David Bowie released an album before he died.
David Bowie . After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s , Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single `` Ashes to Ashes '' , its parent album Scary Monsters and Super Creeps , and `` Under Pressure '' , a 1981 collaboration with Queen . He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer two days after the release of his final album , Blackstar ( 2016 ) .