David Bowie Unveils Hunky Dory

✨ On This Day 17 December 1971

On this day in history, David Bowie released Hunky Dory, his fourth studio album and a record now hailed as one of the defining turning points in his extraordinary career.

It was the first Bowie album to feature the full line-up of the band who would, just a year later, transform into Ziggy Stardust’s legendary Spiders From Mars: guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Mick “Woody” Woodmansey. Their chemistry, already electric, helped lay the groundwork for the glam-rock revolution Bowie was about to ignite.

Hunky Dory marked a creative leap an album where Bowie blended art-pop, surreal character studies, and confessional songwriting with effortless originality. It delivered some of his most enduring classics, including the shimmering opener “Changes”, the enigmatic “Andy Warhol”, and the majestic, string-soaked epic “Life on Mars?”

Two singles followed:

• “Changes” / “Andy Warhol” released in January 1972

• “Life on Mars?” released in June 1973, later becoming one of Bowie’s signature songs

Bowie himself would often cite Hunky Dory as one of the most important albums of his life a record where he truly began to discover who he could become. With its mix of ambition, experimentation, elegance, and emotional bite, the album stands today as a masterpiece that set the stage for the arrival of Ziggy and Bowie's ascent into rock mythology.

Explore Bowie’s Story in London

On my David Bowie & Rock & Roll Tours of Soho and Brixton, we visit the key locations that shaped Bowie’s career from the music venues and recording studio's of Soho to the streets and home of his Brixton childhood. Discover the stories behind his music, his collaborations, and the many reinventions that made him a legend.

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