David Bowie

26 albums with 220 original songs. 30 other songs. 250 songs in total (and that's if counting the "Outside" album as 1 song, not 19). David Bowie alone has written or co-written more songs than Fleetwood Mac (seven songwriters with 220 songs) or Pink Floyd (five songwriters with 140 songs). 

1967 David Bowie (14)

David Bowie's amazing first album is something of a curiosity item. Its strange songs are completely unlike anything the singer has ever attempted since. It's a bizarre mixture of baroque pop and music hall sounds. But they are oddly charming, and quite memorable, although if they weren't recorded by David Bowie, they would probably be completely forgotten today. Despite their often serious lyrics, most of the songs are so chirpy that they seem to have been written for children: "Uncle Arthur", "Sell Me A Coat", "Rubber Band", "Love You Till Tuesday", "There Is A Happy Land", "When I Live My Dream", "Little Bombardier", "Silly Boy Blue", "Come And Buy My Toys" and "Join The Gang". But then there is "We Are Hungry Men", definitely the album's best and most mind-boggling song, a truly bizarre piece about overpopulation, abortion and cannibalism. And there are also "She's Got Medals", "Maid Of Bond Street" and "Please Mr Gravedigger", strange little tunes about female soldiers, single women and graves, respectively. This album isn't for everybody's taste, and it's yet to be discovered as one of David Bowie's most original creations.

1969 David Bowie (9)

David Bowie's second album. It only has one hit song, but what a hit song! "Space Oddity"! Arguably Bowie's greatest achievement. And with a notable exception of excellent "Memory Of A Free Festival", the rest of the album is rather unremarkable, not only by comparison, but in absolute terms as well. Neither "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed" nor "Letter to Hermione", "Cygnet Committee", "Janine", "An Occasional Dream", "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" nor "God Knows I'm Good" are ever likely to appear on any "David Bowie's Top 10 songs" lists. Or even Top 100.

1970 The Man Who Sold The World (9)

Nine songs. Seven excellent ones: "The Man Who Sold The World" (the album's highlight), "The Width Of A Circle", "All The Madmen", "Saviour Machine", "The Supermen", "Black Country Rock" and "After All". And two far less excellent ones: "Running Gun Blues" and "She Shook Me Cold". "The Width Of A Circle" and "All The Madmen" are quite long and very complex, radically changing their tempo and style in the second half.

1971 Hunky Dory (10)

A great album. Three timeless classics: "Changes" (the best), "Life on Mars?" and "Oh! You Pretty Things". Six good songs:  "Kooks", "Song for Bob Dylan", "The Bewlay Brothers", "Quicksand", "Andy Warhol" and "Queen Bitch". Only one disappointment: "Eight Line Poem". "Fill Your Heart" is a cover song.

1972 The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (10)

David Bowie's fifth and greatest album. Six classic and timeless songs: "Ziggy Stardust" (the album's highlight), "Starman", "Suffragette City", "Lady Stardust", "Five Years" and "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide". There are also four other perfectly fine songs: "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Star" and "Hang On To Yourself". And a very good cover, "It Ain't Easy".

1973 Aladdin Sane (9)

Bowie's sixth album. Four classics: "The Jean Genie" (the best tune on the album), "Aladdin Sane", "The Prettiest Star" and "Drive-In Saturday". One very unusual tune: "Lady Grinning Soul". And four other very good songs: "Cracked Actor", "Time", "Watch That Man" and "Panic In Detroit". Bowie also covers Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend The Night Together", which many consider superior to the original version.

1974 Diamond Dogs (7)

David Bowie's seventh original album. Like many Pink Floyd's albums of the same era, it can (and should) be listen to from the beginning to the end without interruption, because there are often seamless transitions between various tracks. It's particularly evident between "Future Legend" and "Diamond Dogs", between "Sweet Thing" and "Candidate" and "Sweet Thing (Reprise)", as well as between "Big Brother" and "Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family". So much so that we might consider them as three suites of songs instead of seven separate ones. Other great songs: "Rebel Rebel" (the best on the album), "1984" (a close second), "Rock 'n' Roll With Me" and "We Are The Dead".

1975 Young Americans (7)

A mix of blue-eyed soul, funk rock and disco dominates this album. The former is most evident in "Young Americans" (the album's best song), "Right" and "Can You Hear Me?". "Fame", "Win" and "Somebody Up There Likes Me" are mostly funk. And "Fascination" is an early disco tune. The album also includes a particularly disappointing cover of the Beatles' "Across The Universe".

