David Bowie’s first album of the 1970s may have been his most crucial, thanks to it also being the first appearance of Mick Ronson, a key foil and sideman for the next few years, on guitar. The Man Who Sold The World is an often murky, very portentous listen, thanks to Ronson’s skilled work and the atmosphere of songs like “Width of a Circle,” “Saviour Machine” and “The Supermen,” but other songs showcased Bowie’s ear for subtle mystery, with “After All” and especially the title track, later famously covered by Nirvana, as standouts.

– Ned Raggett