David Bowie Albums Ranked

David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie (/ˈboʊi/ BOH-ee), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the world’s best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold, and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone placed him among its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and following his death in 2016, Bowie was dubbed “The Greatest Rock Star Ever” by the magazine. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes”, its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure”, a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let’s Dance; the album’s title track topped both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer at his home in New York City, two days after his 69th birthday, and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016). Here are all David Bowie albums ranked.

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10. Blackstar (2003)

“Blackstar: The ominous and gorgeous epic title track which featured one of the creepiest music videos since Marilyn Mansons early work. At nearly 10 minutes long, it would seem like this would be a struggle to repeatedly listen to all the way through. Yet it is such a cinematic musical statement that each listen of this juggernaut is a true experience. It’s hard to describe how amazing this song is. The instrumentation and jazz aspects mixed with moments of electronic and even a poppy bridge section all work so perfectly. Bowies vocals will haunt your thoughts at night in the best way possible. I had the subliminal line “I’m a Blackstar, I’m a Blackstar” stuck in my head for the longest time. Masterpiece introduction song. 10/10″

9. Young Americans (1975)

“There was nothing plastic about David Bowie’s soul. Young Americans is more than a passionate, soulful, sexy, and breathtaking nod to Bowie’s love for soul and R&B music, but is a testament to his remarkable talent as well to the talents of the people on this record – Carlos Alomar, Mike Garson, Ava Cherry, Robin Clark, Luther Vandross, Earl Slick, and Dennis Davis, to name a few – who make it the masterpiece that it is. This is sort of underrated in some ways for some reason when it is really one of the Starman’s best albums. With exception to the cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” that wasn’t that good and felt out of place here, every song on here is amazing, brilliant, catchy, and again, so damn sexy and soulful. To this day, Young Americans is still oh so cool and has the magical power to make you groove, love, and most of all, feel.”

8. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)

“I realise that everyone has their favourite David Bowie album and rates accordingly. This just happens to be my favourite album he ever made. It has chaos and order and everything in between. It was the end of another of his phases, but an excellent end it is. Ashes To Ashes has always been my favourite song (this came out when I was 12, but the video and song just stuck with me) he ever made and only on this album will you find the uncut version (to my knowledge). Bowie was a true artiste and to me, this album is a must own.”

7. Diamond Dogs (1974)

“This is an odd transitional album. Although the Spiders are gone David hasn’t quite jettisoned the Ziggy persona yet elements of the Thin White Duke are starting to show. While there are great stand alone classic song (1984, R&R With Me, Diamond Dogs and of course Rebel, Rebel) this album is best listened to in it’s entirety. In vinyl it breaks perfectly into an act 1 and 2 with having to turn the record over. From start to finish a frightening vision for the future. In interviews David said he remembered almost nothing of recording or writing this album due to extreme drug/alcohol abuse and the ensuing paranoia which goes a long way to explaining the bleak outlook. My only complaint is that I wish he would have retained Mick Ronson. David’s guitar is never more than adequate and Mick could have added a layer of shimmer that is missing. Still that’s a minor complaint and this is an essential album, a must have for any Bowie fan.”

6. Aladdin Sane (1973)

“The insanity grows on you even further than ever before. This 2 disc Anniversary version of David Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane” is indeed a lad insane, but the music is great and a beautiful job on the digital remastering. The cover like the Ziggy Stardust Anniversary two disc edition, is a hardbound book like cover and has disc one attached to the inside of front cover (in a sleeve) and disc two is on the inside of the rear cover. I really love both this cover and the Ziggy Stardust cover, they sort of remind me of the two hardbound covers for the two disc versions of The Small Faces and Ogden’s Nut-Gone Flake remasters. “

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5. Station to Station (1976)

“This album for me is just a staggering piece of work. The title track, even having heard it hundreds of times, stops me in my tracks and I just absorb every fabulous morsel of it. No song ever has had quite the impact of this track – it just taps into every receptor within me. I would want this track playing at my funeral, such is the importance of it to me, but I reckon all my mourners (all 2 of them and then some bums on seats) would wonder what the hell was going on, especially with the train noises at the beginning (it’s not like I have employment history with Midland Mainline). This track is just one of my favourite things that ever came about.”

4. “Heroes” (1977)

“Having bought Heroes, Low and Scary Monsters and listened to them I can only add the following. I heard elements of the instrumentation that hadn’t been noticeable before which allowed me to listen with a fresh appreciation. These three albums are magnificent in whatever form you hear them. I think we can trust Mr Visconti not to ‘ruin’ them.”

3. Hunky Dory (1971)

“If there must be one classic DAVID BOWIE album, I have to give it to Hunky Dory. All of the failed American Glam Rockers like JOBRIATH or BRETT SMILEY copied BOWIE because of this album (which is interesting but not saying all that much). This became a real seller after BOWIE actually hit with his next The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. But, Hunky Dory is better with a wonderfully direct production, all allusions intended, proving that DAVID BOWIE is, too, a great songwriter. “Life On Mars” originates here, plus there’s “Oh You Pretty Things” and “Quicksand” and the LOU REED tribute “Queen Bitch”. “

2. Low (1977)

“Low might be Bowie’s best album. Top 3 for sure. It’s cool, its enigmatic, it’s experimental, its everything Bowie was. And this Tony Visconti remastered reissue sounds better than the original. Some purists get upset with the notion of remasters and reissues, and often with good reason, but this reissue of Low is brilliant.
For the uninitiated; Side 1 is seven concise, angular, and quirky pre-wave pop songs, (Sound & Vision. Breaking Glass, and What in the World most notably.) Side 2 is four beautiful cinematic electronic/synth instrumental ballads(?) Bowie’s collaboration with Brian Eno was never sharper or more fully realized than on Low.”

1.The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)

“This was the album that made a huge star out of David Bowie in 1972 and introduced his Ziggy Stardust persona in the process. Every track is a classic and there are no duff tracks on the album at all. I have the old release from 1990-ish but, although this 40th Anniversary edition is supposed to be digitally remastered, I couldn’t detect any noticeable differences in the overall sound quality. Unlike the release from 1990, there are also no bonus tracks on this release, which is a shame. However, the album itself is still an all-time classic album and should be checked out by any Bowie fan or any fan of classic rock albums. This is still his finest album of the 1970s, in my opinion and only 1980’s Scary Monsters album matched it. I give it the full five stars.”