Bowie reached his peak of popularity and commercial success in 1983 with '' Let 's Dance '' . Co-produced by Chic 's Nile Rodgers , the album went platinum in both the UK and the US . Its three singles became Top 20 hits in both countries , where its title track reached number one . " Modern Love " and " China Girl " each made No. 2 in the UK , accompanied by a pair of " absorbing " promotional videos that biographer David Buckley said " activated key archetypes in the pop world . ' Let 's Dance ' , with its little narrative surrounding the young Aborigine couple , targeted ' youth ' , and ' China Girl ' , with its bare-bummed ( and later partially censored ) beach lovemaking scene ( a homage to the film '' From Here to Eternity '' ) , was sufficiently sexually provocative to guarantee heavy rotation on MTV " . Stevie Ray Vaughan was guest guitarist playing solo on " Let 's Dance " , although the video depicts Bowie miming this part . By 1983 , Bowie had emerged as one of the most important video artists of the day . '' Let 's Dance '' was followed by the Serious Moonlight Tour , during which Bowie was accompanied by guitarist Earl Slick and backing vocalists Frank and George Simms . The world tour lasted six months and was extremely popular . " At the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards Bowie received two awards including the inaugural Video Vanguard Award
1984 MTV Video Music Awards
1984 MTV Video Music Awards
David Bowie