Editing Pin Ups (section)

== Release ==
[[File:Bryan Ferry (6891697914) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Bryan Ferry in 2012|The album's release coincided with another covers album, ''[[These Foolish Things (album)|These Foolish Things]]'' by [[Bryan Ferry]] ''(pictured in 2012)''.]]
RCA issued the [[lead single]] "Sorrow", featuring a cover of [[Jacques Brel]]'s "[[Amsterdam (Jacques Brel song)|Amsterdam]]" as the B-side,{{sfn|Cann|2010|pp=307–313}}{{sfn|Pegg|2016|p=23}} on 12&nbsp;October 1973;{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=Partial Discography}} it had been delayed from its original release date of 28&nbsp;September.{{sfn|Cann|2010|pp=307–313}} The single was a commercial success, peaking at number three on the [[UK Singles Chart]]{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 7}} and stayed on the chart for 15 weeks, becoming one of his biggest hits.{{sfn|Buckley|2005|pp=165–171}} ''Pin Ups'' followed suit a week later on 19&nbsp;October,{{sfn|Cann|2010|pp=307–313}}<ref name="Eder AllMusic" /> issued with the catalogue number RS 1003,{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=364–367}} only six months after his previous album ''Aladdin Sane''.{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=484}} On the album sleeve, Bowie was simply referred to as "Bowie". In America, the advertising campaign read: "''Pin Ups'' means favourites, and these are Bowie's favourite songs. It's the kind of music your parents will never let you play loud enough!"{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=364–367}}

The album's release coincided with [[Roxy Music]]'s former singer [[Bryan Ferry]]'s covers album ''[[These Foolish Things (album)|These Foolish Things]]''.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 7}}{{sfn|Trynka|2011|p=484}} As Ferry had recorded his album weeks before Bowie began work on ''Pin Ups'', Ferry was annoyed at the perceived copying of his project, calling it a "rip-off". According to Sandford, he allegedly went to his label [[Island Records]] to request they file an injunction to prevent ''Pin Ups'' from being released before ''These Foolish Things''.{{sfn|Sandford|1997|pp=114–116}} Instead, O'Leary writes that Bowie phoned Ferry to inform him of ''Pin Ups'' and requested permission to record a Roxy Music song.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 7}} Ferry later told biographer David Buckley, "At first I was a bit apprehensive, but Bowie's record turned out to be very different. I myself was always very anxious to be different from other people{{nbsp}}... and to forge my own furrow."{{sfn|Buckley|2005|pp=165–171}} In the event, both albums were released as planned and charted on the same day,{{sfn|Doggett|2012|pp=209–219}} 3{{nbsp}}November 1973.{{sfn|Sandford|1997|pp=114–116}}

===Commercial performance===
In the UK, ''Pin Ups'' came at the height of Bowie's popularity there. The album had advance copies of 150,000, which was 50,000 more than ''Aladdin Sane''.{{sfn|Buckley|2005|pp=165–171}} Upon release, it spent 39 weeks on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and peaked at number one, remaining there for five weeks,<ref>{{cite web |title=Pin Ups – full Official Chart History |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/pin-ups/ |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=22 August 2021 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928000111/https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/pin-ups/ |url-status=live }}</ref> matching the performance of ''Aladdin Sane''.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=364–367}} It brought the total number of Bowie albums concurrently on the UK chart to six.{{sfn|Sandford|1997|pp=114–116}} In the US, the album peaked at number 23 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape]] chart and remained on the chart for 21 weeks.<ref name="Billboard200 1973" /> O'Leary writes that ''Pin Ups'' was essentially a "new Bowie album" in America since only three of the original tracks that were released as singles had reached the top 40.{{sfn|O'Leary|2015|loc=chap. 7}} 

''Pin Ups'' was also a commercial success elsewhere. It topped the [[Sverigetopplistan]] chart in Sweden,<ref name="swechart" /> and reached number three in Spain,<ref name="Spanchart" /> four in Australia and Finland,<ref name="auchart" /><ref name="Finchart" /> six in Brazil and the Netherlands,<ref name="Brazilchar" /><ref name="NETHchart" /> seven in Italy,<ref name="Italychart" /> and eight in Norway and Yugoslavia.<ref name="NORchart" /><ref name="Yugochart" /> Sandford writes that by Christmas 1973, the album was selling 30,000 copies a week.{{sfn|Sandford|1997|pp=114–116}} Upon release of the massive commercially successful ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' (1983), ''Pin Ups'' returned to the UK chart again,{{sfn|Buckley|2005|p=345}} peaking at number 57.{{sfn|Pegg|2016|pp=364–367}}