Essential David Bowie albums

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ls35a, Oct 19, 2015.

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  1. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
    From 1969 to 1980, everything he did was worth hearing. Even spotty albums like "Young Americans" and "Diamond Dogs" had great tracks on them (usually spawned as singles, but usually the full-length LP versions were better).

    But for the cream of the crop, I'd argue that the seven masterpieces were:

    1. Hunky Dory
    2. Ziggy Stardust
    3. Aladdin Sane
    4. Station to Station
    5. Low
    6. Heroes
    7. Scary Monsters

    And the last two, The Next Day and Blackstar, were surprisingly good albums that stand up to his classic run pretty well.
     
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  2. kayley10

    kayley10 Forum Resident

    Hunky Dory
    The Fall And Rise Of Ziggy Stardust
    Station To Station
    Low
    "Heroes"

    Even the stinkers have at least one or two good tracks on them. For the rest, I'd get The Platinum Collection or Nothing Has Changed...
     
  3. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    Space Oddity thru Let's Dance minus Pin Ups plus all the live albums in that period.
     
  4. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
    Case in point: Young Americans is probably my least favorite album of his classic period, I sold my copy a very long time ago for that reason, but the title track (which is on nearly every compilation) is one of my three favorite Bowie cuts ever.
     
  5. Upinsmoke

    Upinsmoke Well-Known Member

    Location:
    SE PA
    Station to Station
    Heroes
    Scary Monsters
    Young Americans
    Rise and Fall

    there is also David Live (recorded right up the street from me). What pressings of the David Live do people seem to like the most?
     
  6. dead of night

    dead of night Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern Va, usa
    The only one not essential is Tonight.
     
  7. DrBeatle

    DrBeatle The Rock and Roll Chemist

    Location:
    Midwest via Boston
    I'll throw my $0.02 in here, but for me everything from David Bowie to Scary Monsters is absolutely essential. I like parts of Let's Dance, too, but after that I'm not too interested until The Next Day and Blackstar. The live albums and BBC sessions from that '68-'80 era are required listening, too.
     
  8. ChesterB

    ChesterB Well-Known Member

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Hunky Dory
    Ziggy Stardust
    Station to Station
    Lodger
    Let's Dance
    Earthling
    The Next Day
     
  9. pmdclassics

    pmdclassics Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bismarck ND
    Which of the live Bootleg LPs back in the Mick Ronson era are good quality?
     
  10. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    I think "Reality" is essential. A great, rockin' latter day Bowie album.
    Solid from start to finish and not a weak moment therein.

    "Blackstar" is now essential as well.
     
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  11. pmdclassics

    pmdclassics Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bismarck ND
    Has anyone listened to the BBC Archives? (The LP with a full shot of Bowie on the cover with long hair and bell bottoms) Just wondering how it sounds compared to lets say Santa Monica 72. I am wanting a Mick Ronson performance with Bowie on vinyl.
     
  12. Thin Man

    Thin Man Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stamford, CT
    They are all essential.
     
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  13. dbone828

    dbone828 Only Visiting This Planet

    According to RateYourMusic.com, here are all of Bowie's studio albums ranked from highest average user rating to the lowest:

    1. 4.30 - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
    2. 4.14 - Hunky Dory (1971)
    3. 4.14 - Low (1977)
    4. 4.08 - Station to Station (1976)
    5. 3.98 - Blackstar (2016)
    6. 3.96 - “Heroes” (3.96)
    7. 3.89 - Aladdin Sane (1973)
    8. 3.84 - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980)
    9. 3.69 - Diamond Dogs (1974)
    10. 3.66 - The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
    11. 3.60 - Lodger (1979)
    12. 3.60 - 1. Outside (1995)
    13. 3.51 - Heathen (2002)
    14. 3.50 - The Next Day (2013)
    15. 3.43 - Young Americans (1975)
    16. 3.42 - David Bowie (1969)
    17. 3.34 - Let’s Dance (1983)
    18. 3.29 - Reality (2003)
    19. 3.28 - Earthling (1997)
    20. 3.15 - The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)
    21. 3.07 - ‘Hours…’ (1999)
    22. 3.04 - Tin Machine (1989)
    23. 3.02 - Pin Ups (1973)
    24. 3.01 - Labyrinth (1986)
    25. 2.80 - Tin Machine II (1991)
    26. 2.79 - Black Tie White Noise (1993)
    27. 2.62 - David Bowie (1967)
    28. 2.45 - Tonight (1984)
    29. 2.25 - Never Let Me Down (1987)

    And according to acclaimedmusic.net (an aggregate list of the 3,000 most critically acclaimed albums of all time, based on over 1,000 critics' best of lists), here are the most critically acclaimed Bowie albums:

    1. #16 - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
    2. #66 - Hunky Dory (1971)
    3. #100 - Low (1977)
    4. #244 - "Heroes" (1977)
    5. #297 - Station to Station (1976)
    6. #451 - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980)
    7. #448 - Aladdin Sane (1973)
    8. #781 - Young Americans (1975)
    9. #860 - The Next Day (2013)
    10. #1090 - Let's Dance (1983)
    11. #1273 - Diamond Dogs (1974)
    12. #1764 - The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
    13. #2156 - Lodger (1979)
    14. bubbling under - Heathen (2002)
    I also imagine that when the website is updated to include 2016 albums, Blackstar will having a decent showing, given how strong its reviews are.

