David Bowie dead: A life in numbers

David Bowie's groundbreaking music inspired generations during a career spanning six decades

David Bowie “died peacefully” from cancer aged 69 this morning after the release of his final album Blackstar last week.

The news was confirmed by the singer's publicist in a statement.

“David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy during their time of grief.”

In a career that began in the 60s and ended with the recently released album Blackstar, the groundbreaking artist leaves behind some impressive figures from record sales to number one albums.

The musician's record sales are estimated to be 140 million worldwide, with the single 'Let's Dance' accounting for seven million of those.

He spent 599 weeks in the UK's top 40 album chart and saw 61 of his records in the UK top 40.

Nine of his albums reached the number one spot in the UK's album chart as well as five number one singles.

Bowie was also awarded two Brit Awards, first winning Best British Male in 1984 before reclaiming the same award thirty years later in 2014.