The Spectator Sing-Along Power Hour is an opinion piece, and views expressed are those of the individual contributor. 

Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, The Thin White Duke, Halloween Jack, The Blind Prophet and Major Tom. All of these aliases and characters were created by the legendary David Bowie, and that’s just to name a few.  

One thing that instantly drew me to Bowie’s music was his use of these characters. It’s fun to weasel out the lore woven throughout his 26 studio albums. 

My favorite and the most well-known persona, Ziggy Stardust, is most famously featured on the album “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars”. 

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The 1972 album is 39 minutes of pure magic. 

Bowie had what a lot of artists can’t replicate: pure passion. He channels so much emotion into each and every song. Perhaps one of the strongest opening tracks on any album, “Five Years” prepares you for your upcoming journey through love, liberation and light. 

If I’m dead, play “Five Years”, and if I don’t wake up to belt:  

“And it was cold and it rained, so I felt like an actor/ And I thought of Ma/ and I wanted to get back there/ Your face, your race, / the way that you talk/ I kiss you, you’re beautiful, I want you to walk/ We’ve got five years, stuck on my eyes/ Five years, what a surprise” 

Then I’m really gone. 

Bowie is a champion of freedom in gender expression. Since his debut album, he has pushed limits and made the mainstream uncomfortable. His personas allowed him and his audience the freedom to wear makeup, adorning themselves in glitter in an attempt to show off their inner selves, no matter their gender. 

“You’ve got your mother in a whirl/ She’s not sure if you’re a boy or girl,”  ‘Rebel Rebel’ (1974). 

I think we can all take a page from Bowie’s book. His message promoted freedom and love all the way back in 1974. It is insane to me that current political figures in 2025 claim the existence of only two rigid gender boxes when there is clear evidence that the lines have been blurred for generations. 

Gender expression is a deeply personal and liberating experience. I am saddened by the lack of empathy the American government, the legislators of the land of the free, show to those who are choosing their happiness and freedom.       

The people were begging for someone like Bowie, and here we are again, begging for an advocate like Bowie. 

I don’t want to disrespect current working queer artists and advocates like Chappell Roan or Sam Smith but I think there was something so special about the bravery it took for glam-rock artists back in the 70s and 80s to push gender boundaries, and few artists today risk career or money for their adocavey and self expression.  

Beyond his music pushing gender norms, he pushed musical boundaries. Bringing his unique flair to rock music, he blurred genres and experimented with innovative production. His eccentric sound has yet to find a match. He is one of the few musical legends to stand singularly.

From more popular pop songs like “Lets Dance” to eclectic songs like “Andy Worhol” that are more cult classics but less easily enjoyed by the masses, Bowie’s discography has it all. 

Freeman can be reached at freemaek0877@uwec.edu.