Ziggy Stardust’s 50th Anniversary

Thursday marked the 50th anniversary of the release of David Bowie’s fifth album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars — June 16th, 1972.

To celebrate the milestone, the single “Starman (Top of the Pops version 2022 mix)” is now streaming.

In 1972, the Musicians Union rules stated that to appear on Top of the Pops, the artist had to re-record their track and, in this case, sing live over the top. This new version of “Starman” takes the backing track and backing vocals, featuring a one-off Bowie ad-lib “Hey Brown Cow” recorded for the show, and adds the lead vocals from the album version.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars limited-edition 50th anniversary half-speed mastered LP and a picture disc with a replica promotional poster for the album is out now.