    Given the similarities between the two lists, it starts to become pretty clear which of his albums are most essential. I have combined the two lists to give an "average" ranking (ties were broken by which title had a higher rank on either list):
    1. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) (RYM #1, AM #1) = average rank: #1
    2. Hunky Dory (1971) (RYM #2, AM #2) = average rank: #2
    3. Low (1977) (RYM #3, AM #3) = average rank: #3
    4. Station to Station (1976) (RYM #4, AM #5) = average rank: #4.5
    5. "Heroes" (1977) (RYM #6, AM #4) = average rank: #5
    6. Blackstar (2016) (RYM #5, AM N/A) = average rank: #5
    7. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980) (RYM #8, AM #6) = average rank: #7
    8. Aladdin Sane (1973) (RYM #7, AM #7) = average rank: #7
    9. Diamond Dogs (1974) (RYM #9, AM #11) = average rank: #10
    10. The Man Who Sold the World (1970) (RYM #10, AM #12) = average rank: #11
    11. Young Americans (1975) (RYM #15, AM #8) = average rank: #11.5
    12. The Next Day (2013) (RYM #14, AM #9) = average rank: #11.5
    13. Lodger (1979) (RYM #11, AM #13) = average rank: #12
    14. Let's Dance (1983) (RYM #17, AM #10) = average rank: #13.5
    15. Heathen (2002) (RYM #13, AM #14) = average rank: #13.5
    16. 1. Outside (1995) (RYM #12, AM #15+) = average rank: #13.5+
    17. David Bowie (1969) (RYM #16, AM #15+) = average rank: #15.5+
    18. Reality (2003) (RYM #18, AM #15+) = average rank: 16.5+
    19. Earthling (1997) (RYM #19, AM #15+) = average rank: 17+
    20. The Buddha of Suburbia (1993) (RYM #20, AM #15+) = average rank: 17.5+
    21. 'Hours...' (1999) (RYM #21, AM #15+) = average rank: 18+
    22. Tin Machine (1989) (RYM #22, AM #15+) = average rank: 18.5+
    23. Pin Ups (1973) (RYM #23, AM #15+) = average rank: 19+
    24. Labyrinth (1986) (RYM #24, AM #15+) = average rank: 19.5+
    25. Tin Machine II (1991) (RYM #25, AM #15+) = average rank: 20+
    26. Black Tie White Noise (1993) (RYM #26, AM #15+) = average rank: 20.5+
    27. David Bowie (1967) (RYM #27, AM #15+) = average rank: 21+
    28. Tonight (1984) (RYM #28, AM #15+) = average rank: 21.5+
    29. Never Let Me Down (1987) (RYM #29, AM #15+) = average rank: 22+
     
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  14. the sands

    the sands Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    I listen to everything he did from 1964 to Blackstar. I can't just play Ziggy and Low when I have a whole life's work to choose from. Bowie was good to great or artistically interesting all the time, even as terminally ill.
     
  15. GreenBeret95

    GreenBeret95 Member

    Location:
    Minnesota
    These are the essentials in my opinion:
    Hunky Dory
    The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
    Diamond Dogs
    Station to Station
    The Berlin Trilogy (Low, "Heroes", and Lodger)
    Scary Monsters (And Super Freaks)
    1. Outside
    Heathen
    Blackstar
     
  16. Mother

    Mother Forum Resident

    Location:
    Melbourne
    Space Oddity through Scary Monsters including the live albums. Buy Let's Dance, The Next Day and Blackstar and you're done. There are other really good albums, though not essential Bowie.
     
  17. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    We could discuss this over and over again. But "Heathen" is really essential. Isn't it?
     
  18. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member

    The Man Who Sold The World
    Hunky Dory
    Ziggy Stardust
    Diamond Dogs
    Station To Station
    Low
    Scary Monsters

    :agree:
     
  19. MicSmith

    MicSmith Forum Resident

    If I had to limit my list to 5 albums then personally I would select:
    Stage (my favourite Bowie live album and provides some fantastic versions of tracks from albums not on my list)
    Scary Monsters (it was either this or STS but Stage/Best of covers STS well enough)
    Hunky Dory (a more varied album than Ziggy and for that reason I prefer it, plus I prefer the Stage versions in the main)
    Best of Bowie (2CD UK edition - for all the brilliant tracks not on the above)
    Heathen (easily my favourite post Scary Monsters album)

    I know that misses off a number of great albums but there it is.....
     
  20. Dr.D

    Dr.D Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Station to Station
    Hunky Dory
    Blackstar
    Low
    Heroes
     
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  21. Mother

    Mother Forum Resident

    Location:
    Melbourne
    Heathen a good album but not essential imo.
     
  22. GreenBeret95

    GreenBeret95 Member

    Location:
    Minnesota
    I think it is. In terms of his alternative rock era I feel it is the best of those albums.
     
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  23. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I have (because I find them essential) all the albums starting with the second one through Let's Dance. I'm a big unapologetic Let's Dance fan. :D
     
  24. GreenBeret95

    GreenBeret95 Member

    Location:
    Minnesota
    My go-to albums by David Bowie are:

    The Berlin Trilogy
    Station to Station
    Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
    Heathen
    1. Outside
    Earthling
    Hunky Dory
    Ziggy Stardust
    Let's Dance
     
  25. Audioresearch

    Audioresearch Forum Resident

    Blackstar * has to be in
     
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