The incomparable David Bowie on stage in 1992 Long before stars like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Madonna became known for reinventing themselves every time they dropped a new album… there was David Bowie . The legendary rock singer – who died 10 years ago, in January 2016, at the age of 69 – created various guises for himself over the course of his career, which contributed to some of the most iconic imagery in pop culture history. Who could forget the outlandish and androgynous looks of the 1970s, full of colour and elaborate costumes, which were replaced just a few years later by the more streamlined and meticulously-dressed outfits of the Thin White Duke? As millions around the world pay tribute to Bowie on the anniversary of his death, we’re remembering the pop icon with 10 of the most iconic reinventions and personas he showcased during his illustrious music career... 1. ‘Mime’ Bowie The early years of David Bowie’s career are often looked on as less avant-garde and outlandish – and, frankly, less “kooky” – than his creative output during his heyday, but it’s worth remembering that in the late 1960s he had become a professional mime who also sang on stage. During this period, it’s been said his label were actually determined to get rid of him, due to the fact he didn’t have his own backing band, and was yet to have a hit record. Imagine his surprise, then, when a little song called Space Oddity came along to change all that, putting him on the map in a massive way. 2. ‘Man Who Sold The World’ Bowie With the release of his third album, The Man Who Sold The World, Bowie explored a more rocky sound, with his long-time collaborator, guitarist Mick Ronson, taking a more prominent role in the music. This was also reflected in his image, which saw him sporting a shaggy hairstyle and more elaborate style, which included the first sparks of what a fashion icon and innovator he was to become later in his career. 3. ‘Ziggy Stardust’ Just two years later, Bowie reinvented himself once again, with the creation of a brand new character. Backed by his band, The Spiders From Mars, he became known as Ziggy Stardust, a rock star whose story was told on the album, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust (And The Spiders From Mars). This album spawned some of Bowie’s signature songs, including Suffragette City, Starman and the titular Ziggy Stardust. This era is also famous for ending when he “killed off” the character live on stage, breaking up the group – who reportedly hadn’t been pre-warned – before a performance of Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide. 4. ‘Aladdin Sane’ Things took an even more elaborate turn with the release of Bowie’s next album, Aladdin Sane, the imagery for which saw him creating a new character, complete with the lightning bolt motif that would become his signature. The Aladdin Sane album cover is certainly among the most iconic images from David Bowie’s legendary career, while the thinking behind the release, according to the man himself , was “Ziggy Stardust goes to America”. 5. The ‘Young Americans’ era And then... something switched. Gone were the androgynous looks, the outlandish hair and make-up, and elaborate costumes. In their place were casual suits, in keeping with what he described as the “plastic soul” vibe of his Young Americans album. 6. The ‘Thin White Duke’ Proving he was never one to do what was predictable, Bowie then went completely back to the drawing board for the imagery that coincided with his Station To Station album. The Thin White Duke was another iconic character created by the music legend, this time famed for his slicked back blond hair, sharp suits inspired by the cabaret scene and thin appearance. However, while fans relished seeing their idol once again reinventing himself, David later spoke about this period as a dark time for him personally, admitting he was at the height of his cocaine habit during this era, and describing the Duke character as an “ogre” and “nasty” . 7. The ‘Let’s Dance’ era A little older and possibly a little wiser, following the avant-garde imagery that accompanied the “Berlin trilogy” and Man Who Fell To Earth, it seemed the one thing David Bowie could do to really shock people was once again reinvent himself, this time as a commercial pop star. With a bit of help from Nile Rodgers, the Let’s Dance era didn’t sit well with some fans of the star at the time, who were perhaps hoping for something less “commercial” from David Bowie. However, it’s gone on to be one of his staple sounds, with the album spawning hits like Modern Love, China Girl and the iconic title song. 8. The Goblin King David Bowie was introduced to a whole new generation of youths when he appeared in Labyrinth, a movie collaboration between George Lucas and Jim Henson, famed for Star Wars and The Muppets respectively. As well as acting as Jareth, the Goblin King, he also performed several songs in the film, including the catchy Magic Dance and the more theatrical As The World Falls Down. While he is best remembered for his music career, Bowie did act on screen on a number of occasions, most notably in The Last Temptation Of Christ, Absolute Beginners and Twin Peaks. 9. ‘Back in the game’ Bowie By the time the new millennium came, David Bowie was an unquestionable music legend, but had largely taken a step back from performing and releasing new material. However, he made a dramatic return to the music scene in 2013 with the release of his 24th (!!) album, The Next Day, his first in a decade. Bowie stormed back into the UK top 10 with the album’s lead single, Where Are We Now?, while The Next Day itself reached the top of the album chart, proving there was still room for him in the British music scene. 10. ‘Blackstar’ Bowie Following the huge success of The Next Day, Bowie followed the album with Blackstar, an ominous release which was largely recorded after his diagnosis with liver cancer, which would eventually take his life in early 2016. The album was released just days before the music icon’s death, with much of the music taking on a whole new meaning in light of the tragic news. Mortality was a prevalent theme on Blackstar, which was also the case in the ominous music videos for cuts like Lazarus, which would be the last filmed in his lifetime, featuring the star lying in bed in a blindfold made of bandages adorned with buttons over his eyes. READ MORE: The Strange Secret Behind How David Bowie Headlined Glastonbury By ‘Accident’ I Sang In David Bowie's Band. I'm Finally Ready To Talk About What He Taught Me. Remembering The Wit And Wisdom Of David Bowie With These 12 Timeless Quotes