The backing band that became formally known as the Spiders from Mars were in place for Hunky Dory, though Ziggy Stardust himself wouldn’t take a bow quite yet. But Hunky Dory makes for a stellar showcase for David Bowie on the brink of wider stardom, with a varied, remarkable collection of songs. He debuted a key standard in “Changes” as the opening track and from there it’s nearly an early greatest hits collection, thanks to such standouts as “Oh! You Pretty Things,” “Life on Mars?,” “Andy Warhol” and his Lou Reed homage “Queen Bitch.”

– Ned Raggett