10 Classic Albums That People Originally Hated

At the start of the '70s, there was almost a 50/50 chance that David Bowie was going to become known as a novelty act. Long before the glam rock alien took shape, Bowie was originally blackballed out of the serious rock scene and known more for his space-themed hit Space Oddity. Once Ziggy Stardust arrived on land though, people had to give Hunky Dory some serious reconsideration.

As opposed to just looking good in retrospect, Bowie's fourth proper outing is actually capable of rivaling Ziggy as one of the greatest records he's ever made. Inspired by a trip to America, this piano-driven affair has some of the greatest tunes that Bowie would ever write, including Changes and Life on Mars?, the latter of which first shows Bowie's ability to flesh out Ziggy. Along with the amazing single material, there's also a good look at the more eccentric sides of Bowie's mind, from the open-hearted hope present in Quicksand to the pastiche of the Velvet Underground unfolding on Queen B*tch.

While Hunky ended up selling poorly in its first run, the massive success of Ziggy Stardust made a lot of people backtrack, coming across this one a little later. For as much as the makings of something brilliant are on here, this is just a fun little jaunt before the Starman reached the full peak of his powers.