the rise and fall of ziggy stardust

It’s only right to acknowledge musical treasures both present and those whose souls have retired from earth. For Bowie, however, perhaps the title ‘musical treasure’ is an understatement. Ranked No.6 on the ‘100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years’ by Rolling Stone magazine, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was an introduction by Bowie to the burgeoning glam rock scene within rock and roll, a culture which captured the hearts and interests of many and which also broke a barrier down within the rock and roll music industry.

With 'Starman' being the all-time cherished song on the album, although a predominantly acoustic piece, Bowie successfully embeds his theme of ‘out of this world’ and space through space age transitional effects whilst still capturing a smooth and flawless finish through strings and keys. The theme of space is utilised by Bowie’s character, so much so that my own mum obtains a strong belief that he was in fact an alien on earth (yes really). The unique ‘alien rock star’ created a revolution in the music and fashion industry, showing us a more realistic element to music and letting his generation know through his lyrical artistry that he was in fact the champion of ‘different’ and that it is seemingly ‘normal’ to be an ‘odd ball’. Something that we can all relate to.

Starman (1972) - 

An alien narrative proved to be significantly analogical, and this album specifically was created by ‘the lonely outsider’ explaining that he longed to relate to those who considered themselves outcasts, and so evidently spread this belief through his entire ambience and persona.

Bowie’s distinctive appearance was also born through this album, his bright red hair and pale grey skin as his trademark look significantly contributed to the message he aimed to send out through his lyrics in his songs that a unique and different lifestyle, personality and appearance can be admirable, and in this way the birth of Ziggy Stardust, his theatrical performances and flamboyant fashion sense changed consumers approach to rock music, opening up the minds of many and influencing future artists forever.