There are some concerts so monumental that they require an entire documentary dedicated to their legacy. That was the case with this historic rockumentary centered on '70s glam-rock icon David Bowie.
In January, BBC Music ranked the top 11 greatest rock music films, compiling a list of the best works in cinema to incorporate the beloved genre. Ranked among classics such as D.A. Pennebaker’s 1967 documentary Don't Look Back at No. 10 and Ken Russell’s 1975 adaptation Tommy at No. 8, Pennebaker’s 1979 film Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars secured the No. 9 spot.
The film originally premiered on August 31, 1979, at the Edinburgh Film Festival before receiving a wider theatrical and home release in the U.S. and U.K. on December 23, 1983. It took Pennebaker nearly a decade to finalize the project after filming due to complex post-production soundtrack mixing, making it one of the director's most ambitious undertakings.
David Bowie performs his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon, London on July 3, 1973. The concert later became known as the Retirement Gig.Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Despite being recognized as a cult classic today, the film originally did not perform exceptionally well at the box office. This sluggish commercial start was mainly due to its delayed theatrical release, which Pennebaker had to fight major distributors for because of a collective industry disinterest in concert films at the time.
The initial pushback did not stop the rockumentary from building a deeply dedicated fanbase, with many Bowie devotees considering it a masterpiece. The movie followed Bowie at the height of his glam-rock era, ultimately depicting his final show under his alien Ziggy Stardust persona. The documentary serves as a flawless time capsule for legendary performance, capturing his epic July 3, 1973 concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon.
The film featured full-length concert footage of hits like "Moonage Daydream," "Changes," "Space Oddity" and "Ziggy Stardust alongside intimate, behind-the-scenes glimpses of Bowie preparing for the show in his dressing room. This culmination of footage was the perfect way to memorialize the historic gig that closed out a musical era.
To this day, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars remains a cornerstone of music cinema. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an impressive audience score of 89%, affirming its lasting cultural impact on generations of rock fans.
Related: 1972 Classic Film, Which Briefly Overtook 'The Godfather,' Ranked Among ‘Best Movie Soundtracks’ of All Time
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