Bowie's last album 'Blackstar' topping the charts

13 January 2016 - 08:48 By Reuters

Sales of David Bowie's last album - released two days before his death from cancer - have soared, along with downloads of his greatest hits - testimony to the enduring appeal of a pioneer in pop culture and the music business. Streaming giant Spotify said streams of Bowie's music were up 2700% on Monday and the Official Charts Company in the UK said Bowie's Blackstar album was headed to the top of the charts with sales of 43000 since its Friday release.Bowie died at 69 on Sunday.The critically acclaimed Blackstar was the top-selling album on Apple's iTunes platforms this week and producer Tony Visconti described it as the singer's "parting gift".The Best of Bowie 2002 compilation album was the second most popular on iTunes, outpacing Adele's blockbuster album.Bowie's 1972 album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, was in fourth place.In a music video for Blackstar's first single, Lazarus, the singer is shown in a hospital bed with bandages around his eyes."Look up here, I'm in heaven," Bowie sings. "I've got scars that can't be seen. I've got drama, can't be stolen. Everybody knows me now. Look up here, man, I'm in danger. I've got nothing left to lose."Bowie was the first musician to sell bonds, known as "Bowie Bonds", against his intellectual property - enabling him to keep ownership of his work rather than selling copyright.It is estimated that his estate is worth at least $100-million. ..

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