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AllMusic
Chicago Tribune
Christgau's Record Guide	B−
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Pitchfork	8.7/10
Q
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Select	5/5
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Young Americans is the ninth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 7 March 1975 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B music.

Initial recording sessions took place in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, to become one of Bowie's most frequent collaborators, and singer Luther Vandross. Bowie drew influence from the sound of "local dance halls", which were blaring with "lush strings, sliding hi-hat whispers, and swanky R&B rhythms of Philadelphia Soul." Later sessions took place in New York City, including contributions from John Lennon. Bowie would call the album's sound "plastic soul", describing it as "the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak rock, written and sung by a white limey".

Although Bowie was among the first English pop musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles, the album was very successful in the US; the album itself reached the Top 10 in the Billboard charts, with the song "Fame" hitting the number-one spot the same year the album was released. It was generally well received by critics.

Beginning on 11 August 1974, during breaks in David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour, Young Americans was recorded by Tony Visconti primarily at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. It was agreed early on to record as much of the album as possible live, with the full band playing together, including Bowie's vocals, as a single continuous take for each song. According to Visconti, the album contains "about 85% 'live' David Bowie".

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