David Bowie & Iggy Pop (November 15, 1979) Bowie and Iggy – Rolling Stone Letters

A short letters column from Rolling Stone featuring reader responses to Chris Hodenfield’s feature “Bad Boys in Berlin” (RS 301), praising the article’s portrayal of Bowie and Iggy Pop during their Berlin period.

Writer: Buddy Martin / Deb Biggs

Artists: David Bowie & Iggy Pop

Date: November 15 1979

Length: 2 min read

Two letters from readers in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Bowling Green, Ohio express admiration for Hodenfield’s writing and the mystique surrounding Bowie and Iggy Pop’s creative partnership in Berlin. The correspondents describe the article as “magical” and “multifaceted,” highlighting its ability to capture the atmosphere of late‑1970s Berlin and the synergy between the two artists. Their words reflect the fascination with Bowie’s experimental phase and Iggy’s artistic resilience, both framed within the city’s post‑war isolation and avant‑garde energy.

PUBLICATION

Publication: Rolling Stone

Date: November 15 1979

Country: United States

Section / Pages: Letters to the Editor

Title: Bowie and Iggy

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Reader responses to “Bad Boys in Berlin”

Era: 1979 – Berlin Trilogy period

Tone: Reflective and appreciative

Photography: None – text only

Audience: Rolling Stone readers and Bowie enthusiasts

“David Bowie and Iggy Pop shine through the dead‑end Berlin mist like angels in the night.”

THE STORY BEHIND IT

Chris Hodenfield’s *“Bad Boys in Berlin”* explored Bowie and Iggy Pop’s shared creative exile in West Berlin, where they recorded *Low*, *“Heroes”*, and *The Idiot*. The letters printed in this issue demonstrate how deeply the article resonated with readers, capturing the mythic aura of two artists reinventing themselves amid the city’s stark beauty. Their praise underscores Rolling Stone’s role in shaping the cultural narrative around Bowie’s Berlin years.

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

Event: Reader feedback on Bowie and Iggy Pop feature

Era: 1979

Tone: Admiring and poetic

Photography: None – text layout

Audience: US music press readers

CONTEXT AND NOTES

The Berlin period remains one of Bowie’s most critically acclaimed phases, marked by collaboration with Brian Eno and Iggy Pop. These letters serve as a snapshot of contemporary reception, illustrating how fans and critics alike viewed Bowie’s artistic evolution as both visionary and deeply human. The imagery of “angels in the night” encapsulates the romanticism surrounding their creative partnership.

“Perhaps Bowie has met his match in Berlin.”

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