The David Bowie single released in 1972 that helped introduce Ziggy Stardust on British TV was “Starman.”
Released by RCA on 28 April 1972, “Starman” was the lead single from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie recorded it with the Spiders—Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey—and wrote it late in the album’s development, replacing a planned Chuck Berry cover.
Its decisive television moment came on Top of the Pops. Bowie and the band performed the song on 5 July 1972, in the flamboyant Ziggy persona, with red hair, a colourful outfit and an arm around Ronson. Broadcast the following day, the performance made a powerful impression on British viewers and helped propel the single to number 10 in the UK.
A common mix-up is confusing “Starman” with “Space Oddity,” Bowie’s earlier space-themed breakthrough, or with “Ziggy Stardust,” the character and album title. “Starman” is the song that directly introduced Ziggy’s message of hope from the radio.