Let’s Dance was a total change in direction on most fronts. Bowie changed labels, switching from RCA to EMI for a staggering $17.5 million. For one reason or another, none of the musicians from “Scary Monsters” would be returning to work on his next LP. Bowie was dead set on making an album that had hit singles. To this end, he decided to work with Nile Rodgers. Dropping Tony Visconti so unceremoniously was not without consequence, and for nearly two decades, the two didn’t work with each other. Nevertheless, Rodgers delivered in spades. Of the album’s 8 songs, only “Ricochet” wasn’t issued as an A or B side. “China Girl” (a song from Iggy Pop’s The Idiot co-written by Bowie), “Modern Love”, and “Let’s Dance” all became among Bowie’s most successful singles ever, and the album itself is the best selling of all his records, before or since. Rodgers also played guitar on the album, as did Stevie Ray Vaughan, fresh from a pivotal appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival (where Bowie had heard him) and recording his first album.
The music video for “Let’s Dance” was also a huge success. It was his ninth video working with David Mallet. Bowie stated that the video was a statement against racism. While racism in South Africa was a popular topic among musicians, Bowie noted that it was just as bad in Australia, where he had observed the heinous treatment of the Aboriginal people. The video remains one of Bowie’s most iconic in his career.