David Bowie’s Black Star takes top spot as singer dominates United Kingdom charts

Released two days before his death, the “Lazarus” video was afterward seen in a whole new light as Bowie appears in a hospital bed, culminating with the line, “I’ll be free / Just like that bluebird”.

It was a similar story on the the iTunes chart where Bowie’s Blackstar shot to No 1, Best of Bowie was at No 3 and his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, was at No 8.

A combined total of 622,511 Bowie records (single and albums) were sold this week. His “Best Of Bowie” compilation, which Hits estimates sold 53,449 weekly copies, is expected to claim #3 on the pure sales chart.

A performance of David Bowie’s trippy, melancholy musical “Lazarus” turned into a memorial for the Thin White Duke Tuesday night as fans who had bought tickets to celebrate his music instead found themselves mourning his passing.

On January 10, 2016, David Bowie passed away after battling cancer.

“He always did what he wanted to do”, said Visconti in a tribute message.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company, said that Bowie’s final album, which contains a number of songs that seem to relate to his own mortality, was heading for the number one spot even before it was announced that the artist had succumbed to cancer. The odd thing about Outside is that it gave Bowie his least memorable alter ego (Nathan Adler, an “art detective” of the dystopian near-future of 1999), but also features what might be his most personal and bewildering vision of the end of the world.

Five of his songs re-entered the Top 40, peaking at number 12 with Heroes – a new high for the track which only reached number 24 on its release in 1977.

“Blackstar” is not the only Bowie album poised for a Top 5 slot.

While the statement did not provide a date or location for the private ceremony, the family said it valued the array of public memorials in his honor.