Let's Dance

Let's Dance is the fifteenth studio album by David Bowie, released on April 14, 1983, by EMI America Records. Co-produced by Nile Rodgers of Chic, the album was recorded in December 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. Notably, it was the first album where Bowie performed only vocals.

Stylistically, Let's Dance blends post-disco, dance-rock, pop and new wave, and includes reworkings of earlier material such as "China Girl" and "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)", along with a cover of Metro's "Criminal World".

The album was a massive commercial success, topping charts worldwide and becoming Bowie's best-selling album with over 10.7 million copies sold. It spawned hit singles like "Let's Dance", "Modern Love" and "China Girl", boosted by heavy MTV airplay, and was followed by the Serious Moonlight Tour, his most successful tour up to that point.

Critically, Let's Dance received mixed reviews. Some praised its accessible sound and production, while others criticized its lack of artistic depth. The collaboration with Nile Rodgers was seen as a pivotal move toward mainstream appeal, though Bowie later reflected that the album marked the beginning of a creative slump, leading to the less acclaimed follow-ups Tonight (1984) and Never Let Me Down (1987). He would later refer to this era as his "Phil Collins years".

Rodgers, surprised by Bowie's focus on commercial hits rather than artistic experimentation, helped shape Let's Dance into a polished, radio-friendly record inspired by 1950s–60s R&B. Despite its commercial gloss, critics and scholars have since debated its artistic significance — some viewing it as a "sellout", others as a bold reinvention.

In retrospect, Let's Dance has been recognized as a defining album of the 1980s. Publications such as Rolling Stone, NME and Pitchfork have included it in various "greatest albums" lists, with Pitchfork calling it a "Trojan horse" that introduced new audiences to Bowie's diverse artistry.