June 16, 1972: David Bowie Releases "Ziggy Stardust"

"K. West" was a London clothing boutique.

Fans of Kanye West have said that it was a salute to him,

even though he wasn't born until 1977.

June 16, 1972: David Bowie releases his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. While he had already been a star due to songs like "Space Oddity" and "Life On Mars?" this album made him an all-time legend.

It's a concept album: Ziggy is an androgynous and bisexual rock star from an unspecified planet. He arrives on a future Earth that is dying, due to a lack of natural resources. Around the world, older people have lost touch with reality, while children have adopted a hedonistic way of life, and no longer want rock music, as there is no electricity to play it.

Ziggy is advised in a dream by beings known as the Infinites to write about the coming of a "Starman" (which is the title of one of the songs) who will save Earth. Ziggy's tale of the Starman is the first news of hope that the people have heard in a long time, so they latch onto it immediately. Ziggy soon gathers a large following, and is worshipped as a prophet. According to Bowie, "He takes himself up to incredible spiritual heights, and is kept alive by his disciples." The Infinites arrive, and tear Ziggy apart onstage, ending the hope.

The album is considered the height of "glam rock," short for "glamour rock," due to the makeup worn by performers such as Bowie, T. Rex bandleader Marc Bolan, and Lou Reed, formerly the leader of The Velvet Undergound, now gone solo. John Lennon said glam rock was "rock and roll with lipstick on." But in spite of the androgynous influences, it had a big and bold sound, especially with the guitars.

For the next year, Bowie toured in character as Ziggy, whom he described as a combination of Reed and Iggy Pop, and called his backing band The Spiders From Mars. He retired the character at the end of the tour, because he felt that it was sublimating his real life and personality. But he would play songs from the album for the rest of his life.

An ad for the 25th Anniversary re-release of the album in 1997 said, "Whether you know it or not, this album changed your life." Many people have said that, through his bravery to be who he was in public, and his inspiring of others to do the same, David Bowie saved their lives, keeping them from going mad or taking their own lives. The last song on the album is titled "Rock and Roll Suicide," but it's an anti-suicide song, with the line, "I will help you with the pain," evoking Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." One of the comments on a live version of the song on YouTube reads, "Bowie has been my therapist since the '70s."

UPDATE: It took me until 2024 to think of this, but the 1970s were Schrödinger's Decade. There was too much overwrought music, and, at the same time, not enough of it.

This was also the release date for the self-titled debut album of Roxy Music, and of Judith Viorst's book, in the voice of her son: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

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June 16, 1972 was a Friday. Korean-American actor John Cho was born on this day.

These Major League Baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees swept a doubleheader from the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium. They won the opener, 2-0. Steve Kline pitched a 5-hit shutout. Roy White, Bernie Allen and Jerry Kenney each got 2 hits. But the runs didn't come on any of those: They came on a sacrifice fly by Horace Clarke in the 4th inning, and an error on a mishandled bunt by Kline. (Remember: This was the last pre-designated hitter season in the American League.)

They won the nightcap, 3-2. Mel Stottlemyre was the winning pitcher, and got 2 hits, as did Bobby Murcer and Felipe Alou. Mel's double in the 3rd brought home what turned out to be the winning run.

* The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-2 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Ken Boswell hit a home run for the Mets. Johnny Bench went 2-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs, Pete Rose went 1-for-4, and Joe Morgan went 0-for-3.

* A doubleheader was split at Fenway Park in Boston. The Chicago White Sox won the 1st game, 5-4. The Boston Red Sox won the 2nd game, 10-8. Over the 2 games, Carl Yastrzemski went 4-for-9 with 4 RBIs.

* The Atlanta Braves beat the Montreal Expos, 3-2 at Atlanta Stadium (later Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium). Hank Aaron went 0-for-4, although he did draw a walk. Rico Carty singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.

* The San Diego Padres beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Clay Kirby allowed 9 hits, but pitched a shutout. Willie Stargell went 1-for-4, and Roberto Clemente did not play.

* The Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Frank Robinson, in his only season with the Dodgers, went 1-for-4.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-3 at Milwaukee County Stadium.

* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Minnesota Twins, 4-1 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Brooks Robinson went 0-for-4. So did Rod Carew. Harmon Killebrew went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants, 4-3 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Lou Brock drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th.

* The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 10-5 at the Astrodome in Houston.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the California Angels, 3-2 at Anaheim Stadium. (It's now named Angel Stadium of Anaheim.) Al Kaline went 1-for-4.

* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Cleveland Indians, 3-2 at the Oakland Coliseum. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.