More about: David Bowie

David Jones, aka Ziggy Stardust, Halloween Jack, The Thin White Duke, Aladdin Sane—or usually just David Bowie—would have been 75 this weekend. Six years on from his death, and the grief for an innvator has not dissipated much at all. 

The beauty of Bowie is in the diversity of his catalogue—regardless of your musical preferences, there's a Bowie album for you. Across his 26 studio albums, there are countless bangers and chart-topping smash hits, but today we are uncovering the hidden gems in Bowie’s work. The ‘Diamond Dogs’ in the rough, if you will. 

In order to celebrate the Brixton Boy’s birthday and legacy, the Gigwise writers have come together to handpick 11 of Bowie’s most underrated tunes. You won’t find 'Heroes' or 'Let's Dance' here, this list is made up of our favourite underrated tracks. CB

Words by Ken Wynne, Charlie Brock, Laura Dean and Emma Edwards.

'I’m Afraid of Americans'

Fresh from his tour with NIN, Bowie took Earthling (1997) to totally unexpected territory—breakbeat and jungle sounds are prominent throughout, David is truly pushing the envelope of his creativity throughout this record. 

'I’m Afraid of Americans' is Earthling’s absolute peak. Bowie borrows from The Prodigy and Underworld with his own enigmatic twist. This whole record—and 'I’m Afraid of Americans' especially—is Bowie at his avant-garde best. Throughout his enigmatic career, Bowie was at the precipice of trends in music, and this track is a perfect example of this. CB

'Valentines Day'

Recorded in total secrecy in the bowels of New York City, The Next Day (2013) is Bowie’s best comeback record—the album was dropped with no press, no build-up, no interviews, no hype: just Bowie at his brilliant best. 

The production throughout TND is astounding and it is at it’s clear best on 'Valentine's Day'. Despite the bleak subject matter (a tyrannical figure crushing the world "under his heel"), VD is a stupendous rocker of a cut, with David rolling back the years. This track could be straight from Station to Station: it is quite simply, superb. 

'Amsterdam' 

Amsterdam is a pretty straightforward cut, the cover of Jacques Brel’s song ended up as a B-side to 1973’s 'Sorrow'. This is Bowie at his finest: simple and emotional, David plays his 12-string and really allows his voice to shine here. 

It’s Bowie distilled: just a man and his guitar in the simplest and purest format. Bowie at his absolute best here. CB

‘The Width of a Circle’

Opening Bowie's third studio album, The Man Who Sold the World (1970), ‘The Width of a Circle’ is eight minutes of schizophrenic guitar-driven hard rock divided into two parts: unadulterated prog-metal courtesy of near-Tony Iommi riffing from guitarist Mick Ronson (of Bowie's later backing band, The Spiders from Mars), before mutating into a glam melody that would lay the foundation for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), and Aladdin Sane (1973). KW
 

‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’

Built around just two chord changes, 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire)' was Bowie and Italian composer Giorgio Moroder's new wave creeper for the erotic horror film Cat People (1982). Singing the opening verses in his lowest register, Bowie's sudden octave-leap of "putting out fire... WITH GASOLINE!" is matched only by the track's lurid cinematic counterpart. 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire)' would later be re-constructed with the help of Nile Rodgers and Stevie Ray Vaughan for Let's Dance (1983). KW

‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight)’

Whilst the titular 2013 single ‘The Next Day’ stormed the charts, the second single to be released from it—‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight)’—was criminally overlooked. With distorted guitars and the juxtaposition of soothing yet aggressive vocals, it screams vintage Bowie. LD

‘Everyone Says Hi’

With a deceptively simple arrangement, the poignantly beautiful ‘Everyone Says Hi’ barely cracked the top twenty in the UK and failed to chart elsewhere. Written about his father’s passing, it possess some of Bowie’s most sentimental lyrics. LD

'The Secret Life of Arabia'

‘The Secret Life of Arabia’ gets glossed over because of it’s positioning on Heroes (1977), but it's oozing with Brian Eno’s influence and is a funky track that brings the album to a truly unique end. LD

'Slip Away’

Equal parts harrowing and dreamy, this track’s lyrics pay homage to comedian Uncle Floyd and the passing by of time. Like most of Heathen (2002), it carries an underlying feeling of grief and nostalgia within the melodic piano and Bowie's mesmerising vocals which make it an emotional masterpiece. Real ‘Life On Mars’ energy. EE

‘Looking for Satellites’ 

The second track from Earthling (1997) was written at a time when the possibility of life on other planets was being explored; it is an experimental journey contemplating spirituality and the existence of alien life, and frankly it doesn’t get enough love! It starts out with Bowie singing random consumer culture related words like "TV" and "Shampoo", before the catchy verses of cut-up lyrics come in and it ends in a massive guitar solo, What’s not to love? EE

‘She’s Got Medals’ 

A whimsical tale of a woman who disguises herself as a man to join the army, sang in a Cockney accent. Featuring a church organ and thumbing drums whilst the bassline keeps us dancing along, this track was the original gender-bending staple and whilst it’s not perfect it is certainly a lot of fun! EE

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More about: David Bowie