In an interview with MTV in 1997, David Bowie, when asked about whether or not he cares about album sales for his records, admitted that he had never really been a huge artist when it comes to selling albums.
"I seem to have a core audience who have sort of kept me above water all these years," Bowie said. "But I'm not a big album seller. I never have been. I think what I contributed to music and sort of what I did to how rock can look probably has been my contribution. More than, say, Foreigner, who sell...millions and millions of albums. I'm about the same kind of sales as [Bob] Dylan."
However, much like how the Starman predicted the crucial relationship that music would share with the Internet, Bowie would also soon benefit from the modern-day spike in popularity of physical media. Vinyl sales have continued to grow with each year, and sales increased by 325% from 2010 to 2020 alone. With each year, their popularity does not wane.
Bowie might be happy to know that he is now considered the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century. Topping acts like the Beatles, the Ziggy Stardust mastermind - despite admitting he was not much of an album seller in his early career - now sells more physical records than any other artist.
David Bowie albums you need to own on vinyl
The singer's success in selling albums over the last two decades is largely due to a successful reissue campaign. Also releasing a number of career-spanning box sets over the last few years, Bowie's most recent deluxe box set is I Can't Give Everything Away (2002-2016), which includes the artist's final four albums: Heathen (2002), Reality (2003), The Next Day (2013), and Blackstar (2016).
Throughout his eclectic musical career, Bowie released a number of genre-defining and groundbreaking albums, where he was always unafraid to explore new personas, sounds, and visions. For vinyl lovers, whether you're a diehard Bowie fan or just a casual enjoyer, here are the crucial albums you need to own.
Hunky Dory (1971)
Many regard Hunky Dory as the beginning of Bowie's ultimate rise into superstardom. His fourth studio album, Hunky Dory marked a slight shift in sound for Bowie, opting for more of a piano-focused sound overall compared to his earlier works.
Pulling inspiration from literary works, philosophy, and even Andy Warhol, Bowie wrote many of his classic songs for Hunky Dory, including "Changes," "Life On Mars?," Oh! You Pretty Things," and "Queen Bitch," making the album both highly influential and a staple for any vinyl collection.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)
Even casual Bowie listeners can't mention the singer without uttering the infamous Ziggy Stardust in the same breath. For the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Bowie created somewhat of a concept album about a character named Ziggy Stardust who came to earth to warn our planet of an impending apacolypse.
Known for his fiery red hair, groundbreaking androgynous style, and a number of classic Bowie numbers (think "Starman," "Moonage Daydream," "Suffragette City"), this classic album is what cemented Bowie as a rock icon forever. Not only was the music memorable, but it was through this album that Bowie truly showed just how far rock music can extend both aesthetically and sonically.
Aladdin Sane (1973)
Similar to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Bowie's subsequent album is an easy find and fan favorite for vinyl collectors. The iconic portrait of Bowie's Aladdin Sane character, with a flashing lightning bolt on his face, is burned into the minds of music lovers across the globe.
Commonly described as "Ziggy comes to America," Aladdin Sane was written after Bowie found himself to be a global superstar. Through songs like "Panic In Detroit" and "The Jean Genie," Bowie crafted Aladdin Sane as the darker, more cynical counterpart to the Ziggy Stardust album, making both bodies of work crucial to any album collector's repertoire.
Diamond Dogs (1974)
The last of his glam rock albums, Diamond Dogs is a monumental body of work from Bowie that explores nihilism in the most enigmatic way possible (typical Bowie). Critics praise Diamond Dogs for its alleged influence on the punk scene that would soon emerge only a couple years later, and has compared its gothic atmosphere to prominent acts like Nine Inch Nails that would arise decades later.
Because of its mysterious surrealism, and its strong influence on a number of different genres and artists, any avid vinyl collector should own Diamond Dogs if they truly want to understand its significance on subsequent musical genres.
Station to Station (1976)
Bowie's tenth studio album arrived at the height of his struggle with cocaine use, which resulted in the singer living in a paranoid, drug-addicted state for a long period of time. Station to Station introduced the world to a new persona, The Thin White Duke, who Bowie described as a "nasty character." Compared to the likes of Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane, Bowie's new character was far more cold.
However, it has been said my many critics that Station to Station consists entirely of spiritual love songs. Many also consider it to be one of Bowie's best albums, if not the best, as it played a significant role in Bowie's experimental musical efforts later in his career. The singer brought his artistry to new heights on Station to Station, making it a standout piece among any vinyl collection.
Low (1977)
If one were to own any album from Bowie's renowned Berlin Trilogy, Low is found to be the ultimate fan favorite. In the late 1970s, Bowie -- alongside longtime friend and collaborator Iggy Pop -- went to Berlin so they could both overcome their respective drug addictions. After Bowie helped work with Pop on his famed albumThe Idiot (1977), Bowie began to work on Low.
While in Berlin, Bowie would work with producer Tony Visconti and Brian Eno on three albums: Low, "Heroes" (1977), and Lodger (1979). Similar to Station to Station, Low is a highly experimental work, leaning more towards ambient and art-rock influences. For any vinyl lover who wants a Bowie album that is more so considered to be a "deep cut," Low is the one to go for.
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Following his Berlin Trilogy, Bowie opted to create something more commercially appealing while still maintaining his signature poetic lyricism and artistic symbolism. Serving as the perfect segway between his experimental, post-punk work of the late '70s and his commercial pop sound he would adopt in the 1980s, Bowie's Scary Monsters is a renowned album from his discography.
Through hits like "Ashes to Ashes," "Fashion," and "Teenage Wildlife," Scary Monsters didn't take long to be considered one of Bowie's greatest works. It captures such a specific time period both in music and in Bowie's career that it simply must be a part of your album collection.
Let's Dance (1983)
As Bowie's highest-selling album, and as the album that launched Bowie into never-before-seen mainstream success, of course 1983's Let's Dance is a vinyl must-have. Co-produced by Bowie and Nile Rodgers, Let's Dance includes many '80s classics, including the title track, "Modern Love," Bowie's cover of Pop's "China Girl," and more.
The success of Let's Dance, which showed Bowie adopting a more commercial pop sound, even resulted in many of Bowie's previous albums to chart once again. Songs from this album continue to be loved by many, and it only continued to showcase Bowie's undying range and knack for taking musical risks.