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David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a cultural moment that music lovers moved on from too quickly.
The 1972 concept album tells the story of Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous alien rockstar from Mars destined to save human civilization through glam rock anthems and eclectic ballads.
The first song, “Five Years,” sets the scene: Earth is dying from a climate crisis and the world is in chaos. The song is a ballad that builds in desperation as it progresses, and it perfectly matches the message of the song.
Enter Ziggy Stardust. “Starman” is a song that the rock star sings to the people of Earth, bringing a message of hope: There is a starman out there, waiting to come to Earth.
The track is a perfect blend of Bowie’s oddities and musical talent. Each part of the song works together to create feelings and hope, even though the listener’s home isn’t actually dying in five years.
“Lady Stardust” serves to establish Ziggy’s ambiguous relationship with gender. This, coupled with Bowie’s embrace of femininity, helped to redefine the gender norms of the rock scene.
The rest of the album goes through Ziggy Stardust’s embrace of everything the rock’n’roll lifestyle has to offer as he is launched into stardom. Each of the songs brings a different sound, but each one is equally groovy.
The last track, “Rock’n’Roll Suicide,” is the fall of Ziggy Stardust. The starmen Ziggy had been singing about come to Earth. However, instead of saving humanity, they tear Ziggy apart on stage as he sings his own eulogy.
The song leaves a last message of hope and desperation as Ziggy fades to stardust.
The album as a whole is odd to say the least, but it launched Bowie into international stardom. In the ’70s, the world was ready for something different, and that is exactly what Bowie provided.
Today, no mainstream music matches Bowie’s eccentric hits. Those who are tired of the same sounds should consider going back in time and giving The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars a spin.
