Album release: Tin Machine II

The follow-up to 1989’s Tin Machine album, Tin Machine II was released on 2 September 1991, and saw David Bowie and his band continuing their uncompromising vision of back-to-basics rock music.

The first single, released ahead of Tin Machine II, was ‘You Belong In Rock N’ Roll’. Despite an extensive promotional campaign, including appearances on the BBC shows Top Of The Pops and Wogan, the single peaked at number 33 in the UK charts. It was, nonetheless, the band’s biggest hit single.

Tin Machine II fared not much better, reaching number 23 in the UK but climbing no further than 126 in the US. It was Bowie’s first album in two decades not to reach the UK top 20.

Sadly, most of the bands that we love don’t sell dick. Right now I’m excited more by bands like the Pixies than anything at the top of the charts. We’re making the music we want to make and still manage to sell a lot more records compared to a lot of bands.