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. The album tells the story of Ziggy, a rock star who acts as a messenger for extraterrestrial beings. The album, and the character of Ziggy Stardust, was known for it's glam rock influences and themes of sexual exploration and social commentary. These factors, coupled with the ambiguity surrounding Bowie's sexuality and fuelled by a ground-breaking performance of "Starman" on Top of the Pops led to the album being met with controversy and since hailed as a seminal work. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars has been consistently considered one of the greatest albums of all time, with Rolling Stone magazine ranking it the 35th greatest ever.