Rock legend David Bowie has surprised the music world by releasing a new single on the Internet and accepting pre-order sales for his first new album in a decade. The single is called "Where Are We Now?" from the album "The Next Day". The surprise was that no one had an inkling that Bowie was back in the studio recording new material, and had been for two years. Even the star's longtime producer Tony Visconti had been sworn to secrecy. He said: "We respected David's wishes….We didn't Tweet or put it on Facebook or even tell our best friends.…I couldn't tell them. I knew if I told one of them, somebody would leak it and it would be all over the world in a day. I didn't even tell my children what I was doing."

Bowie, born Robert David Jones, released the new album on his 66th birthday. It is his 30th studio album in a career that spans almost five decades, in which he has sold 130 million albums. He is perhaps best known for pioneering what became known as glam rock - a pop music genre that emerged in Britain in the early 1970s. It was characterized by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles. Over the years, Bowie recorded many iconic tunes, including "Ziggy Stardust," "Heroes" and "Let's Dance". He has also appeared in 27 movies and was a modern art critic for a leading British newspaper. He had a heart attack in 2004, but his comeback allays concerns about his health.