Blackstar cover art

  Studio Album · No. 26

Blackstar Songwriting Credits by David Bowie

2016 ISO / Columbia Records 7 tracks 41 min

Produced by Tony Visconti  ·  Engineered by Tony Visconti, Kevin Killen, Tom Elmhirst

ISO / Columbia Records Art RockExperimental RockJazz RockExperimental Jazz
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 7 of 7 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 7 / 7 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 7 tracks with documented writers, by whether David Bowie carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
7 trackswritten by David Bowie 0 tracksoutside writers
David Bowie's roles on this album

Share of the 7 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

7
Tracks
1
Lyricists
1
Producers
1.9 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
2016
Released

Awards & Recognition 5

Best Alternative Music Album (2017)
Best Recording Package (2017)
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (2017)
Best Rock Song (2017)
Best Rock Performance (2017)
Data Insight

Blackstar was written by David Bowie and recorded with the New York jazz quartet led by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, alongside Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre, and Mark Guiliana. Bowie wrote all the songs himself except 'Sue (Or in a Season of Crime),' co-written with Maria Schneider, Paul Bateman, and Bob Bhamra, and produced the record with Tony Visconti. Released on his 69th birthday and two days before his death from cancer in January 2016, it was his 26th and final studio album, widely read as a parting work.

David Bowie's Blackstar (stylized ★), released January 8, 2016, his 69th birthday and two days before his death from liver cancer, is the final album of his career and widely regarded as one of the most extraordinary final artistic statements in rock history. Bowie wrote all seven tracks, recorded in New York with a jazz ensemble led by saxophonist Donny McCaslin that gave the album an improvisational, avant-garde quality unlike anything in his catalog. The extended title track 'Blackstar' (9:57) opens the album, followed by the hauntingly prescient 'Lazarus', whose video, featuring Bowie in a hospital bed, now reads as a direct goodbye, and 'Dollar Days' and 'I Can't Give Everything Away,' which many interpret as farewells. The album debuted at number one in over thirty countries. Donny McCaslin, drummer Mark Guiliana, bassist Tim Lefebvre, and guitarist Ben Monder deliver performances of extraordinary depth throughout. Blackstar completes one of the most consistent songwriting bodies of work in popular music, from his 1967 debut to his final release, David Bowie authored virtually every note and word.

Track Listing & Credits 7 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Blackstar #61
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)Donny McCaslin (Saxophone)Mark Guiliana (Drums)
2
'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
3
Lazarus #45
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
4
Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
5
Girl Loves Me
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
6
Dollar Days
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)
7
I Can't Give Everything Away
David Bowie David Bowie Tony Visconti David Bowie (Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 4 contributors

More from David Bowie

1967 100%
David Bowie
Deram Records
14 tracksProd. Mike Vernon
1969 100%
Space Oddity
Philips Records
9 tracksProd. Tony Visconti
1970 100%
The Man Who Sold the World
Mercury Records
9 tracksProd. Tony Visconti
1971 91%
Hunky Dory
RCA Records
11 tracksProd. Ken Scott
1972 91%
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
RCA Records
11 tracksProd. David Bowie
1973 90%
Aladdin Sane
RCA Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1973 0%
Pin Ups
RCA Records
12 tracksProd. Ken Scott
1974 100%
Diamond Dogs
RCA Records
11 tracksProd. David Bowie
1975 88%
Young Americans
RCA Records
8 tracksProd. Tony Visconti
1976 83%
Station to Station
RCA Records
6 tracksProd. Harry Maslin
1977 100%
Heroes
RCA Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1977 100%
Low
RCA Records
11 tracksProd. David Bowie
1979 100%
Lodger
RCA Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1980 90%
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
RCA Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1983 88%
Let's Dance
EMI / Parlophone
8 tracksProd. Nile Rodgers
1984 67%
Tonight
EMI Records
9 tracksProd. David Bowie
1987 91%
Never Let Me Down
EMI Records
11 tracksProd. David Bowie
1993 67%
Black Tie White Noise
Savage Records
12 tracksProd. Nile Rodgers
1993 100%
The Buddha of Suburbia
Arista Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
1995 100%
Outside
Arista Records
14 tracksProd. David Bowie
1997 100%
Earthling
Arista Records
9 tracksProd. David Bowie
1999 100%
'hours...'
Virgin Records
10 tracksProd. David Bowie
2002 75%
Heathen
ISO / Columbia Records
12 tracksProd. Tony Visconti
2003 82%
Reality
ISO / Columbia Records
11 tracksProd. Tony Visconti
2013 100%
The Next Day
ISO / Columbia Records
14 tracksProd. Tony Visconti

Frequently Asked Questions Blackstar

Who wrote Blackstar by David Bowie?
David Bowie wrote all the songs on Blackstar except 'Sue (Or in a Season of Crime),' which he co-wrote with Maria Schneider, Paul Bateman, and Bob Bhamra. He recorded the album with the Donny McCaslin jazz quartet and produced it with Tony Visconti.
Was Blackstar David Bowie's last album?
Yes, Blackstar was David Bowie's 26th and final studio album. It was released on 8 January 2016, his 69th birthday, and two days before his death on 10 January 2016.
Who wrote Lazarus by David Bowie?
'Lazarus' was written by David Bowie. It appears on Blackstar and shares its name and themes with the off-Broadway musical Lazarus that Bowie co-created in his final years. The song reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart.
What musicians played on Blackstar by David Bowie?
Blackstar was recorded with the jazz quartet led by saxophonist Donny McCaslin, featuring Jason Lindner on keyboards, Tim Lefebvre on bass, and Mark Guiliana on drums. Ben Monder added guitar and James Murphy contributed percussion on some tracks.
How long is the title track 'Blackstar' by David Bowie?
The title track 'Blackstar' runs nearly ten minutes and opens the album. Bowie and Tony Visconti edited it down from a longer version to meet the iTunes length limit for a single.
How many Grammys did Blackstar by David Bowie win?
Blackstar won five Grammy Awards at the 2017 ceremony. The wins were Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package, Best Engineered Album Non-Classical, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance, the first Grammys Bowie won for his own music.
How well did Blackstar by David Bowie sell?
Blackstar topped the charts in the UK and the US and sold over 1.9 million copies worldwide as of April 2017. It was certified Platinum in the UK and Gold in the US.
Who produced Blackstar by David Bowie?
Blackstar was produced by David Bowie and Tony Visconti. Visconti also engineered the album, with Kevin Killen and Tom Elmhirst credited for engineering and mixing work.

Sources