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

By 1972 Bowie had spent years failing to get famous, with one novelty hit to his name. So he stopped being himself. He invented Ziggy, an alien who comes to a dying Earth, becomes a rock star, and gets destroyed by his own fans. Then he played the character everywhere, on stage and in interviews, until the act made him famous for real. The songs under the costume are tight three-minute rock and roll, recorded fast at Trident Studios in London with Mick Ronson on guitar.