Legacy (The Very Best Of David Bowie)

David Bowie was one of pop music’s great shape-shifters, moving through folk, glam rock, soul, electronic music, and art rock without losing his unmistakable voice. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars turned alienation and theatrical rock into something thrillingly human, while Hunky Dory paired sharp songwriting with piano-led warmth on songs like “Changes” and “Life on Mars?” Aladdin Sane pushed the glam sound into stranger, more decadent territory, with Mike Garson’s wild piano giving the record an extra jolt.

His mid-1970s albums are just as rewarding. Young Americans brought in sleek Philadelphia soul, Station to Station balanced funk with a cold, dramatic edge, and Low began the celebrated Berlin-era run with clipped rock songs and atmospheric instrumentals. “Heroes” and Lodger continued that restless experimentation, mixing Brian Eno’s textures with Bowie’s gift for melody and character.

Bowie kept finding new angles throughout his career, from the polished pop scale of Let’s Dance to the dark, jazz-inflected Blackstar, released just before his death in 2016. His records invite repeat listening because each period has its own sound, cast of musicians, and visual world. Start with the famous albums, then follow whichever Bowie interests you most: the glam star, the soul singer, the studio explorer, or the older artist still willing to sound unsettled.