We asked your opinion on the two David Bowie albums – and you made your choice.
2023 is the year of the big David Bowie anniversaries. The record ALADDIN SANE was released 50 years ago, while LET’S DANCE is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. We have already published an article on this occasion, in which ME author Torsten Groß concludes: “From today’s perspective, both birthday children, ALADDIN SANE and LET’S DANCE, count in different ways among David Bowie’s strongest works.”
But we didn’t want to leave it at that and asked you here as well as on Facebook and Instagram for your opinion: Which record is better, ALADDIN SANE or LET’S DANCE? And you answered diligently!
Facebook agrees: ALADDIN SANE is stronger
Almost without exception, the commenters on Facebook agreed: ALADDIN SANE is stronger. “No question at all. Let’s Dance was one of his weakest albums. No comparison at all. Aladdin Sane is brilliant,” says Katja Schmerschneider. Gregory Kuhn agrees: “Everything he did in the 70s was outstanding. Low was his best album,” he writes.
Daniel Hölters was in a more forgiving mood: “Of course – depending on the mood,” he comments. The two albums discussed are not among his best, Jörg Nic Breu thinks. “For me, his best albums are Hunky Dory, Station To Station and Low.” Between ALADDIN SANE and LET’S DANCE, however, he would also choose the older of the two works.
Instagram finds both Bowie records equally great
It was a little different on Instagram: In the comment column, the two works are more or less balanced. “Let’s dance. The album is a 10/10”, mister_sifter_ replies to our question. “Across the Bowie catalogue, Aladdin Sane, of course, has to be named as an important album of the ’70s. Be it the choice of songs, the iconic cover and the musicians involved. The post-Ziggy era was ushered in with Aladdin Sane,” says otmar_wu.
bois_gilbert thinks: “Both albums are sensational and were formative for me at the time.” susireil doesn’t want to commit to one of the two records either: “With Bowie I can’t decide between 2 albums. I love all of his work, and the artist himself,” she writes.
LET’S DANCE convinces in the Instagram story
Comments are all well and good, but we all know: Numbers don’t lie! In the ME Instagram story you had 24 hours to vote for one of the two works. The result: LET’S DANCE received 57 percent of the votes, ALADDIN SANE only 43 percent as the best record.