The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the fifth studio album by David Bowie, released in June 1972 on RCA Records and produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott. The album is a defining concept record that introduced the alien rock star Ziggy Stardust, one of pop culture's most enduring and influential personas, and essentially invented the template for glam rock as a theatrical and literary art form. Songs like 'Starman,' 'Suffragette City,' 'Rock 'n' Roll Suicide,' and the title sequence are among the most brilliant and timeless in rock history, combining catchy hooks with sophisticated lyrical conceits about fame, extraterrestrial saviors, and apocalyptic sexuality. The album reached the top five in the UK and, after a slow initial American release, became a defining document of early-1970s rock culture. Ziggy Stardust is the definitive statement of Bowie's early genius and one of the most influential albums ever recorded.