A handwritten memo reported in connection with the David Bowie archive lists 15 favorite records, from Vaughan Williams and Richard Strauss to Little Richard, Miles Davis, Roxy Music and Sonic Youth. Its heading refers to a radio show, but published accounts do not identify the program or confirm Bowie appeared on it.
The 15 records on the reported memo
Rolling Stone Australia and MusicRadar reproduce the same selections in the same order. The list is presented as 15 records, not as a ranked chart.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Sta | $22.46 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Heroes | $24.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Aladdin Sane | $22.34 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Hunky Dory | $24.15 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Let's Dance | $22.46 | Buy on Amazon |
- Ralph Vaughan Williams — “Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis”
- Richard Strauss — “Four Last Songs”
- Alan Freed and His Rock ’N’ Roll Band — “Right Now Right Now”
- Little Richard — “True Fine Mama”
- The Hollywood Argyles — “Sho Know a Lot About Love”
- Miles Davis — “Some Day My Prince Will Come”
- Charles Mingus — “Ecclusiastics”
- Jeff Beck — “Beck’s Bolero”
- Legendary Stardust Cowboy — “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship”
- The Beatles — “Across the Universe”
- Ronnie Spector — “Try Some, Buy Some”
- Roxy Music — “Mother of Pearl”
- Edgar Froese — “Epsilon in Malaysian Pale”
- The Walker Brothers — “The Electrician”
- Sonic Youth — “Tom Violence”
Rolling Stone Australia’s transcription supplies the spellings and ordering above. Other reports vary slightly in title punctuation and use “Charlie” rather than “Charles” Mingus.
What the memo does—and does not—establish
The reported heading reads “Memo for radio show — list of favourite records.” MusicRadar calls it a note prepared for a “putative” radio show; Louder describes it as seemingly written for a show Bowie was due to appear on. These descriptions do not establish the name of a program, a broadcast, or an appearance. The original handwritten document was not reproduced in the reviewed reporting, so its date, addressee and authorship details remain unconfirmed.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the fifth studio album by David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a fictional rock star named Ziggy Stardust.Rhino will be breaking out ‘breaking out’ this albums from the David Bowie ‘Five Years 1969 – 1973’ box as a standalone releases. Available on1LP 180g Audiophile vinyl
The V&A’s Bowie archive became publicly accessible with the opening of the David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse on September 13, 2025. The museum says the archive contains more than 90,000 items. Its 2025 opening announcement describes the archive and Centre, but does not identify this specific memo; the list’s details come from contemporary music reporting.
A wide-ranging list, with a few direct links to Bowie’s own recordings
The selections move across classical music, jazz, 1950s rock and roll, art rock and alternative rock. That range supports calling Bowie’s tastes eclectic, but the memo as reported gives no explanation for the choices or criteria for making the list.
Rank #2
- Beauty And The Beast
- Joe The Lion
- Sons Of The Silent Age
Three selections have a documented connection to Bowie’s albums: he recorded the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” on Young Americans, Ronnie Spector’s “Try Some, Buy Some” on Reality, and Legendary Stardust Cowboy’s “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship” on Heathen, according to Rolling Stone Australia. These are specific cover connections, not evidence that the memo explains why Bowie chose the songs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The archive’s opening display
At its 2025 opening, the David Bowie Centre presented approximately 200 highlights in nine rotating displays, drawn from the archive of more than 90,000 items. The V&A described access at launch as free but ticketed; visitors should check the museum’s current arrangements before planning a visit.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Newly remastered version of David’s 15th studio album.
Rank #4
- Hunky Dory is the fourth album by David Bowie.Rhino will be breaking out ‘breaking out’ this albums from the David Bowie ‘Five Years 1969 – 1973’ box as a standalone releases. Available on1LP 180g Audiophile vinyl
Rank #3
- Breakout from the David Bowie 'Five Years: 1969-1973' box. Now available on 1LP 180g Audiophile vinyl.Aladdin Saneis the sixth album by David Bowie. The follow-up to his break through The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, it was the first album he wrote and released as a bona fide rock star.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
