Two years ago today (Jan 10), the music world lost one of its greatest icons following the announcement of the death of David Bowie.
Two years after his passing, OfficialCharts.com can reveal that 5 million Bowie records have been consumed in the UK across his albums (2m) and singles (3.1m) since.
New Official Charts Company data totalling Bowie’s UK physical sales, digital downloads and stream-equivalent sales across the period since the star’s passing in January 2016, shows fans rediscovering Bowie’s diverse catalogue and snapping up a selection of new greatest hits releases, live recordings and anniversary picture discs – 14 of which have been officially released in the last two years. The latest is the release of the original demo of 1981 hit Let’s Dance, put out on January 8 to mark what would have been the star’s 71st birthday.
Born in London’s Brixton, the singer-songwriter’s music career took off in 1969, when his single Space Oddity became a Top 5 hit on the Official Singles Chart. He remained a prominent figure in the music industry right up until his death at the age of 69 – his final studio album Blackstar was released just two days before his death and went on to be one of the Top 10 biggest albums of 2016.
Albums – Bowie’s 25th and final studio album Blackstar has become Bowie’s most popular album since his death, shifting 446,000 copies across all formats, while his 2008 hits collectionBest Of Bowie is up in second place (335,000). His more up to date retrospective, Legacy, released in 2016, is third (247,000).
Appetite among the British public for the icon’s music is evident, with a further three Bowie albums have each shifted over 100,000 since January 2016: Nothing Has Changed – The Very Best Of, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory.
David Bowie’s Official Top 10 biggest albums since his death:
1 BLACKSTAR
2 BEST OF BOWIE
3 LEGACY
4 NOTHING HAS CHANGED – THE VERY BEST OF
5 THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST
6 HUNKY DORY
7 ALADDIN SANE
8 THE NEXT DAY
9 LOW
10 DIAMOND DOGS
© Official Charts Company 2018
Singles – When it comes to singles, Bowie has shifted just over 3 million across all formats since January 2016, including a staggering 241 million plays across streaming services.
His 1977 single Heroes emerges as the most popular choice by fans since his passing, with 397,000 combined sales across the period. The song re-entered the Official Singles Chart for the first time in 39 years the week after his death, reaching a new peak at Number 12.
Queen collaboration, Under Pressure, a Number 1 hit in November 1981 – is second (203,000) and also stands as Bowie’s most streamed track of the last two years on 16.7 million plays in the UK.
Other popular singles include Life On Mars and Starman, both of which re-entered the chart at Numbers 16 and 18 respectively following his death, plus his 1981 Nile Rodgers-produced single Let’s Dance.
David Bowie’s Official Top 5 biggest singles since January 2016 (sales and streams combined)
1 HEROES
2 UNDER PRESSURE
3 LIFE ON MARS
4 STARMAN
5 LET’S DANCE
© Official Charts Company 2018
David Bowie’s Official Top 5 most streamed singles since January 2016
1 UNDER PRESSURE
2 HEROES
3 LET’S DANCE
4 LIFE ON MARS
5 STARMAN
© Official Charts Company 2018
Vinyl – Bowie has always been a popular choice on vinyl, no less than seven of the star’s albums have reached Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart since it launched in April 2015, while eight of his singles have reached Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart, logging a total of 32 weeks at the top of the vinyl rundowns.
A selection of reissues and special picture disc releases have seen him shift 285,000 copies on black plastic over the last two years. Blackstar, Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Doryare the most popular albums on vinyl through the period, while his No Plan EP – released in February 2017 and featuring his final ever recording sessions, is his best-selling vinyl single.
David Bowie’s Official Top 5 vinyl albums since January 2016
1 BLACKSTAR
2 THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST
3 HUNKY DORY
4 LEGACY
5 CHANGESONEBOWIE
© Official Charts Company 2018
David Bowie’s Official Top 5 vinyl singles since January 2016
1 NO PLAN
2 HEROES
3 TVC 15
4 SOUND AND VISION
5 BE MY WIFE
© Official Charts Company 2018