So, folks, should this be the first in a series? Ranking albums by a particular artist? What do you think? Maybe I’ll do it again! First up, it had to be BOWIE. Of course. Who else?
So: I’m ranking what I take to be the THIRTY studio albums by David Bowie. Some people might exclude the Tin Machine albums or the Labyrinth soundtrack, but I think they’re significant enough to count as canon. Okay?
Let’s begin with NUMBER THIRTY…
(IOW, the worst Bowie album!)
30. Never Let Me Down (1987)
The infamous “Phil Collins” period of Bowie, as some fans call it. “Day-in Day-Out” and “Time Will Crawl” are pretty strong singles, but the overwhelming ’80s production and lack of conviction make this undoubtedly his worst album.
29. Tin Machine II (1991)
I’m one of those bad fans who thinks Bowie’s period of “being in a band” (1989-91) was pretty dull, even if he psychologically benefitted. This, the second TM album, has exposed genitals on its cover—and its contents are, indeed, largely bollocks.
28. Hours (1999)
This late ’90s effort almost comes to life in spots, but Bowie seems weary and directionless. I do believe he was struggling to find his muse at this point. Listless and tiresome.
27. Tonight (1984)
“Loving the Alien” and “Blue Jean” are extremely great single cuts, but the lows of this album are truly abominable. Bowie murders the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows”, and turns Iggy Pop’s “Tonight” into a hideous reggae duet with Tina Turner.
26. Earthling (1997)
You could argue that Bowie dabbling in drum & bass is an interesting experiment. But personally, it isn’t anything I needed to hear. The cover is embarrassing. “I’m Afraid of Americans” (and its video) is excellent, but otherwise a fairly sad exercise.
25. Reality (2003)
Bowie’s followup to 2002’s Heathen, which was rushed-out to accompany his ill-fated final world tour, has several high points (“Bring Me the Disco King” is the standout), but is inoffensively mediocre for the most part. Horrible cover art!
24. Tin Machine (1989)
While better than Tin Machine II, this slightly grungy album is pretty hard to like. It all sort of blends into one big pile of mush—mostly instantly forgettable. I am not a fan of Tin Machine.
23. Pin Ups (1973)
Although this album was done when Bowie was at his peak in many ways, like most cover albums (it’s almost obligatory that an established artist will eventually do a covers album), the covers fail to better, or even equal, the originals. It’s OK, but I just don’t care. Dull & pointless.
22. Labyrinth (1986)
As Jareth in the movie Labyrinth, Bowie’s Tina Turner wig and extra-revealing tight pants tend to get more attention than his work on the soundtrack. Too bad. It’s fine for what it is—“Underground” and “As the World Falls Down” are great pop songs, but as it’s only half an album, it’s quite negligible.
21. Black Tie White Noise (1993)
The first post-Tin Machine Bowie album could’ve been a lot better. Nile Rodgers on production recaptures little of the spark of Let’s Dance. But it has a few strong moments, and the single, “Jump They Say”, is absolutely superb.
20. David Bowie (1967)
Bowie’s debut has him in full Anthony Newley mode—the cheeky Cockney storyteller! This is A-OK in small amounts, and some of it’s jolly good fun (“Uncle Arthur” and “She’s Got Medals”, to name two examples). Not by any stretch a classic, but you have to start somewhere… and some of it’s pretty damn good.
19. Blackstar (2016)
Bowie’s final album is a sacred cow, therefore easily his most overrated. Frail vocals and extremely morbid lyrics do not make for an uplifting experience. The jazz inflections seem unnecessary at best. In any other context it’d be a mediocre Bowie album, ergo: a mediocre Bowie album.
18. The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Due to Bowie being distracted by Angie (and lots of hash), this album somehow got steered into being mostly a heavy rocker by Mick Ronson and the other Spiders From Mars. Not a bad thing, and the trippy title track is an all-time classic—but less of a “Bowie” album than most.
