10 Huge Rock Artists That Went Electronic (And Nailed It)

David Bowie was never one to really stay in one genre forever. As much as we might know him today as the almighty Starman coming down from the sky, the Thin White Duke was never the same person from one album to the next, whether that was the blue eyed soul of Young Americans or the kraut rock vibes going on in most of Station to Station. Though he may have hit his stride as a pop star in the '80s with Let's Dance, Bowie had some unfinished business once the drum and bass scene took off.

Much like Young Americans from way back when, Earthling feels like a love letter to this style of music, with Bowie's shaky voice sounding right at home next to the rough industrial sounds of these tracks. While most of these songs fit well as dance tracks, Bowie's writing style hasn't changed that much, still bringing in that off kilter vibe and making it fit into this context.

It helps to be working with the right people as well, and Bowie was definitely looking to shake things up, bringing in Trent Reznor to oversee production on I'm Afraid of Americans and eventually going on tour with Nine Inch Nails once the album was released. If anything, it's albums like these that really let you see the talent that Bowie was. Even if the idea might sound corny at first, nothing is off limits as long as it comes out the way that Bowie would do it.