This 70s Glam Rock Icon Was a Bigger Star Than David Bowie

David Bowie is synonymous with eccentricity when it comes to the world of rock and roll. He used music, fashion, and acting to engage with the culture and politics of the changing times, constantly reinventing himself as he saw fit. Bowie had many personas throughout his prolific career, ranging from glamorous rock alien to buttoned-up conservative, each with a specific message and intent. While Bowie adopted nearly every style in the book, the early ‘70s saw him in peak glam rock form.

Bowie’s dazzling, outlandish fashion sense and bizarre lyrics set him apart from the other stars of the time. While David Bowie is known as one of the greatest glam rockers to ever do it, he owes much of his success in the field to someone else: the fictional character Ziggy Stardust. Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust persona can be easily distinguished through his iconic electric orange mullet, vibrant face paint and eyeshadow, and loudly patterned outfits. The Ziggy Stardust character was essentially a jumper cable for David Bowie’s career, kickstarting his ascension into superstardom.

The Tale of Ziggy Stardust

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The concept behind Ziggy Stardust was conceived alongside Bowie’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which was released in 1972. He performed in character throughout the tour. But who is Ziggy Stardust? And why did David Bowie create such a persona? In keeping with his colorful body of work, the answers to these questions are as layered as they are eccentric.

Ziggy Stardust is an androgynous, intergalactic rock star, arriving on earth before an impending apocalypse to spread a message of hope to earth’s youth. Advised by a team of aliens called the “infinites,” Ziggy brings rock music back to a world that has lost electricity, along with most natural resources. The end time was nigh, and Ziggy Stardust was earth’s last chance of survival. If this fictional tale seems a bit bizarre, just wait – somehow, it gets crazier.

A harbinger of hope (armed with incredible music), Ziggy Stardust becomes a beloved prophet for so many earthlings down on their luck. He is worshiped blindly and intensely by his disciples as he preaches about a starman; an alien savior who is coming to save the world and put a stop to the people’s suffering once and for all. Ziggy Stardust begins to revel in the attention and adoration of his followers – and, as is so often the case, his hubris would be his undoing.

Ziggy Stardust gets too big for his britches. He begins to portray himself not just as a messenger, but as the storied starman himself. This does not fly with his intergalactic advisors. During one of Ziggy’s performances, his crazed fans rip him limb from limb on stage. A fittingly theatrical end for the glam alien rock star. Poor Ziggy flew too close to the sun – or, in this case, the stars. May he rest in fictional peace.

David Bowie retired the character at the end of his tour, killing Ziggy on July 13, 1973, at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. He claimed his invented persona and his real life were becoming inextricably enmeshed. Aptly nicknamed “the chameleon of rock”, the time had come for Bowie to reinvent himself once again. But fans never forgot about Ziggy.

The Life of Ziggy Stardust in David Bowie’s Lyrics

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The story of Ziggy Stardust is largely chronicled in the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. On the third track on the record, “Moonage Daydream,” Ziggy introduces himself directly: “I’m the space invader/ I’ll be a rock’n’rollin’ bitch for you.” The lyrics also allude to Ziggy’s power over his audience, as well as his desire to be seen and adored: “Keep your ‘lectric eye on me, babe.”

The next track on the album, the record’s biggest hit and lead single, is “Starman.” In this song, Ziggy delivers the prophecy of the starman who is coming to save the world. It is essentially a decree, a call to arms for the youth of the dying earth to rise up: “Let the children lose it/ Let the children use it/ Let the children boogie.” This song represents Ziggy’s early time on earth, when he had yet to be obscured by the growing shadow of his own fame.

The song “Ziggy Stardust” is the most comprehensive telling of this character’s story. This track details how Ziggy falls prey to the glitteringly deceptive facade of fame and loses touch with the message he came to deliver. His celebrity status went straight to his head: “Making love with his ego/ Ziggy sucked up into his mind/ Like a leper messiah.” Messiah? Maybe. God? Definitely not. Despite his best efforts, Ziggy is not, in fact, the starman. Ultimately, this irreversible inflation of ego leads to his demise.

The Album and Its Many Unique Influences

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The album itself is conceptual, a rock opera with punk and glam influences. There are also blues and soul undertones throughout, making the record a real mélange of the rock genre canon. As opposed to his piano-forward previous work, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is much more guitar driven, with Mark Ronson at the helm of the string section. Unsurprisingly, David Bowie’s unique vocals take center stage throughout the album, just as Ziggy Stardust inhabits the limelight of the lyrical narrative.

David Bowie drew inspiration from a variety of artists and musicians in his creation of Ziggy Stardust. He wanted Ziggy to be the archetype “Messiah Rockstar,” and he was heavily influenced by mime technique, Japanese Kabuki theater, and alternative New York music such as The Velvet Underground. Ziggy Stardust is a pastiche of art and music from around the world, condensed into a singular character who represents the power and the danger of immense fame. Ziggy personifies freedom, androgyny, and rebellion. He also serves as a cautionary tale against falling victim to the dark underbelly of commercial fame.

It is difficult to fully grasp where David Bowie ends and Ziggy Stardust begins. Bowie’s world building is scary good, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. To many fans, Ziggy Stardust was more than a character – he was a real performer, an actual alien on earth. To their credit, he did have a very real and long-lasting impact on fashion and culture. The fictional character that Bowie created ––an androgynous alien messiah, the biggest rock star in existence –– managed to become a successful celebrity in the real world. Pretty trippy. The mythical Ziggy Stardust achieved astronomical superstardom and managed to eclipse (if only briefly) the career of the real David Bowie.