10 Iconic Moments From David Bowie’s Career

There has never been anyone quite like David Bowie.

Before losing his battle to cancer in 2016, the visionary artist left us a string of universally celebrated albums and iconic images that we won’t soon forget. He defined culture, set sartorial trends, and paved the way for future boundary-pushing artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga.

As his estate gears up to give us a look into the Starman‘s cosmic life in Moonage Daydream, let’s take a look at just 10 of the iconic moments Bowie has to offer.

1. Space Oddity

Though Bowie’s debut album may not have made the waves he was hoping for (it was released on the same day as the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, so it’s understandable it fell a little short), his second effort was stratospheric, extraterrestrial, and unlike anything that came before.

The self-titled album, though better known as Space Oddity, was released during the 1969 “Space Race” just days before the United States’ historic moon landing. Chronicling the story of a fictional astronaut named Major Tom, the title track became the musician’s first to chart in the U.K. and later became his first No. 1 single during a 1975 re-release.

2. Ziggy Stardust

There are few rockstar alter-egos that are as iconic as Ziggy Stardust. The flame-haired onstage persona was conceptualized by Bowie alongside the release of his fifth studio album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

The bisexual rock star from outer space was just the ticket to cement Bowie as the boundary-pushing, radical artist we know him as today.

3. Aladdin Sane

In another bout of iconic imagery, Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album featured the androgynous artist’s famed lightning bolt make-up. One of Bowie’s classic glam records, the album went to No. 1 on the U.K. Albums chart and defined an entire era of glittering rock anthems.

4. The Man Who Fell To Earth

Directed by cult auteur Nicolas Roeg, this surreal 1976 sci-fi movie featured Bowie in his first film role. Aptly, the rockstar played an alien who crash lands on Earth while seeking water.

In the vein of Ziggy Stardust, the film earned the artist the Saturn Award for Best Actor.

5. The Berlin Trilogy

Recorded in a consecutive string, the “Berlin Trilogy” encompasses Bowie’s three trailblazing records Low, “Heroes,” and Lodger. The trio of experimental electro-rock albums was made in collaboration with fellow English musician Brian Eno. Over the years, the middle album’s titular single has gone on to become one of Bowie’s signature songs and an anthem for underdogs everywhere.

6. “Under Pressure”

As the story goes, Bowie would routinely drop in on Queen as they were recording their tenth studio album, Hot Space, in the Swiss Alps. During one fateful encounter, Bowie arrived with copious amounts of cocaine and a plan. What resulted was the smash hit single “Under Pressure,” which reach unrivaled heights upon its release in 1981.

With an iconic bass riff (later, heavily sampled in Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby“) and both Bowie and Freddie Mercury seemingly fighting it out for lead vocal duties, it has become one of the most legendary musical collaborations of all time.

7. Let’s Dance

It seems even Bowie couldn’t resist a mainstream dance-pop groove. Marking the peak of the artist’s commercial career as a pop artist, the Niles Rodgers-produced album Let’s Dance delivered a number of MTV-era hit singles – “Modern Love,” “China Girl,” and “Let’s Dance” which reached No. 1 in the U.S.

The best-selling album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 1984 Grammy Awards but ultimately lost out to Michael Jackson’s Thriller – not bad company to be in.

8. Labyrinth

Bowie took to the silver screen again in the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth, directed by Jim Henson. The rock star played the captivating, yet eerie Goblin King Jareth alongside Jennifer Connely’s adventurous protagonist Sarah Williams.

The film introduced Bowie to a whole new generation of youth. Speaking to Movieline in 1986, Bowie gushed when talking about the role: “I’d always wanted to be involved in the music-writing aspect of a movie that would appeal to children of all ages, as well as everyone else, and I must say that Jim gave me a completely free hand with it. The script itself was terribly amusing without being vicious or spiteful or bloody, and it had a lot more heart in it than many other special effects movies. So I was pretty hooked from the beginning.”

9. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction

Bowie received his dues as one of the most influential rock stars of all time in 1996 when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame alongside Pink Floyd, Gladys Knight, and Jefferson Airplane.

The Talking Heads’ David Byrne introduced the induction where he called Bowie’s legacy “the joy of reckless prophecy.” Madonna then accepted the honor on behalf of Bowie, thanking the rock star for inspiring her music.

10. Blackstar

Bowie left the world with one last “parting gift” just two days before his passing on January 10, 2016. The album, Blackstar, was a surprise drop that went on to be one of his most critically acclaimed albums.

Secretly recorded in New York City, the record topped the U.S. Billboard 200 Chart and received two Grammy nominations, including a nod for Best Alternative Music Album.

Though the album is painted a little more somberly given his untimely passing, it’s a testament to his enduring ability to innovate as an artist right up until the very end.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images