1976 Station To Station (5)

Five magnificent songs: "Golden Years" (the best), "TVC15", "Word On A Wing", "Station To Station" and "Stay". "Wild Is The Wind" is a wonderful cover song on the album (probably Bowie's greatest cover).

1977 Low (11)

The first in David Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" of experimental rock albums. One outstanding hit: "Sound And Vision" (the best on the album). Three very good songs: "Be My Wife", "Warszawa" and "Always Crashing In The Same Car". Two fine ones: "What In The World" and "Subterraneans". And five compositions whose qualities aren't much in evidence: "A New Career In A New Town", "Speed Of Life", "Breaking Glass", "Weeping Wall" and "Art Decade".

1977 Heroes (8)

A fabulous album, with seven great songs and one instrumental suite, "Sense Of Doubt/Moss Garden/Neukoln", divided into three parts, but segueing into one another with seamless transitions. The greatest song is definitely "Heroes", but "The Secret Life Of Arabia" is also outstanding. And the others are quite innovative as well: "Beauty And The Beast", "Sons Of The Silent Age", "Joe The Lion", "V-2 Schneider" and "Blackout". The second (and best) album in Bowie's experimental "Berlin Trilogy".

1979 Lodger (10)

Two fabulous songs: "D.J." (the best one on this album) and "Yassassin" (one of Bowie's most eccentric creations, a reggae tune with a Turkish flavour). Two very good songs: "Boys Keep Swinging" and "Look Back In Anger". And six innovative little experiments: "Fantastic Voyage", "Move On", "Red Sails", "African Night Flight", "Repetition" and "Red Money". The last album in Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy".

1980 Scary Monsters And Super Creeps (8)

Only one outstanding song, "Ashes To Ashes". The rest of the album is somewhat less remarkable, with such fine, but unexceptional songs as "Fashion", "Teenage Wildlife", "Because You're Young", "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)", "It's No Game", "Up The Hill Backwards" and "Scream Like A Baby". "Kingdom Come" is an even less impressive cover song.

1983 Let's Dance (7)

David Bowie's best-selling album. Four excellent songs: "Modern Love", "Let's Dance", "Cat People Putting Out Fire" and "China Girl". Two fine songs: "Shake It" and "Without You". And one disappointment: "Ricochet". "Criminal World" is a cover song.

1984 Tonight (6)

Most of the song on this album were written or co-written by David Bowie (6 out of 9, to be exact). Also, most of the songs on this album are covers (5 out of 9), but two of them have actually been co-written by David Bowie (for Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" album in 1977): magnificent reggae-style hit "Tonight" (by far the best song on the album, performed with guest singer Tina Turner) and fine "Neighborhood Threat". There are also four nice original songs: "Tumble And Twirl", "Loving The Alien", "Blue Jean" and "Dancing With The Big Boys". "Don't Look Down", "God Only Knows" and "I Keep Forgettin'" are covers that haven't been co-written by David Bowie.

1986 Labyrinth (5)

David Bowie has 5 songs on this soundtrack album for the film "Labyrinth". The best is "Magic Dance". Almost as good is "Underground", a wonderful gospel tune, which is played twice (on the first and on the last track), the first time with a slower, re-scored version by composer Trevor Jones, and the second time with Bowie's original version (a much superior one). "Chilly Down" and "As The World Falls Down" are very memorable as well. Only "Within You" is slightly disappointing.

1987 Never Let Me Down (10)

Three excellent songs: "Glass Spider" (the highlight of the album), "Zeroes" and "Never Let Me Down". Four pretty nice songs: "New York's In Love", "Shining Star Makin' My Love", "Beat Of Your Drum" and "Day-In Day-Out". And three weak songs: "Time Will Crawl", "87 And Cry" and "Too Dizzy". "Bang Bang" is a cover from Iggy Pop.

1993 Black Tie White Noise (8)

There are 12 tracks on this album, but only half of them are songs written (or co-written) by David Bowie. Among them, "Pallas Athena" and "Miracle Goodnight" are the only innovative ones. "Jump They Say" is a fine song. But "Black Tie White Noise", "You've Been Around" and "The Wedding Song" are quite weak. There are also two instrumentals (neither particularly memorable): "Looking For Lester" and "The Wedding". And four covers (all quite disappointing): "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday", "Don't Let Me Down And Down", "Nite Flights" and "I Feel Free". Possibly David Bowie's weakest album, without any popular hit songs, and far less innovative than some of his allegedly "commercial" albums.

