The world lost an icon when David Bowie passed away after a long battle with cancer, just four days after releasing his 25th studio album, Blackstar.
From the very start of his career in London in the late 1960s, Bowie was a groundbreaking figure in the world of music, fashion and art. His career spanned over forty years, producing an incredible number of wildly influential songs and stage persona.
To mark his passing, here’s a look back at some of Bowie’s most essential tracks, a fitting memorial to one of the world’s most influential musicians.
Read next: The 10 Best David Bowie Music Videos
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"Space Oddity" (1969)
Inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the song follows the unfortunate fate of Major Tom, an astronaut lost and drifting in space. Bowie’s breakout track became a hit in 1969, the year of the first Moon landing. It’s compelling and heartbreaking, putting a horrifying Ray Bradbury story line to a haunting melody.
"The Man Who Sold The World" (1970)
While younger fans may know the song thanks to Kurt Cobain’s haunting cover on Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged special, Bowie’s rendition was equally memorable, full of beautiful heartache, longing, and regret.
"Fame" (1975)
Bowie was never beholden to one genre or style of music, instead easily slipping through electronic, pop, and rock before eventually landing on “plastic soul” with his 1975 album, Young Americans. As with the other styles, Bowie made it his own mixing funk and American soul music with a Brit pop aesthetic. The song “Fame” was co-written with Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, who knew something about fame.
"The Next Day" (2013)
By 2013, it was widely assumed that Bowie was retired from the music industry. Always one to defy expectations, he surprised fans by releasing his 24th studio album, The Next Day, on his 66th birthday. It revealed that Bowie was as creative and contemplative as ever, and the album became his first number one in the U.K. in 20 years.
"Lazarus" (2016)
Released on his 69th birthday—and just a few days before his death—this visceral track and accompanying video featuring Bowie blindfolded on a hospital bed was already a haunting tune, made even more so in the wake of his passing. The fact that he was creating music and releasing videos while battling cancer is emblematic of Bowie’s dedication to his art.