CSPC: David Bowie Popularity Analysis

Little by little, David Bowie continued to amass various good hits, some other moderate ones. Fame, from 1975, was the artist true breakthrough song in the US by climbing all the way to #1 while he never made the top 10 before that one. Ironically, it peaked at a low #17 in the UK. Young Americans singles have noteworthy sales very precisely because young Americans cherished them.

Dropping consistently one album per year the British star moved more than 10 million units of singles from 1973 to 1979.

As a reminder, the weighting is done with a 10 to 3 ratio between one album and one physical single.

Pin Ups (1973) – 330,000 equivalent albums

Sorrow – 1,100,000

Diamond Dogs (1974) – 420,000 equivalent albums

Diamond Dogs – 400,000
Rebel Rebel – 900,000
Remaining Singles – 100,000

Young Americans (1975) – 945,000 equivalent albums

Young Americans – 700,000
Fame – 2,050,000
John, I’m Only Dancing (Again) – 400,000

Station to Station (1976) – 615,000 equivalent albums

Golden Years – 1,500,000
TVC 15 – 250,000
Wild Is The Wind – 250,000
Remaining Singles – 50,000

Low (1977) – 390,000 equivalent albums

Sound And Vision – 1,200,000
Remaining Singles – 100,000

Heroes (1977) – 135,000 equivalent albums

Beauty And The Beast – 100,000
Heroes – 350,000

Lodger (1979) – 225,000 equivalent albums

D.J. – 250,000
Boys Keep Swinging – 450,000
Remaining Singles – 50,000