David Bowie is rightfully one of the greatest names in modern music, and practically every genre or subgenre you can name. In the course of his 30 official albums (and a score of live albums, compilations, and whatnot), he has done everything from psych or ‘standard’ pop to glam, R&B, funk, torch songs to ambient, and even hard rock, you name it, and Bowie has not only done it but done it in a manner that can put even the better known-purveyors of those genres would die for.
Of course, there are his albums that probably don’t meet his personal standard in full, yet even on those there are always a few absolute gems that would put most other artists at shame.
That is why choosing a dozen of his official albums is one of the hardest jobs around, but here are those that every discerning collector should have as part of a desert island collection.
12 essential David Bowie albums every music fan should own
The Man Who Sold The World (1970)
While the first two Bowie self-titled albums presented full promise and a set of excellent psych-pop songs, this, his third was a shift in a new direction, with some dark themes that would become a Bowie staple. Presenting also the contours of his incredible Spiders from Mars band, it was also the album that included one of his (many) absolutely brilliant singles, the title song “The Man Who Sold The World.”
Hunky Dory (1971)
Suddenly, everything was falling into place, Bowie here presenting himself as one of the most creative musical forces in modern music, presenting an album that keeps on proving itself as one of the best in modern music.
It was also a major breakthrough for Bowie, who commented: Hunky Dory gave me a fabulous groundswell. I guess it provided me, for the first time in my life, with an actual audience – I mean, people actually coming up to me and saying, ‘Good album, good songs.’ It proved to be much more than just a ‘good album.’
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
This is the album that made Bowie a full-fledged rock star, a key piece of glam, or any rock as such, and rightfully so. Bowie was already in full swing, with incredible songwriting and the Spiders of Mars presenting themselves as one of the tightest bands around. It turned out to be one of the best artistic statements in modern music and one of the best concept albums created so far.
Diamond Dogs (1974)
For some critics, this album was a bit of a letdown. Another concept album loosely based on George Orwell’s ‘1984,’ it nevertheless turned out to be another Bowie masterpiece, with songs like the title track, 1984” and particularly “Rebel Rebel” being among those on the long list of Bowie’s classics. It was also the album that was in many ways the conclusion of Bowie’s glam phase, with the artist taking new routes.
Young Americans (1975)
Marked as one of the best musical chameleons in modern music, Bowie takes on a soul/R&B mode, presents a new band that can tackle absolutely anything, and a long list of stars and known names from John Lennon to R&B star Luther Vandross and smooth jazz sax player David Sandborn. Yet it was Bowie’s songwriting and incredible vocal performance that make this album shine and turned it into a veritable classic.
Station To Station (1976)
This was a sort of a transitional album for Bowie himself taking on a new persona, Thin White Duke, and some incredible performances from Bowie and the band (particularly guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick). Bowie’s songwriting was at its best, covering a wide ground from prog rock (the title track), to funk (‘Stay’) and an incredible cover of Dimitri Tiomkin’s “Wild Is The Wind.”
Low (1977)
Brian Eno gets into play and Bowie goes electro-pop and ambient in this first installment of his ‘Berlin phase’ (recorded in France). It included some incredible shots of inspiration, with a list of instruments Bowie tackles here longer than his arm, as well as bringing in Iggy Pop into his musical fold. Some critics consider it Bowie’s true ‘European’ album, but its significance turned out to be quite world-wide.
“Heroes” (1977)
The second ‘Berlin trilogy’ album is not only the best of the three, but also one of the best Bowie recorded, this time fully in Berlin itself. The studio it was recorded in was close to the then-standing Berlin Wall, serving as an inspiration for Bowie to tackle the cultural and political differences present. In many ways, it was the sign of the times, but also the upcoming changes, making it an album with a universal message.
Scary Monsters… And Super Creeps (1980)
Entering a new decade, in many ways this was the album that represented a sort of summation of Bowie’s career and musical achievements up to that point. It included a myriad of musical genres, from Bowie's glam/prog visions of the title track to the funky pop of “Fashion,” as well as “Ashes to Ashes,” one of his best singles (and those of all time).’
Let’s Dance (1983)
This turned out to be Bowie’s best-selling album in his lifetime, downplayed by some critics due to its pronounced pop inclinations, but it was the pop of the eighties, the one that actually marked the decade and imitated to death by so many other artists. Impeccable songwriting, no matter what, coupled with incredible backing, including the likes of Nile Rogers and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The Buddha Of Suburbia (1993)
Not knocking down any of the albums that came between Let’s Dance and this "soundtrack," this turned out to be somewhat overlooked by both the critics and audiences, some of them not too enamored with Bowie’s Tin Machine phase.
Actually, it was not a soundtrack, but a set of songs inspired by the BBC four-part TV series (with Bowie playing a role). The quality of the album partly lies in the fact that, in a way, it was a set of semi-autobiographical songs.
★ (Blackstar) (2016)
Becoming aware that time on Earth was coming to a close due to illness, Bowie came up with another masterpiece, released two days before his passing.
As could be imagined it was dark, dense experience but quite a cathartic one, with Bowie coming up with some of his best music, not only in decades but throughout his recording career. It is a fitting farewell from a musical genius.