5.Forming in Sacramento, California all the way back in 1988, and releasing eight outstanding LPs over the last 25 years ( with number nine on its way), Deftones have indelibly shaped the alternative metal genre while remaining a band apart. Future stars Luther Vandross (here on backing vocals) and David Sanborn (sax) also left an indelible mark on the album, with Bowie rewriting Vandross’ song “Funky Music (Is A Part of Me)” into “Fascination.” And though Young Americans is in some ways a classic example of a White artist thriving commercially by channeling Black influences, Bowie’s “plastic soul” put a distinct spin of his own on contemporary R&B, at once deliberately inauthentic while also funky enough to land him an appearance on Soul Train. 1 song on the Hot 100, finally giving him the kind of American pop profile he’d enjoyed in the U.K.

And “Fame,” a blown-out James Brown salute co-written by John Lennon, was his first No. It was his first studio album recorded in the states (barring two tracks on Aladdin Sane), tracked in part at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound in homage to Philly soul producers like Gamble and Huff.

‘hours…’ (1999)īowie consummated his love affair with the U.S. To mark the occasion, here’s a look back at his entire catalog, ranked from worst to best: (Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns) 29. Meanwhile, one of Bowie’s most iconic albums, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars, recently turned 50. Last year, his shelved 2001 album Toy was finally officially released, and the documentary Moonage Daydream will hit theaters this fall. Since Bowie’s 2016 death, his artistic stature has only grown, and his voluminous discography has continued to reward close listening. Had he not been rock’s greatest shapeshifter, Bowie would be remembered for his more subtle musical reinventions, pioneering glam rock but also absorbing and putting his own twists on folk, soul, punk, drum’n’bass, and jazz. But then he just kept on adding more aliases to his roster of identities: Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack, The Thin White Duke, the list goes on and on. The man born David Jones adopted the stage name David Bowie in 1966, avoiding confusion with The Monkees’ Davy Jones.

Rank the deftones albums