10 Amazing Covers Albums In Rock And Roll Music

There was nothing that was going to kill the kind of momentum David Bowie had in the early '70s. After being thought of as a borderline one hit wonder after Space Oddity lit up the charts, he became rock and roll's favorite alien with Ziggy Stardust, bringing us one glam rock stomper after another. As the classics stacked up though, Bowie's management took a little bit of a detour. It was time to get a little bit nostalgic.

Compared to the usual schtick that Bowie was known for, hearing the songs on Pin Ups almost feels like it shouldn't work. For an album that's nothing but The Thin White Duke doing covers, these are just some standard songs that became popular during the British Invasion, with his management looking to expose these songs to American listeners. While the actual song choices for the album are a little bit weird, Bowie still gives it his all on every single one of these cuts, whether that be interpolating the Who on I Can't Explain or The Kinks' Where Have All The Good Times Gone.

Then again, there are still some songs that deserve to be among the best that David would release in the '70s, like his version of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play, which fits perfectly with his outlandish persona. Bowie didn't have time to really soak up this kind of headspace for too long. Time was of the essence, and we were already halfway to Diamond Dogs.