By: George Becker ’28
David Bowie didn’t just make music; he reinvented what it meant to be a rock star. From the moment he released his first hit album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, he rose to fame with this new electrifying sound of glam rock and bold outfits. Bowie challenged the expectations of what being a rock star meant, and he inspired many generations to come. In the early ’70s, a figure wearing glitter boots and bright red hair stepped onto the stage and changed rock forever. From the Ziggy Stardust persona to his Berlin Trilogy, Bowie constantly reinvented and challenged himself.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972) is one of David Bowie’s most influential records. It tells the story of Ziggy Stardust, an alien rock star sent to Earth to bring hope. Through his iconic persona, Bowie blended glam rock with science fiction. The record includes hits like “Starman” and “Moonage Daydream.” My favorite song off the album is “Ziggy Stardust.” The catchy riff and the storytelling are what make it one of my favorite songs. The track is about a rock star who rises to fame and becomes a powerful figure for his fans but is destroyed by his own ego.
As Bowie moved from his Ziggy Stardust persona, he entered one of the most intense and creative parts of his life. In 1976, he released Station to Station, an album that has funk and soul roots. It also created the character “Thin White Duke,” another persona
that reflected Bowie’s growing identity. In a later interview, Bowie said, “I was pulling myself apart and putting myself back together through the music.” This period was also one of the darkest in his life. Exhaustion and personal struggles were what fueled his growing drug addiction and depression.
Not long after, Bowie left his struggles in Los Angeles and escaped to Europe; this pilgrimage brought the legendary Berlin Trilogy. Bowie worked with Brian Eno and recorded Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger. These albums blended electronic music, ambient soundscapes, and rock in ways no artist had ever done before. These records didn’t just influence the future of electronic and alternative music; they redefined it. Each album marked a new chapter in Bowie’s life.
Even in his final years, Bowie continued to create revolutionary music. In 2016, while secretly battling cancer, he recorded Blackstar, an album filled with symbolism, coded messages, and reflections on death. Through its jazz influences and his raw vocals, Bowie shaped his own passing into his final piece of art. The music video for “Lazarus,” released just days before his death, showed him dealing with his fate of dying from liver cancer. Bowie prepared for his death the same way he faced his life: with boldness and creativity. He left the world with one of his masterpiece albums (in my opinion), proving to us why he is a legend.
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