David Bowie’s 1980s were a time of big music and big fame — but not always big satisfaction, at least not for him.
From Experimental Star to Pop Icon
In the early ’80s, Bowie made a dramatic shift. The arrival of MTV and his own growing fame pushed him toward a more mainstream, radio-friendly sound. His 1983 hit album, Let’s Dance, made him a pop superstar. But along with that came some creative trade-offs.
Bowie later admitted that after Let’s Dance, he felt boxed in. He tried hard to fit into the pop world — but in doing so, he felt he was losing his artistic spark.
The Albums He Regretted
Two albums followed that Bowie would later look back on with disappointment: Tonight (1984) and Never Let Me Down (1987).
Tonight: Bowie himself described this album as weaker.
He said that a lot of good songs from this era existed in demo form, but the final studio versions didn’t live up to what he had imagined.
Never Let Me Down: This was the one Bowie was most critical of. He called it his “nadir,” saying it was “such an awful album” and even regretted going into the studio to record it.
The production felt too slick, the sound dated, and Bowie felt emotionally distant from the end result.
Why He Felt Regret
Loss of Creative Control: Bowie admitted that for these albums, he wasn’t as involved in writing or arranging. He felt like a bystander in his own work.
Overproduction: In his view, the polished 80s production style hid the heart of his songs. Some of the demos, he said, were so much better than the final versions.
Artistic Misalignment: Bowie believed he “pandered” to commercial expectations, putting more effort into making hits than into making art.
A Second Chance
Interestingly, Bowie’s feelings about Never Let Me Down partly changed after his death. In 2018, the album was remixed by producers David Richards and Mario J. McNulty, stripping back some of the over-the-top 80s production. This new version gave fans a version of the songs that felt closer to what Bowie might have really meant when he wrote them.
The Takeaway
Fame isn’t everything: Big popularity doesn’t always mean personal fulfillment.
Artist vs. industry: Bowie’s 80s work shows how artists can clash with commercial demands.
Growth matters: Even legends have phases they regret — and sometimes they revisit them, learn, and grow.
Bowie’s honesty about this difficult period in his career is part of why he remains such a compelling figure in music — not just for his highs, but for how he handled his lows.