David Bowie - Best Of K-tel Apr 2026

Opinions vary from nostalgia for its curation to frustration over its technical flaws.

Unlike previous hits collections, this set covers everything from "Space Oddity" (1969) to "Boys Keep Swinging" (1979) in roughly chronological order. It even features tracks from albums often overlooked by other compilations, such as The Man Who Sold the World . David Bowie - Best of K-Tel

“K-Tel at least gave fans their money's worth... tracking the artist's career as he moved from the sci-chedelic "Space Oddity" to the aggrieved observer of "Boys Keep Swinging."” AllMusic Tracklist (1980 K-Tel Edition) Opinions vary from nostalgia for its curation to

Critics and collectors often note that the high track count leads to "horrific sound quality" or a "thin" audio profile due to the narrower grooves required to fit nearly an hour of music on a single platter. “K-Tel at least gave fans their money's worth

“This was the only K-Tel artist compilation that might appeal to me... it's lacking most of my absolute peak favorites, but this was still a very strong selection.” Post-Punk Monk · 3 years ago

For many fans in the early '80s, this record was their first introduction to Bowie's diverse eras, from glam rock to the "Berlin Trilogy".

Released in late 1980 by K-Tel, was a budget-friendly compilation that became a massive success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. While it is praised for offering a comprehensive "gateway" to David Bowie's 1970–1980 period, it is equally notorious among audiophiles for technical compromises made to squeeze 16 tracks onto a single LP. Review Summary: The Good and the Bad