10 Greatest Concept Albums In Rock Music History

4. Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie

In the grand tradition of rock theatrics, David Bowie certainly belongs in the conversation of the greatest of all time. Though not every album he made was conceptual, Bowie was always about making new characters for himself to play across different records, from the Major Tom of Space Oddity to the Thin White Duke who threw darts in lover's eyes on Station to Station. If we're talking what really set him up for stardom though, we have to mention the rock star alien who fell to Earth.

After road testing a handful of songs after touring the US, Bowie came up with the idea of Ziggy Stardust being the ideal rock star, having a pale white complexion and arriving to save the planet from imminent destruction. Compared to all of the other albums on this list, this record truly feels like its own little world, with songs like Starman and Moonage Daydream setting up the extraterrestrial theme perfectly.

There are also bits and pieces of this record that became emblematic of the styles of rock going forward, like the obvious precursors of glam rock in the presentation and influencing different punk bands as well on tracks like Hang On To Yourself. By the time the final curtain closes on Rock and Roll Suicide, you've been treated to one of the greatest pieces of musical theatre that the rock world has to offer.

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