17. The Next Day (2013)
Bowie’s big comeback album after a long break, TND had an absolutely spectacular lead single (“Where Are We Now?”) and a few other highlights, but is otherwise far too long and marred by faltering vocals, plus a stream of backwards-looking familiarity that borders on self-parody.
16. Toy (2021)
The infamous aborted 2001 album, leaked in rough cut back in 2011, is mostly covers of early Bowie compositions. It smacks of a lack of inspiration (following the uninspired Hours), but does what it does fairly well. Decent, but lacking in drive & purpose.
15. Space Oddity (1969)
Bowie’s storytelling persona from his debut somewhat continues here, although it takes a folksy turn for the most part. Some of it is great, some of it is forgettable. “Space Oddity”, of course, is one of the all-time classic singles. David Bowie has almost arrived.
14. Young Americans (1975)
Bowie’s “soul” album falters if you ask a simple question: if you want to listen to soul, why choose Bowie instead of, for instance, Marvin Gaye? The End! It’s very well done, but I think some people overrate it a little. The title track is a fantastic single, but the “real thing” is much better.
13. The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)
This speedily-recorded soundtrack album for the TV series of the same name somehow became a better 1993 album than Black Tie White Noise. It’s a little patchy, and a little “cold” at times, but the title track and, especially, “Strangers When We Meet”, are great songs. A Left-Field Winner!
12. 1.Outside (1995)
Bowie’s reunion with Brian Eno is his best album of the ’90s, but is undermined by the ridiculous, tedious “Art Crime” narrative running through it (the spoken linking bits are dreadful). The music itself is mostly strong, and at its best—songs such as the title track, “The Motel” and “I Have Not Been to Oxford Town”—it is very good indeed.
11. Lodger (1979)
The third of the legendary Eno-produced trilogy—and also the weakest. But that’s relative. This album has “Fantastic Voyage”, “DJ”, “Look Back in Anger” and “Boys Keep Swinging”, amongst others. The ’70s ended in fine style with this album.
10. Let’s Dance (1983)
Hiring Nile Rodgers of Chic to produce, Bowie took aim squarely at the charts—and succeeded brilliantly. Not everything here is gold (the re-recording of 1982’s “Cat People” is inferior), but the hit singles, “Let’s Dance”, “China Girl” and “Modern Love”, are superb. Shameless & strong!
09. Heathen (2002)
After aborting Toy, Bowie’s muse seemed to return a little. Some of that album’s original material is brought across and improved upon here, including the superlative “Slip Away”. Several cover versions, but good ones. Lead single “Slow Burn” is a great rocker, with Pete Townshend guesting on guitar. Bowie’s last great album.
08. Low (1977)
The first of the ’70s Eno trilogy—with iconic Man Who Fell to Earth cover art! The single “Sound and Vision” is a classic, of course. Tracks such as “Breaking Glass” and “Be My Wife” are winners. The instrumentals are evocative and complementary. Moving to Berlin was the start of Bowie healing after several years of drug abuse.
07. Scary Monsters (1980)
Bowie started the ’80s as he didn’t mean to go on, with his final collaboration with producer Tony Visconti until 1998. Brasher and spikier than the Eno trilogy, it almost feels like a new era, but the era starts and ends here. “Fashion” and “Ashes to Ashes” are iconic singles—especially the latter, with its callback to “Space Oddity”.
06. Heroes (1977)
The middle of the Eno trilogy is much like Low in style and approach—and equally good. What raises it higher, even if it perhaps lacks the memorable hooks of the former overall, is the staggering, monumental triumph of the title track—surely one of Bowie’s peak points in anyone’s book.
AND NOW! We’re heading into the TOP FIVE, folks…
05. Station to Station (1976)
Before heading to Berlin & salvation, Bowie’s final “druggy” album (with another Man Who Fell to Earth cover), a last gasp of his ’70s excesses, wins the day. The ten-minute title track is overblown and quite staggering. Hit singles “Golden Years” and “Word on a Wing” (not released till ’81) are terrific. Only six tracks, but every one’s a winner.
