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.

Career: John's first solo album flopped in 1969, but its follow-up and the single Your Song were hits. Rocket Man in 1972 marked the beginning of an incredible run of success - 16 straight Top 20 hits (15 of which went Top 10). He has sold more than 250 million records worldwide. In 1994, he won an Oscar for Can You Feel the Love Tonight, from Disney's The Lion King. A version of Candle in the Wind became the world's best-selling single, raising more than £20million for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. He has collaborated with Bernie Taupin on more than 30 albums, and continues to record and tour.

Career: Lennox quit before her final exams, and made ends meet working in a bookshop, singing with various bands and working as a waitress. She met Dave Stewart and Peet Coombes in 1976. They formed the band Catch, gained a recording contract, and became known as the Tourists. They split in 1981, leaving Stewart and Lennox to form Eurythmics, one of the 1980s most popular acts. They later went their separate ways (although never officially split), but returned in 1998 and 2005. Lennox has also released several solo albums and won a Best Song Oscar for Into the West from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She also champions a number of causes. An exhibition of her costumes, photos and ephemera from her career formed the basis of The House of Annie Lennox at the V+A in 2011.

Career: After a couple of years playing the circuit in a band which included Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, Keith Moon was recruited on drums, completing the legendary Who line-up. Their first single, double A-side I'm the Face/Zoot Suit, was released in 1964 but flopped. However, hits soon followed. Daltrey went on to be regarded as one of the finest rock vocalists of all time, and he and lead guitarist Townshend are still touring and recording together. He's also recorded solo albums and appeared in more than 30 films, including Tommy (1975), McVicar (1980) and Buddy's Song (1991), and numerous TV dramas, such as The Bill and Highlander.

Career: The album Led Zeppelin I was released in 1969, and featured the hits Dazed and Confused and Communication Breakdown. A second album was followed the same year and thanks to the hit Whole Lotta Love, they became US chart stars. It was the band's fourth album which produced the classic Stairway to Heaven. The band's demise in 1980 paved the way for a series of solo albums. Plant's Principle of Moments in 1983 spawned the hit single Big Log. As part of The Honeydrippers, he scored another chart hit with Sea of Love. Manic Nirvana and Fate of Nations also confirmed his status as a major solo artist. Still records with Jimmy Page and Plant picked up Grammy nominations for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for Darkness, Darkness and Best Rock Album for the album Dreamland.

Career: George formed Wham! in 1981 with Ridgeley. The band went on to massive success, releasing a string of hit singles including Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do), Club Tropicana, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, and Last Christmas. They were also the first Western pop act to visit China when they played there in 1985. Wham! split in 1986, by which time Michael had already released a handful of solo singles. With songs such as Careless Whisper, Freedom 90, Jesus to a Child and Fastlove, he's become one of the biggest popstars on the planet, selling in excess of 80 million records. However, he's also hit the headlines over his personal life, including drugs and health issues. In 2014, he released Symphonica, his first album since 2006's Twenty Five.