There's a starman waiting in the sky. On Sunday, January 10th, David Bowie died after an extremely private 18-month battle with cancer, just days after his 69th birthday and the release of his 25th studio album. In the age of trending topics, it sometimes feels like "celebrity deaths" are reduced to mere hashtags, but few are so universally impactful. With a musical career spanning five decades, and infinite genres, Bowie was an inspiration to artists across the board - from Kanye to Gaga.

But that's not all. Fashion, film, fame, the entire zeitgeist of modern pop culture owes itself to Bowie. He even turned sexual politics on its head. The effortless chameleon took many faces and names through the years: Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke. He was the man who fell to earth, an extraterrestrial who took the hands of all the strange and told us we were wonderful. Here's to the starman who was only visiting; without him the world will definitely glitter a little less.

"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."

[Photos courtesy Getty]

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