Space Oddity
This 1969 release features David Bowie's first hit single, "Space Oddity," and sets the tone for the spaceyZiggy Stardustto come. But other than the title track,Space Oddityisn't a glam-rock album. For that phase, one must move ahead to 1970'sThe Man Who Sold the World. These folk-based tracks largely present Bowie as a surrealist singer-songwriter. The uncharacteristically bitter and sarcastic "Letter to Hermione" is the most impassioned track here, presenting, as it does, the angry side of this master of cool. While still earlier recordings are noted for theirAnthony Newleyaffectations,Space Oddityis where the Bowie myth begins to take shape.--Rob O'Connor