Career: Bowie's breakthrough came in 1969 when the BBC used his song Space Oddity for their coverage of the moon landing. Adopting the alter ego of Ziggy Stardust in 1972 made him a huge global star. Landmark albums Diamond Dogs, Young Americans and Low followed. He paired up with Queen for the 1981 chart hit Under Pressure and reached a commercial peak in 1983 with the single Let's Dance. Away from music, he had acted in a number of films, including The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (1983), and Labyrinth (1986), and as himself in the sitcom Extras. He released his 25th and final studio album, Blackstar, on January 8, 2016. Two days later, he died from cancer. He was 69. During his career, he sold more than 140 million records.