music
January 9, 2026
Ten years after his death, is David Bowie’s musical legacy at risk of fading from view?
From the V&A to the Stranger Things finale, the pop icon still looms large – but with lower streaming figures than his peers, how many new listeners are discovering his music?
TL;DR
- David Bowie's musical legacy's reach to new audiences is being assessed ten years after his death.
- Posthumous financial success, measured by Forbes' rich list, has been sporadic, with a significant boost from the sale of his publishing rights.
- Bowie's streaming figures on platforms like Spotify are lower than those of peers like Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, and John Lennon.
- The Bowie estate's marketing efforts have focused on expensive box sets and live albums, potentially alienating younger, less affluent potential fans.
- Key projects like the David Bowie Centre at the V&A aim to preserve his legacy through archived items.
- The use of Bowie's music in popular culture, such as "Heroes" in Stranger Things, has had a limited charting impact compared to similar instances with other artists.
- The estate's embrace of NFTs and a wide array of merchandise, including everyday items, is seen by some as a reduction of his multifaceted artistic identity.
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