1993 The Buddha Of Suburbia (9)

David Bowie's "lost great album", completely ignored upon its release, and only rediscovered years later. The singer himself has named it his favourite album. Purely experimental. A soundtrack album for the TV serial "The Buddha of Suburbia", directed by Roger Michell for BBC. The best song is "Buddha of Suburbia", presented in two versions (one with and one without Lenny Kravitz, the latter quite superior). All the other songs are also very impressive (and very innovative): "Sex And The Church", "Strangers When We Meet", "Dead Against It", "Untitled No 1" and "Bleed Like A Craze Dad". There are also three instrumental tracks: two good ones ("South Horizon" and "The Mysteries"), and one unsatisfactory one ("Ian Fish UK Heir").  

1995 Outside (1)

David Bowie's most experimental album to date. It's divided into 19 tracks (some as short as 28 seconds), but like the Pink Floyd "concept" albums, it can (and should) be listen to from the beginning to the end without interruption, as it forms a single musical composition with often seamless transitions between its various sections.

1997 Earthling (9)

Five good songs: "Seven Years in Tibet" (probably the best on this album), "Law Earthlings on Fire", "I'M Afraid Of Americans", "The Last Thing You Should Do" and "Telling Lies". Four weak songs: "Dead Man Walking", "Looking For Satellites", "Battle For Britain The Letter" and "Little Wonder".

1999 Hours (10)

David Bowie's last conventional album, before becoming more and more experimental with each subsequent 21st century's album. Five good songs: "Seven" (probably the best), "Thursday's Child", "Something In The Air", "If I'M Dreaming My Life" and "Survive". Five weak songs: "What's Really Happening?", "The Dreamers", "The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell", "New Angels Of Promise" and "Brilliant Adventure".

2002 Heathen (8)

Five very good songs: "Slow Burn" (the best on the album), "Everyone Says Hi", "Slip Away", "Afraid" and "A Better Future". Three disappointments: "I Would Be Your Slave", "5:15 The Angels Have Gone" and "Sunday". And four decent covers: "Heathen", "Cactus", "I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship" and "I've Been Waiting For You".

2003 Reality (9)

A very nice album. All nine Bowie's songs are good: "Fall Dog Bombs The Moon" (the best on the album), "Days", "She'll Drive The Big Car", "New Killer Star", "Reality", "Never Get Old", "Looking For Water", "The Loneliest Guy" and "Bring Me The Disco King". And even the two cover songs are fine: "Try Some Buy Some" from George Harrison and "Pablo Picasso" from Jonathan Richman.

2013 The Next Day (14)

There are eight fine songs on this album: "Where Are We Now?" (arguably the best), "The Stars Are Out Tonight", "How Does The Grass Grow?", "You Feel So Lonely You Could Die", "Valentine's Day", "The Next Day", "Love Is Lost" and "I'D Rather Be High". And six weak songs: "You Will Set The World on Fire", "Boss Of Me", "Heat", "Dancing Out In Space", "If You Can See Me" and "Dirty Boys".

2016 Blackstar (7)

David Bowie's last album. Very experimental. Seven impressive songs: "Girl Loves Me" (probably the best), "Blackstar", "Lazarus", "'Tis A Pity She Was A Whore", "I Can't Give Everything Away", "Dollar Days" and "Sue Or In A Season Of Crime".

Other songs (30):

1964 - "Liza Jane", David Bowie's first song.

1965 - two fine songs: "Baby Loves That Way" and "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving".

1966 - one very good song, "Can't Help Thinking About Me", four fine songs: "The London Boys", "And I Say To Myself", "I'M Not Losing Sleep" and "I Dig Everything", as well as two very weak songs: "Do Anything You Say" and "Good Morning Girl".

1967 - three good songs: "The Laughing Gnome", "Did You Ever Have A Dream" and "The Gospel According To Tony Day".

1970 - one fine song, "Conversation Piece".

1971 - one very good song, "Holy Holy".

1972 - two superb songs: "All The Young Dudes" and "John I'M Only Dancing".

1975 - one timeless classic, "Velvet Goldmine"

1981 - one timeless classic, "Under Pressure"

1986 - three good songs, "Absolute Beginners", "That's Motivation" and "When The Wind Blows"

1987 - one excellent song, "Julie"

1989 - one good song, "After Today"

1991 - two experimental songs, "Abdulmajid" and "All Saints"

1999 - one weak song, "1917"

2002 - two weak songs: "When The Boys Come Marching Home" and "Wood Jackson"

2013 - one fine song, "Atomica"