04. Hunky Dory (1971)
It still has some of the folksy qualities of Space Oddity at times, but this is the first “real” Bowie album in many ways. With classic tracks like “Changes”, “Life on Mars?” and “Oh! You Pretty Things” (with its apparent X-Men references!), this album hardly puts a foot wrong. And if anything, the lesser-known tracks “Quicksand” and “The Bewlay Brothers” are the highlights! Brilliant!
03. Diamond Dogs (1974)
Opting to produce the album and play most of the instruments himself, DD is not the best-recorded of Bowie’s output, but the quality of the material compensates. Some of it was written for a concept album based on George Orwell’s 1984. The title track and “Rebel Rebel” were the singles, but the epic “Sweet Thing / Candidate / Sweet Thing (reprise)” trilogy is the centrepiece. Bowie’s first dabbling in funk can be heard here. A great, memorable album.
02. Aladdin Sane (1973)
Following on from Ziggy Stardust, AS has a cover that is even more iconic. The contents? Not quite as good as Ziggy, but still an awesome set—the title track (with Mike Garson’s unforgettable, discordant piano work), “The Jean Genie”, “Panic in Detroit”, “Cracked Actor”… there isn’t a dud amongst them, including a cover of the Stones’s “Let’s Spend the Night Together”. Bowie was absolutely unbeatable at this point.
FINALLY! Did you guess what NUMBER ONE was? Of course you did…
01. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Yeah, yeah, I went for the obvious one! What else could I choose? It has everything: an iconic cover, an iconic “character”, and a concept which doesn’t completely suck and isn’t particularly distracting… most importantly, the music is excellent. The weak point might be the cover version, “It Ain’t Easy”, although I think it’s OK. But the rest is more or less perfection: “Five Years”, “Soul Love”, “Moonage Daydream”, “Starman”, “Lady Stardust”, “Star”, “Hang On to Yourself”, “Suffragette City”, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”—and of course the classic title track. That’s the whole tracklisting! What an album. Bowie’s band, the Spiders From Mars, are playing up a storm; Bowie’s vocals are at their absolute best; it all works. This is Bowie’s Sgt Pepper’s. This is Bowie’s Pet Sounds. This is Bowie’s Kind of Blue. Picking this as number one wasn’t even a question for me.
So… what do you think? Opinions, please!! 🙂
You certainly won’t get any argument from me about your choice of Ziggy Stardust for the top slot: the first album I bought with my own money, half a century ago, and still one of my most treasured musical possessions. Like yourself, I’m not exactly fond of ‘It Ain’t Easy’, but true art is rarely flawless. My own favourite track? The jagged, haunting ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide’; I want it playing as I slide off into the furnace.
My two faves would be Ziggy and Station to Station. Love that Earl Slick guitar work.
Thanks for doing this, Chrissie. I’ve been playing some of these albums repeatedly this week. We’ve talked about this before and as you know my intro to Bowie was my brother’s copy of Changes One. My first and still favourite is Ziggy Stardust.
The second I acquired, which I would rate higher, was Pin Ups (I eventually did get the bonus track edition). His version of these songs was my first (except for the Who selections); I’ve heard most of the originals by now and still prefer Bowie’s in most cases. Heresy?
Your top ten is great. I haven’t experienced Heathen yet but I would switch Young Americans with Let’s Dance. I bought Let’s Dance (and Scary Monsters) new, saw him on the Toronto stop of that tour and I (or one of my roomates) played the shit out of it. I still listen to it but only occasionally. Hunky Dory would be second for me. Now I need to try Heathen and reacquaint myself with the Eno trilogy.
Hard to argue with the top six, though Station to Station is the album I’ve probably listened to most over the last few years. Had sort of given up on him by the nineties and Tin Machine, but I should give them a try. Blackstar seemed like something of a return to form when I listened to it, but that may have been the grief. Will definitely give Heathen a try