tectactoe
06.13.25 | Here is a quick explanation of the tier system (same as previously): It is entirely within the context of the artist e.g. I took Bowieโs discography and divvied the albums up within six different tiers considering a normal(ish) distribution (with a much higher standard deviation). This gives you the lowest number of albums in the best/worst tiers, and the largest grouping of albums in the middle tiers. This is not to say that things in the โC-Tierโ are average in a vacuum, per se, they are just average in the context of Bowieโs discography.
โข Albums in each tier are (very) roughly ranked according to personal preference. Moon emojis signify where score cut-offs lie.
โข I did not include live albums.
โข I did include posthumous releases if they featured previously recorded and unreleased Bowie material (e.g. Toy).
โข I did not include compilation material that was mostly released elsewhere, even if reissued or re-recorded.
โข EPs were not included as they were generally only comprised of tracks that were otherwise featured on full length releases. |
Demon of the Fall
06.13.25 | top tier is based
most of tier B is > tier A (but I do like seeing Lodger so high!)
I haven't delved deep enough to know anything about tier C |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | To be fair, a lot of the Low-A and High-B tier albums are very nearly interchangeable for me in terms of overall quality. Rather pat choices but I do think ZIGGY STARDUST and HUNKY DORY sit comfortably above the others, however; their top tracks are some of the most iconic in all of 70s "rock" (or whatever). Great/underrated B-sides, too, imo, but I realize that's where they lose a lot of people. (It seems with time, though, that appreciation for ZIGGY has grown at a rate inversely proportional to HUNKY DORY's decline.) |
JohnnyoftheWell
06.13.25 | dump hunky precisely one place below young americans, bump scary monsters and maybe diamond dogs/blackstar, and then this adequate dress-up of cold takes will be fine |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | I mean generally yeah there's nothing particularly contentious or overly interesting here, the critically agreeable "good" albums are high and the "bad" albums are low, my contrarian side wishes I had some spicy opinion like putting LODGER at #1 or having ZIGGY in D-tier but that simply isn't the case, alas. |
ArsMoriendi
06.13.25 | Scary Monsters is my fave and Outside is mega overrated. Seeing scary Monsters slightly below it is kinda weird but love that Lodger is placed relatively high |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | I guess the most disagreeable thing here is having LET'S DANCE rated at 7/10 and I do think it's an underrated (overly disregarded) album overall with a very strong Side A and one of his absolute best tunes ("Modern Love"). |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | Loving the LODGER love here, though, "Fantastic Voyage" is maybe Bowie's second-best opener behind "Station to Station". |
JohnnyoftheWell
06.13.25 | the three songs that matter on let's dance can justify more or less any opinion on it |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | I know you're talking about Modern Love, China Girl, and the title track, but I do have a soft spot for Cat People. |
AlexKzillion
06.13.25 | move up: scary monsters, blackstar, young americans, earthling
mode down: black tie white noise, tonight |
onionbubs
06.13.25 | scary monsters needs a bump fs |
ArsMoriendi
06.13.25 | Black Tie White Noise is underrated honestly. It's no masterpiece, but it's a massive step up from his 84-87 stuff
Especially "You've Been Around" and "The Wedding Song" |
DoofDoof
06.13.25 | S tier - Low, Station, Ziggy
A tier - Blackstar, Outside, Aladdin, Hunky
B tier - Scary M, Lodger
C tier - Diamond D, Heroes, Next Day, Heathen, Young Americans
D tier - Let's Dance, Earthling, Reality, Toy, Buddha
E tier - Black Tie, Never Let, Labyrinth, Tonight, Pinups, David Bowie, The Man Who, Space Oddity, Hours
I really don't like early lumpen Bowie - Hunky Dory definitely the start of Bowie as far as I'm concerned. Also...the 80s were not kind to Bowie. |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | Pretty agreeable list, Doof, aside from the fact that I'm clearly fonder of his pre-HUNKY work than you.
I agree that SCARY MONSTERS is great but looking at my list, I can't in good conscience place it above...well, any of the albums I ranked above it lol.
Smashing discog, all things considered. |
DoofDoof
06.13.25 | Definitely one of the best discogs, actually enriched by the fact Dave totally lost the plot at times going down ill advised artistic dead ends.
Even his 'bad' or less celebrated albums show creativity and hide some hidden gems. Some of the misfires are pretty funny/entertaining. |
AlexKzillion
06.13.25 | "Black Tie White Noise is underrated honestly. It's no masterpiece, but it's a massive step up from his 84-87 stuff"
maybe i should give it another shot but i've always felt that one was his absolute rock bottom personally. |
tectactoe
06.13.25 | I can understand the position that BLACK TIE sucks but there's no way NEVER LET ME DOWN isn't his worst. Feels like a parody album. |
fogza
06.14.25 | "maybe i should give it another shot but i've always felt that one was his absolute rock bottom personally. "
agreed |
zakalwe
06.14.25 | Youโve made this rocket science |
tectactoe
06.14.25 | Itโs a ranked list with a little extra flair |
Demon of the Fall
06.14.25 | re-running all the tier S / A / B Bowie in chrono sounds worthwhile
I just need to decide if Iโm adding (m)any others (no, Iโm not doing them all!) |
Demon of the Fall
06.14.25 | I havenโt heard all of tier B anyway |
tectactoe
06.14.25 | Def donโt bother with D or E if youโre not committed or a diehard completionist but many of the Cs at least have some very worthwhile tracks. |
Uzumaki
06.15.25 | Agreed, although Iโd prolly throw in his 80โs run (Tonight and Never Let Me Down) in there as nonessential |
tectactoe
06.15.25 | As a whole, agreed, but โLoving the Alienโ is a borderline essential
Bowie track, idc what anyone says ! |
Demon of the Fall
06.15.25 | yeah, I was gonna start this and ended up just listening to StS again as itโs been a while
if anything me least fave tracks may have sounded better than before, so thatโs cool! |
DoofDoof
06.15.25 | 'Loving the Alienโ is a borderline essential Bowie track'
it's a classic in the doof household |
tectactoe
06.19.25 | Amen ๐ |
Hendoi
06.19.25 | Lodger in A is a bit crazy but fair enough all his albums are great (mostly) |
EyesWideShut
06.20.25 | Beautiful Tier List as always |
tectactoe
06.20.25 | Danke danke, EWS. It's easy with a discography this good :) |
StonedManatee
06.20.25 | S: Station to Station, Low, Ziggy
A: Scary Monsters, Blackstar, Aladdin, Hunky, Heroes
B: The Man Who Sold the World, Lodger, Next Day
C: Letโs Dance, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Outside, Heathen, Earthling
D: Tonight, Black Tie, Space Oddity, Reality, Hours, Buddha, Toy
F: Never Let Me Down, David Bowie, Pinups, Labyrinth
Bowie is God. |
Dwap
06.26.25 | Hunky Dory is S tier. Thatโs just facts. |
