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David Bowie’s Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Downloads revealed!
11 January 2016
By Justin Myers



The music world was in mourning on January 11, 2016 following the announcement of the death of rock legend David Bowie.

From his humble beginnings as David Jones in Brixton, south London, to worldwide megastardom, David Bowie was never far from the charts.

In recognition of his hugely successful career, spanning six decades, we count down David Bowie's Digital Top 40, the most downloaded songs from his impressive chart history.

Life On Mars

It's perhaps no surprise that Life On Mars is Bowie's most downloaded song in the UK. Originally featuring on 1971 album Hunky Dory, it wasn't until Bowie found success with his Ziggy Stardust album that Life On Mars got some recognition. It finally became a single in 1973 and reached Number 3.

Life On Mars found new fans when it was featured in a BBC drama of the same name. The show's follow-up, Ashes To Ashes, was also named after a Bowie hit (Number 9 on this countdown).

Under Pressure

This 1981 Number 1 was a true megastar collaboration, bringing together David and fellow UK rock legends Queen, with David and lead singer Freddie Mercury locked in a powerful vocal face-off. The talented pair even improvised some of the lyrics during the recording.

Under Pressure was heavily sampled for Vanilla Ice's 1990 Number 1 Ice Ice Baby.

Heroes

Despite originally missing the Top 20 upon original release in 1977, Heroes has found new fans in the digital age. Bowie's uplifting anthem was covered by 2010's X Factor finalists – including One Direction – for a charity single, taking it to Number 1, and was adopted as theme song by Team GB during their 2012 London Olympics campaign.

Let's Dance

Bowie's most recent solo Number 1 in 1983 – he'd go on to top the charts with Mick Jagger on a cover of Dancing In The Street in 1985 – spent three weeks at the summit. It's also his best selling single in the UK.

Space Oddity

The song that started it all, Space Oddity was Bowie's debut chart hit back in 1969. The haunting track also scored another first for David – when re-released in 1975, it became his very first chart-topper. Four more would follow.

David Bowie ChartFacts

Official Top 40 singles: 61

Official Number 1 singles: 5

Official Number 1 albums: 9 (so far!)

All-time biggest selling UK single: Let’s Dance

All-time biggest selling UK album: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

David Bowie's Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Downloads
TRACK PEAK POSITION YEAR
1 LIFE ON MARS 3 1973
2 UNDER PRESSURE (WITH QUEEN) 1 1981
3 HEROES 24 1977
4 LET'S DANCE 1 1983
5 SPACE ODDITY 1 1969/1975
6 STARMAN 10 1972
7 CHANGES N/A 1972
8 ASHES TO ASHES 1 1980
9 WHERE ARE WE NOW 6 2013
10 REBEL REBEL 5 1974
11 PEACE ON EARTH/LITTLE DRUMMER BOY 3 1982
12 MODERN LOVE 2 1983
13 CHINA GIRL 2 1983
14 THE JEAN GENIE 2 1972
15 SOUND AND VISION 3 1977
16 ZIGGY STARDUST N/A 1972
17 ALL THE YOUNG DUDES N/A 1995
18 DANCING IN THE STREET (WITH MICK JAGGER) 1 1985
19 MAGIC DANCE E.P. N/A 1986
20 ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS 2 1986
21 THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD 39* 1971
22 GOLDEN YEARS 8 1975
23 YOUNG AMERICANS 18 1975
24 OH YOU PRETTY THINGS N/A 1971
25 QUEEN BITCH N/A 1971
26 SUFFRAGETTE CITY N/A 1972
27 FASHION 5 1980
28 SORROW 3 1973
29 THE LAUGHING GNOME 6 1973
30 CAT PEOPLE (PUTTING OUT FIRE) 26 1982
31 FAME '90 E.P. 28 1990
32 AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN N/A 1986
33 LIVE EP (WITH ARCADE FIRE) N/A 2005
34 JOHN I'M ONLY DANCING 12 1972
35 MOONAGE DAYDREAM N/A 1972
36 WILD IS THE WIND 24 1981
37 ROCK 'N' ROLL SUICIDE 22 1974
38 FIVE YEARS N/A 1972
39 KOOKS N/A 1971
40 DRIVE IN SATURDAY 3 1973
*Released as double-A side with Strangers When We Meet in 1995.

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