David Bowie released an album before he died.
David Bowie . The character was spearheaded by the success of his single `` Starman '' and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars , which won him widespread popularity . `` Heroes '' ( 1977 ) and Lodger ( 1979 ) followed ; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise . In 2013 , Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day . The Next Day is the twenty-fourth studio album by musician David Bowie , released on 8 March 2013 on his ISO Records label , under exclusive licence to Columbia Records .