The Berlin Era: 4 of David Bowie’s Most Essential Songs From the Late 1970s

David Bowie put out incredible pieces of work throughout his career, but there’s just something special about the Berlin Era. The “Berlin Era” refers to a period of a few years in the 1970s where Bowie decided to kick his drug habit and hop on a plane to Germany. He shacked up with Iggy Pop and became incredibly inspired by the artwork he discovered there. With that inspiration, he wrote, recorded, and released three albums: Low, Heroes, and Lodger. Let’s look at just four songs from that period that are still worth remembering today!

1. “Look Back In Anger”

“Look Back In Anger” is one of many lovely works from Lodger, and it’s one of few songs where Bowie decides to sing in a lower register. This song has a great narrative, with a jarring arrangement that would probably not have worked very well if David Bowie and glam contemporary Brian Eno were not writing and directing the entire thing.

2. “Beauty And The Beast”

This Heroes track opens up the record quite beautifully. “Beauty And The Beast” also happens to feature the guitar stylings of Robert Fripp, whose riff cuts through the soundscape of drumbeats and synthesizers in a way that makes perfect sense. Antonia Maass also provides some beautiful jazz vocals to the song as well.

3. “Warszawa”

Bowie’s Berlin era yielded so much incredible work, but there’s just something about “Warszawa” from Low that just hits right. This mostly instrumental work was a clear ode of sorts to Brian Eno (he also helped compose it), but it’s still a very Bowie song. It’s a masterclass in sonic atmosphere, and it’s kind of underrated in our opinion.

“Side Two was more an observation in musical terms,” said Bowie of the song. “[It’s] my reaction to seeing the East bloc, how West Berlin survives in the midst of it all, which was something I couldn’t express in words. Rather it required textures.”

4. “Moss Garden”

This stunning little number from Heroes is another lovely ambient, atmospheric track from Bowie. However, rather than evoking the cultural and musical elements of Berlin at the time that Bowie was so inspired by, this song was meant to transport listeners to the traditional gardens of Kyoto, Japan. It’s a collaborative piece between Bowie and Eno, and we’d be bold enough to say it’s one of their very best partnerships.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.