Photo of David Bowie
Photo: Adam Bielawski · CC BY-SA 3.0

Solo Artist · The Chameleon of Rock

David Bowie

Active1962-2016
DiedJanuary 10, 2016
OriginBrixton, London, England
Albums26
Tracks269

Most frequent collaborator: Tony Visconti  ·  107 tracks

Art RockGlam RockNew WaveSoulElectronicPop
88%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 237 of 269 tracks

Did David Bowie write his own songs?

Yes, the large majority. David Bowie wrote around 88% of his tracks across 26 albums, most of them entirely on his own, from 'Space Oddity' and 'Life on Mars?' to 'Blackstar.' He did collaborate on some famous songs, co-writing 'Fame' with John Lennon and 'Heroes' with Brian Eno. His only real set of songs he did not write is the 1973 covers album Pin Ups.

By the Numbers

26
Studio Albums
269
Tracks Credited
88%
Self-Written
100M+
Records Sold
54
Years Active
84
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 237 / 269 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 269 tracks: how many David Bowie wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

David Bowie has a writing credit88%
66%
22%
12%
Sole author178tracks66%
Co-written59tracks22%
Outside writers32tracks12%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
David Bowie's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 269 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)88%
Composer (music)88%
Producer66%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

David Bowie's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 88%
100%
100%
100%
91%
91%
90%
0%
100%
88%
83%
100%
100%
100%
90%
88%
67%
91%
67%
100%
100%
100%
100%
75%
82%
100%
100%
1967David Bowie
1969Space Oddity
1970The Man Who Sold the World
1971Hunky Dory
1972The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
1973Aladdin Sane
1973Pin Ups
1974Diamond Dogs
1975Young Americans
1976Station to Station
1977Heroes
1977Low
1979Lodger
1980Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
1983Let's Dance
1984Tonight
1987Never Let Me Down
1993Black Tie White Noise
1993The Buddha of Suburbia
1995Outside
1997Earthling
1999'hours...'
2002Heathen
2003Reality
2013The Next Day
2016Blackstar
Early · 83% written
Mid · 87% written
Late · 94% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
1960s
David Bowie, Space Oddity
84%
1970s
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Aladdin Sane +9 more
84%
1980s
Let's Dance, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) +2 more
93%
1990s
Black Tie White Noise, The Buddha of Suburbia +3 more
78%
2000s
Heathen, Reality
100%
2010s
The Next Day, Blackstar

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where David Bowie sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

David Bowie
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%
Aretha Franklin14%
The Jacksons24%
Michael Jackson51%
Stevie Wonder64%
George Michael80%
Prince96%
88%David Bowie
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Starman
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
The Jean Genie
Aladdin Sane
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Drive-In Saturday
Aladdin Sane
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Beauty and the Beast
Heroes
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Let's Dance
Let's Dance
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
China Girl
Let's Dance
Written by David Bowie, Iggy Pop
Co-wrote
Modern Love
Let's Dance
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Space Oddity
Space Oddity
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Changes
Hunky Dory
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Life on Mars?
Hunky Dory
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Sorrow
Pin Ups
Written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer
Outside writers
Rebel Rebel
Diamond Dogs
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Diamond Dogs
Diamond Dogs
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Young Americans
Young Americans
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Fame
Young Americans
Written by David Bowie, Carlos Alomar, John Lennon
Co-wrote
Golden Years
Station to Station
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
TVC 15
Station to Station
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Sound and Vision
Low
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Boys Keep Swinging
Lodger
Written by David Bowie, Brian Eno
Co-wrote
Ashes to Ashes
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Fashion
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Up the Hill Backwards
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Blue Jean
Tonight
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Tonight
Tonight
Written by David Bowie, Iggy Pop
Co-wrote
Loving the Alien
Tonight
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Day-In Day-Out
Never Let Me Down
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Time Will Crawl
Never Let Me Down
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Never Let Me Down
Never Let Me Down
Written by David Bowie, Carlos Alomar
Co-wrote
Jump They Say
Black Tie White Noise
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Black Tie White Noise
Black Tie White Noise
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Miracle Goodnight
Black Tie White Noise
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
The Hearts Filthy Lesson
Outside
Written by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Reeves Gabrels, Mike Garson, Erdal Kızılçay, Sterling Campbell
Co-wrote
Strangers When We Meet
Outside
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Hallo Spaceboy
Outside
Written by David Bowie, Brian Eno, Reeves Gabrels, Mike Garson, Erdal Kızılçay, Sterling Campbell
Co-wrote
Little Wonder
Earthling
Written by David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels, Mark Plati
Co-wrote
Telling Lies
Earthling
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
I'm Afraid of Americans
Earthling
Written by David Bowie, Brian Eno
Co-wrote
Thursday's Child
'hours...'
Written by David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
Co-wrote
Survive
'hours...'
Written by David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
Co-wrote
Seven
'hours...'
Written by David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
Co-wrote
Everyone Says 'Hi'
Heathen
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Where Are We Now?
The Next Day
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Blackstar
Blackstar
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it
Lazarus
Blackstar
Written by David Bowie
Wrote it

Discography 26 albums

This page covers 26 of David Bowie's studio albums, from his 1967 debut through Blackstar (2016).

