by John Covach, Director
University of Rochester Institute for Popular Music
David Bowie changed rock music in the 1970s in a significant way. He will probably be best remembered by music historians for his album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Released in the summer of 1972, the album only rose to number 75 on the U.S. charts, though it hit number 5 in the U.K. While later Bowie music had far greater commercial success, the distinctiveness on the Ziggy album was that Bowie adopted the persona of Ziggy Stardust. He wasn’t the first performer or artist to create an alter ego, and there were others who would also do so in the 1970s. The difference was that Bowie’s personas over the years would change, and sometimes shifting drastically.
As Bowie refashioned his creative and performing persona from album to album and from tour to tour, he also transformed his music in ways that fans might not have embraced in other artists. As a result, Bowie’s music displays a wide stylistic range over the years, and such artistic license helped him to keep his career vital over four decades. Such opportunity for change would not have led to success, however, had Bowie not been very talented. When opportunity and talent meet, the results can be magical—and Bowie provided many magic moments over the years.
Bowie’s career late in life was the model for how a pop musician can age without becoming a shadow of his or her younger self. He remained engaged and creative until the very end, releasing his last album, Blackstar, on January 8, just two days before his passing.
