How the contributions of David Bowie continue to shape the world today.
David Bowie, born David Robert Jones, was a highly influential English singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Celebrated for his groundbreaking work, especially in the 1970s, he was known for constant reinvention and striking visual presentations. His music and stagecraft profoundly impacted popular music, solidifying his legacy as one of the 20th century's most important artists.
1969: Five Years Beginning
In 1969, Parlophone began remastering David Bowie's catalogue through the "Era" box set series, starting with Five Years (1969–1973).
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1973: Five Years Ending
1973 was the ending year for David Bowie's catalogue remastering through the "Era" box set series, starting with Five Years (1969–1973).
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1980: Most Important Artist Since the Beatles
By 1980, David Bowie was regarded as "the most important and influential artist since the Beatles", according to Alexis Petridis of The Guardian.
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1992: Philip Glass's First Symphony
In 1992, American composer Philip Glass adapted David Bowie's album Low into his first symphony.
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1996: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
David Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
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1996: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 1996, David Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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1997: Philip Glass's Fourth Symphony
In 1997, American composer Philip Glass adapted David Bowie's album "Heroes" into his fourth symphony.
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2002: Bowie blames himself for break-up
In 2002, David Bowie blamed himself for breaking up with Hermione Farthingale.
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2002: Wide-Reaching Influence
In 2002, biographer Thomas Forget noted that David Bowie's success in various music styles made it nearly impossible to find a popular artist not influenced by him.
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2002: 100 Greatest Britons
In the BBC's 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, David Bowie was ranked 29th.
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2004: 100 Greatest Artists
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked David Bowie 39th on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
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2005: Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction
David Bowie was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
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February 2006: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
On February 8, 2006, David Bowie was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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2006: Greatest Living British Icon
In 2006, David Bowie was voted the fourth greatest living British icon in a poll by the BBC's Culture Show.
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October 2013: Named best-dressed Briton in history
In October 2013, David Bowie was named the best-dressed Briton in history by a BBC History Magazine poll.
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2013: Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame Induction
In 2013, David Bowie was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.
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2013: David Bowie Is Exhibition
In 2013, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London hosted the David Bowie Is exhibition, attracting over 300,000 visitors.
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2014: Sarandon comments on Bowie
In 2014, Susan Sarandon said of David Bowie, "He's worth idolising. He's extraordinary."
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2015: Remastered Catalogue
Since 2015, Parlophone has remastered David Bowie's catalogue through the "Era" box set series, starting with Five Years (1969–1973).
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January 2016: David Bowie's Death
In January 2016, David Bowie passed away, marking the end of his career. The innovative musician died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar.
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January 2016: Release of Blackstar and Bowie's death
In January 2016, David Bowie released Blackstar on his 69th birthday, receiving critical acclaim. He died two days later, with the album later revealed to be his planned "parting gift" to fans.
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2016: Brits Icon Award
In 2016, David Bowie was posthumously given the Brits Icon award for his "lasting impact on British culture".
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2016: Influence on Tolerance
In 2016, the BBC's Mark Easton stated that Britain was "far more tolerant of difference" because of Bowie's androgynous challenge.
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2016: Distribution deal covering Bowie's recordings from 2000 through 2016.
In 2016, there was a distribution deal covering Bowie's recordings from 2000 through 2016.
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2016: Valuation of art collection
In mid-2016, David Bowie's art collection was valued at over £10 million.
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January 2017: Posthumous Celebrations
In January 2017, the BBC broadcast the documentary David Bowie: The Last Five Years. Also, a charity concert was hosted by Gary Oldman in Brixton on what would have been David Bowie's 70th birthday.
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January 2017: Release of "No Plan" EP
On 8 January 2017, which would have been David Bowie's 70th birthday, the EP "No Plan" was released. The EP included three songs recorded during the Blackstar sessions that were not included on the album and appeared on the soundtrack for the Lazarus musical.
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2017: Bowie wins five Grammy Awards
At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017, David Bowie posthumously won all five of his nominated awards, including Best Rock Performance and Best Alternative Music Album.
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2018: End of David Bowie Is Exhibition
In 2018, the David Bowie Is exhibition concluded its world tour at the Brooklyn Museum, having hosted approximately 2,000,000 visitors.
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January 2019: Announcement of Stardust Biopic
On 31 January 2019, the biopic Stardust was announced, featuring Johnny Flynn as David Bowie, Jena Malone as Angie Bowie, and Marc Maron as his publicist.
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2019: Philip Glass's Twelfth Symphony
In 2019, American composer Philip Glass adapted David Bowie's album Lodger into his twelfth symphony.
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January 2020: Release of unreleased version of "The Man Who Sold the World"
On 8 January 2020, on what would have been David Bowie's 73rd birthday, a previously unreleased version of "The Man Who Sold the World" was released.
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2020: Postponement of Tribeca Film Festival
In 2020, the Tribeca Film Festival, where Stardust was set to premiere, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2020: Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums
In the 2020 revision of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, several of David Bowie's albums were included, such as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
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September 2021: Distribution deal with Warner Music Group
In September 2021, David Bowie's estate signed a distribution deal with Warner Music Group, which was set to begin in 2023.
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2021: Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
In the 2021 revision of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, several of David Bowie's songs were included, such as "'Heroes'".
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January 2022: Sale of Bowie's publishing catalogue
On 3 January 2022, Variety reported that David Bowie's estate had sold his publishing catalogue to Warner Chappell Music for over $250 million.
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May 2022: Announcement of Moonage Daydream Film
In May 2022, the film Moonage Daydream, a documentary about David Bowie's musical journey, was announced. It is directed by Brett Morgen and features never-before-seen footage.
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2022: Best-Selling Vinyl Artist
As of 2022, David Bowie was the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.
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2022: Best-Selling Vinyl Artist
In 2022, David Bowie was announced as the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.
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2022: Most Influential Artist in Britain
In 2022, Sky Arts ranked David Bowie the most influential artist in Britain of the last 50 years.
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2023: Greatest Singers of All Time
In 2023, David Bowie ranked 32nd on the Rolling Stone list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
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2023: Start of distribution deal with Warner Music Group
In 2023, David Bowie's estate was set to begin their distribution deal with Warner Music Group.
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