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

David Bowie269 tracks
TV107 KS44 RG29 BE27 DR21 NR20

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. TV Tony Visconti · KS Ken Scott · RG Reeves Gabrels · BE Brian Eno · DR David Richards · NR Nile Rodgers

The Writers & Producers Behind David Bowie 6 key collaborators

TV
Tony Visconti
Producer
Heroes / Space Oddity / The Man Who Sold the World / Young Americans107 tracks
KS
Ken Scott
Producer
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars / Aladdin Sane / Hunky Dory / Pin Ups44 tracks
RG
Reeves Gabrels
Songwriter
Black Tie White Noise / Outside / Earthling / 'hours...'29 tracks
BE
Brian Eno
Songwriter
Heroes / Low / Lodger / Outside27 tracks
DR
David Richards
Producer
Never Let Me Down / The Buddha of Suburbia21 tracks
NR
Nile Rodgers
Producer
Let's Dance / Black Tie White Noise20 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

David Bowie wrote or co-wrote the vast majority of his catalog, but the picture is more complex. His collaborations with Brian Eno (the Berlin Trilogy) and Mick Ronson (Ziggy era) mean many classic tracks carry co-writing credits. The authorship score is very high, but the member credits table reveals the collaborative depth behind his chameleon persona.

Quick Facts

  • GrammysWon six Grammy Awards
  • Rock HallInducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996
  • ReinventionFamous for personas like Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke
  • UK chartsScored eleven number-one albums on the UK chart
  • BlackstarHis final album was released two days before his death in 2016

Creative Fingerprint

A prolific solo author who reinvented constantly: David Bowie wrote most of his songs himself across 26 albums, from 'Space Oddity' to 'Blackstar,' reaching outside only for select collaborators like Brian Eno and John Lennon and for his one covers album, Pin Ups.

The Story

David Bowie was one of the most influential and chameleonic figures in rock history, reinventing himself across five decades through personas (Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, the Thin White Duke) that reshaped the visual and sonic language of popular music. Emerging from the London folk and psychedelic scenes of the late 1960s, he broke through with the glam-rock spectacle of Ziggy Stardust in 1972 before pivoting to soul, funk, avant-garde electronic music, and eventually mainstream pop. His willingness to collaborate with producers and musicians at the cutting edge (Mick Ronson, Brian Eno, Tony Visconti, Nile Rodgers) while remaining the creative center of every project cemented his status as a singular artist whose influence extends across virtually every genre of modern popular music.

Awards & Recognition

Sold over 100 million records worldwide, one of the best-selling musicians of all time
Won six Grammy Awards
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996
Scored eleven number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart
Widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the 20th century

Frequently Asked Questions David Bowie

Did David Bowie write his own songs?
Yes, the large majority. David Bowie wrote around 88% of his tracks across 26 albums, most of them entirely on his own, from 'Space Oddity' and 'Life on Mars?' to 'Blackstar.' He did collaborate on some famous songs, co-writing 'Fame' with John Lennon and 'Heroes' with Brian Eno. His only real set of songs he did not write is the 1973 covers album Pin Ups.
Who wrote 'Fame'?
'Fame' (1975) was co-written by David Bowie with John Lennon and his guitarist Carlos Alomar. It became Bowie's first US number-one single.
Who wrote 'Heroes'?
'Heroes' (1977) was co-written by David Bowie and Brian Eno during Bowie's Berlin period. It is one of his most beloved and enduring songs, though it was not a big chart hit at the time.
Did David Bowie write 'Life on Mars?'
Yes. 'Life on Mars?' (1971) was written entirely by David Bowie for the album Hunky Dory. It is considered one of his greatest songs.
Who were David Bowie's personas?
He created several, most famously Ziggy Stardust, the alien rock star of his 1972 album, and the Thin White Duke of the mid-1970s. His constant reinvention earned him the nickname 'chameleon of rock.'
How many albums did David Bowie release?
This catalogue covers 26 of his studio albums, from his early work through classics like Ziggy Stardust and Let's Dance to his final album Blackstar (2016).
How many records did David Bowie sell?
Over 100 million worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time.
When did David Bowie die?
David Bowie died on January 10, 2016, two days after releasing his final album Blackstar and celebrating his 69th birthday. The album is widely seen as a farewell work.
Is David Bowie in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Yes. David Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
What genre is David Bowie?
He worked across many genres, including glam rock, art rock, soul, electronic, and pop, reinventing his sound from album to album. That restlessness is central to his legacy.

Sources

Wikipedia: David Bowie Wikipedia: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars Wikipedia: Aladdin Sane Wikipedia: Heroes (David Bowie album) Wikipedia: Let's Dance (David Bowie album)