His album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars was released in 1972 . After a three-year period of experimentation he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant , androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust , spearheaded by the hit single `` Starman '' and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars .