David Bowie Performing ‘Starman’ as Ziggy Stardust on ‘Top Of The Pops’ in 1972

The great David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, along with The Spiders from Mars, performed their now-iconic song “Starman” on the July 6, 1972 episode of the BBC One music show Top of the Pops. This performance, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, was one of the most seminal in Bowie’s career.

Recorded a day earlier at the BBC Television Centre in White City, the performance is undoubtedly one of the most essential pieces of music television ever broadcast. …The performance launched Bowie to stardom. Thursday 6th July, 1972, is said to be ‘the day that invented the 80’s’ as so many musicians who went on to be household names saw the performance and it changed their lives.

Here’s Bowie performing an acoustic version of the song in 1990 at a show in Japan.

via Open Culture