10 Incredible Songs From Musicians Who Knew They Were Dying

"Oh, I'll be free. Just like that bluebird."

Of all the entries in this list, none carry the weight in hindsight quite like the opening verse of the lead single of Bowie's twenty-fifth and final album Blackstar.

Bowie performed as a musician as early as 1962 and would achieve mainstream and critical success in 1972 with his now-legendary album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie would possess an incredulous grasp on musical creativity, experimentation and reinvention that would last throughout his career, with only two albums not achieving Silver or higher in sales in the UK.

The release of Blackstar came just two days before the death of Bowie in January 2016.

The world was stunned upon hearing of the storied performer's passing, particularly as details came out that he had suffered from lung cancer. He had kept his diagnosis secret from as many people as he could, only letting family and those involved in recording Blackstar know, including longtime friend and producer Tony Visconti who said that the album was written when Bowie was in remission, but noticed the dark tone of the album early on and commented to Bowie, “You canny bastard. You’re writing a farewell album.”