On the Charts 13 Years Ago, David Bowie Dropped His First Album in a Decade and Broke Records at the No. 1 Spot

Thirteen years ago this month, in March 2013, David Bowie made a triumphant return to the top of the charts after releasing The Next Day, his first new studio album in nearly a decade.

The Next Day was released on March 11 and March 12 in the United Kingdom and North America, respectively. It debuted at No. 1 the U.K. albums chart, becoming the fastest-selling album of 2013 in that country. The Next Day also premiered at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, kept from the top spot in the U.S. by Bon Jovi’s What About Now.

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For years, it seemed like the influential British rocker had retired from recording, with his previous studio effort, Reality, hitting stores back in September 2003. On January 8, 2013, his 66th birthday, Bowie surprised the music world by debuting a new single, the melancholy “Where Are We Now?,” and announcing plans to issue the new album. A music video for the song also premiered that day.

Bowie had secretly worked on The Next Day with his longtime studio collaborator and co-producer Tony Visconti at two New York City studios between May 2011 and October 2012. David enlisted many of musicians he’d worked with previously for the sessions. They included guitarists Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard, and David Torn; bassists Gail Ann Dorsey and Tony Levin; and drummers Zachary Alford and Sterling Campbell.

In order to keep Bowie’s new project a secret, all of the musicians involved were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. The president of David’s label, Sony Music, wasn’t even aware of the album until he was played a few tracks in October 2012.

More About ‘The Next Day’

While on tour supporting Reality in Germany in June 2004, Bowie suffered a heart attack on stage. The remaining dates of the trek were canceled, and David underwent an angioplasty procedure.

Bowie never toured or performed a full concert again. During the next decade, he made a handful of guest appearances on other artists recordings and performed briefly at a few special events. Many had assumed that David had stopped making new music before “Where Are We Now?” was released.

The Next Day’s lead single peaked at No. 6 on the U.K. chart. A second advance single, “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” was released on February 26, 2013. It was accompanied by a music video featuring Bowie and actress Tilda Swinton. Prior to its official release, the full album was streamed on iTunes on February 28.

The Next Day’s cover art featured the same black-and-white photo of Bowie that appeared on his 1977 album “Heroes,” but with his face obscured by a white square that boasted the new album’s title.

The Next Day featured 14 new original tracks written or co-written by Bowie. Several bonus tracks were made available via deluxe editions. In topping the U.K. chart with The Next Day, David score his first No. 1 album in his home country since Black Tie White Noise in 1993.

In November 2013, an expanded version of The Next Day, titled The Next Day Extra, was released. It featured 10 bonus tracks from the sessions, plus four music videos.

Bowie released one more studio album, Blackstar, on January 8, 2016, his 69th birthday. David, who had been privately battling liver cancer, died two days later.