In which year did David Bowie release The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars? The answer is 1972.
Released by RCA Records on 16 June 1972 in the United Kingdom, the album was Bowie's fifth studio record. It introduced his most famous alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, an androgynous rock star who arrives on Earth as a messenger before an approaching apocalypse.
Bowie recorded the album at Trident Studios in London between late 1971 and early 1972. The backing group, the Spiders from Mars, featured Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass and Mick Woodmansey on drums. Producer Ken Scott co-produced the record with Bowie.
A common mix-up is confusing the album's release year with the year of its recording or later acclaim. Most tracks were recorded in 1971 and early 1972, while the album's influence grew after Bowie's memorable performance of "Starman" on Top of the Pops in July 1972. The album later became regarded as one of rock's defining glam-rock masterpieces.