“David Bowie (1967 Debut Album)” Songs Ranked

Originally I was only going to analyse a few of Bowie’s albums, but after doing my Muse series I realised that I could give the Thin White Duke’s discography the same treatment.

First up is his 1967 debut album and, well … it’s a pretty bad album. David himself considers his 1969 album “Space Oddity” to be his official debut, and I’d have to agree with him – this sounds nothing like what Bowie would end up making. It’s still a David Bowie album, though, so how would I rank the songs?

You can see a few of my other music lists below:

Terrible

12 – Please Mr Gravedigger

Quite possibly the worst song Bowie ever included on an album, and this is part of the reason why I consider his 1967 debut to be so bad. It’s an awful way to close off the record, and I have no idea what was going on in Bowie’s head when he wrote this.

Bad

11 – Rubber Band

Most people would probably say this is a harmless song on an already underwhelming album, but I hate how tacky and 60’s this is.

Meh

10 – Maid Of Bond Street

We now get onto the category of songs where they’re not terrible, but my goodness are they boring and forgettable. This song is no exception – and it might just be the least memorable of the bunch.

9 – Uncle Arthur

As a music artist, you would really hope that the first song on your first record was a great song, but alas it was not to be.

8 – There Is A Happy Land

Again, not a particularly bad song, but I have to fight the urge to fall asleep whenever I hear it.

7 – Join The Gang

Slightly more interesting in terms of the sounds he uses, but this track is just plain weird.

6 – She’s Got Medals

Exactly the same boring slog as before, except there’s a fairly prominent bassline that at least makes this a track I might not skip.

OK

5 – When I Live My Dream

A nice, enjoyable track, but this was never going to be better than “OK”.

4 – Come And Buy My Toys

This feels like a track I should hate, but the tone of it is actually quite good fun. Not a standout song by any means, but I’ll definitely listen to it whenever it comes up.

Good

3 – Sell Me A Coat

“Uncle Arthur” is not a good track at all, but the second song on the album does a much better job of setting the tone and demonstrating Bowie’s musical ability. Still not exceptional, but you can tell the talent was there.

2 – Love You Till Tuesday

A sort of guilty pleasure song of mine, the joyous tone of this track is what sets it apart from the others – it has a nonchalant, happy-go-lucky feel that I can really appreciate.

Great

1 – We Are Hungry Men

I genuinely believe every Bowie album has at least one really good song, and taking the crown here is this underrated classic. I don’t know why I like this so much, maybe it’s the way he belts out the choruses, or maybe it’s the trumpet interjections that are prevalent throughout. Either way, I love this track and hope that more people come to appreciate it.

Aaand that’s my list. Bowie’s first record is easily one of his worst, so the only way is up from here. Until then, check out some of my other blog posts below: