hunky Dory
4) Station to Station
5) Blackstar
6) Ziggy
7) Heroes
8) Scary Monsters
9) Diamond Dogs
10) hours
All have degrees of greatness….how lucky are we to have lived in his era and enjoyed the genius.
Black Type says
Great shout for ‘…hours’. A criminally underrated album.
bricameron says
I know it’s a lot of people’s favourite Bowie song but I’ve never rated ‘Heroes’. I can admire the performance and Tony Visconti’s engineering but the song itself has never resonated with me.
Johnny Concheroo says
It’s funny how the title track is often voted Bowie’s best-ever song (and it’s hard to disagree with that) yet the rest of the Heroes album is not even close to making my top 10
Bartleby says
Same here. Side 2 has some interesting ambient moments, but the rest of side 1 a bit meh for me.
duco01 says
The rest of side 1 contains two of my absolute favourite Bowie songs of all time, namely Joe the Lion and Sons of the Silent Age
Lunaman says
Here we go –
1. Hunky Dory
2. Ziggy Stardust
3. Low
4. Diamond Dogs
5. Station to Station
6. AladdinSane
7. Young Americans
8. Heathen
9. Space Oddity
10. Heroes
KDH says
1. Hunky Dory
2. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
3. Low
4. Station To Station
5. Blackstar
are the 5 most consistent for me.
skylarkingmatt says
1) Hunky Dory
2) Station To Station
3) Aladdin Sane
4) Ziggy Stardust
5) Low (for side 1)
corganiser says
1 – Ziggy
2 – Hunky D
3 – Heroes (or earoles as I’ve always known it)
4 – Aladdin
5 – Let’s Dance
timtunes says
1- Hunky Dory
2- Young Americans
3- Heroes
4- Blackstar
5- Station To Station
fentonsteve says
Crikey, this is hard, like choosing your favourite child.
Equal first place:
1. Hunky Dory
1. Low
3. Ziggy Stardust
4. Scary Monsters
5. Station To Station
Equal 6th place:
Heroes
Let’s Dance
Outside
The Next Day
Blackstar
I could live without the rest of the studio albums plus the Nothing Has Changed 3CD comp and Stage, if I really had to.
Baron Harkonnen says
You cannot have 2 joint first place, so I am taking the first listed album as Ist choice, the next as 2nd choice. Not that it matters!