Two days after its release, Bowie died of liver cancer; his illness had not been revealed to the public until then. Visconti described the album as Bowie's intended swan song and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death. Upon release, the album was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, topping charts in a number of countries in the wake of Bowie's death and becoming Bowie's only album to top the US "Billboard" 200. The album remained at the number-one position on the UK Albums Chart for three weeks. It was the fifth best-selling album of the year, worldwide. It has since been certified Gold and Platinum in the US and the UK, respectively.