David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

This is classic Bowie. While his other albums may have slightly stronger sets of songs (Hunky Dory in particular), Bowie pulls off his androgynous alien persona better on this album than any other.

Perhaps most notable is the title track and its unforgettable opening riff. The song is grandiose, theatrical, and completely awesome. It rocks without ever cranking the amp up to 11, and is decadent without approaching the absurd. Equally amazing is "Suffragette City," a song my two year old daughter rocks out to whenever I put it on. Not bad for a 40-year-old song.

As it was with Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars straddles the line between glam and pop, alternately appeasing and indulging both. As much as he is a master of songwriting, David Bowie is a master of genre, and that is nowhere more apparent than it is here.