Elvis Costello on the Four David Bowie Albums Everyone Should Own

Few artists have ever had a 1970s run as transformative, trend-setting, and artistically impeccable as David Bowie. Rising to fame as the Martian rock messiah Ziggy Stardust after years of experimenting with styles ranging from quirky novelty songs to folk-trio collaborations, Bowie quickly became an unparalleled force in music. His uncanny ability to absorb the cultural underground and prefigure seismic shifts in popular music made him the decade’s most daring innovator. By 1977, an ad campaign aptly summarized his unique status: “There’s old wave, there’s new wave, and there’s David Bowie.”

When attempting to distill Bowie’s vast and eclectic discography into a core set of essential albums, most approaches highlight key moments from his various personas and creative eras: a pre-Ziggy classic, a glam rock standout, one of the Berlin Trilogy masterpieces, and a choice from his final triumphs, The Next Day or Blackstar. However, when Elvis Costello was asked to name his four essential Bowie albums in his 2013 Vanity Fair feature, “500 Albums Essential to a Happy Life,” his picks focused on a particular phase of Bowie’s creative output.

“There are probably songs being composed right now that will eclipse every entry on this list in somebody’s heart or mind,” Costello reflected. “It is my experience that music is more like water than a rhinoceros. It doesn’t charge madly down one path. It runs away in every direction.”

1. Hunky Dory (1971)

Costello’s first choice was Bowie’s fourth studio album, Hunky Dory. Although it only achieved classic status after the breakout success of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Hunky Dory is a kaleidoscopic art-pop masterpiece. Unlike later records, it isn’t tied to a singular character or aesthetic. Instead, it showcases Bowie’s ability to experiment freely, mixing diverse styles into an imaginative soundscape.

Drawing inspiration from his first trip to the United States, Bowie explored the American cultural landscape with tributes to icons like Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed. The album’s stylistic variety ranges from the anthemic ‘Changes’ to the hauntingly surreal ‘Life on Mars?’. For newcomers, Hunky Dory serves as an excellent entry point into Bowie’s world, balancing accessible melodies with daring creativity.

2. Station to Station (1976)

Costello’s second pick, Station to Station, represents a pivotal moment in Bowie’s career. Introducing the icy persona of the Thin White Duke, the album blends the funk and R&B influences of Young Americans with the stark, experimental edge of German electronic music and krautrock. Despite its brilliance, Bowie later admitted he had little memory of making the record due to his intense cocaine use at the time.

With only six tracks, Station to Station is a concise yet monumental achievement. It includes sprawling, hypnotic compositions like the title track and closes with Bowie’s breathtaking rendition of Nina Simone’s ‘Wild Is the Wind.’ It is a record of contradictions—plastic soul infused with emotional depth—and remains one of his most intriguing works.

3. Low (1977)

The first installment of the Berlin Trilogy, Low emerged as Bowie sought to rebuild his life and artistry after the excesses of Los Angeles. Collaborating with producer Tony Visconti, Brian Eno, and Iggy Pop, Bowie crafted a groundbreaking album that embraced electronic textures and ambient soundscapes.

Side A delivers disjointed yet infectious funk-rock tracks like ‘Breaking Glass’ and ‘Sound and Vision,’ showcasing the influence of Carlos Alomar’s guitar work. Meanwhile, Side B delves into atmospheric instrumentals, reflecting the cold, divided energy of Berlin during the Cold War. Low pushed the boundaries of what a rock album could be, setting the stage for a generation of post-punk musicians.

4. “Heroes” (1977)

Costello rounds out his essential Bowie selections with “Heroes”, the second Berlin Trilogy album. While it retains the experimental qualities of Low, it leans slightly more toward traditional song structures. The iconic title track, with its soaring vocals and Visconti’s innovative production techniques, stands as one of Bowie’s most enduring anthems.

Beyond the title track, “Heroes” offers treasures like the energetic ‘Joe the Lion’ and the exotic, danceable ‘The Secret Life of Arabia.’ The album balances cold, minimalist instrumentals with moments of vibrant pop brilliance, embodying Bowie’s dual mastery of accessibility and avant-garde experimentation.

Costello’s Perspective

Elvis Costello’s choices provide a fascinating lens into David Bowie’s genius. While some might favor Bowie’s glam-rock era or his later commercial reinvention, Costello focuses on the records that reward adventurous listening. By highlighting Hunky Dory, Station to Station, Low, and “Heroes”, he paints a portrait of Bowie as both an innovator and a chameleon—an artist who continually redefined the possibilities of popular music.

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