Adele’s album 21 has officially become the best-selling album by a female artist of all time, marking another historic milestone in the British singer’s career and cementing the record’s place in music history.
It was announced this week that the 2011 release has overtaken Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard soundtrack, which had held the long-standing record since 1992. 21 has now sold a staggering 56.375 million copies worldwide, narrowly surpassing The Bodyguard, which stands at 56.372 million. While the margin is slim, the achievement is significant, particularly given the changing nature of the music industry over the past decade.
Released at a time when digital downloads and streaming were beginning to dominate, 21 proved to be a rare global phenomenon. The album launched Adele from a critically acclaimed UK artist into a full-blown international superstar, resonating with audiences across generations. Its raw emotional honesty, combined with classic soul and pop influences, helped the record maintain extraordinary longevity on charts around the world.
@adele.nederland “Someone Like You” live during An Audience With Adele, 2021. 💃🏼 #adele #adelelive #fypシ #viral #fy #blowthisup #adele30 #music ♬ original sound - Adele Nederland 🇳🇱
Many of the tracks from 21 became instant classics and remain staples of radio playlists more than a decade later. Songs such as Turning Tables, Rumour Has It and Someone Like You not only defined Adele’s sound but also helped shape the pop landscape of the early 2010s. Someone Like You in particular became a cultural moment, topping charts globally and introducing millions to Adele’s distinctive voice and confessional songwriting style.
The album’s achievement is all the more striking when compared to the legacy of Whitney Houston, whose The Bodyguard soundtrack was itself a cultural landmark. Released alongside the blockbuster film of the same name, the album featured some of Houston’s most iconic performances, including I Will Always Love You, I Have Nothing, I’m Every Woman and Run To You. For over three decades, it stood as the benchmark for commercial success by a female artist.
21 now sits at the top of an elite list of best-selling albums by women, ahead of releases by some of the most influential figures in music history. Shania Twain’s Come On Over follows with 47.633 million sales, while Celine Dion’s Let’s Talk About Love stands close behind at 47.501 million. Albums by Lady Gaga, Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift and Madonna also feature prominently, highlighting the enduring commercial power of female artists across genres and decades.
For Adele, the record reinforces the extraordinary impact of an album that continues to sell in large numbers more than 14 years after its release. In an era increasingly driven by streaming metrics rather than physical and digital sales, 21’s ascent to the top underscores its rare ability to transcend trends and formats.
@adelevibes The moment which has everyone thanking their english teachers.....#adele #adelechallenge #adeleliveperfomance #adeleonenightonly #nominations #emmys #fypシ #fy #fyp #viral #viral #beautiful #loveisagameadele #englishteacher #english #fyp #explore #anaudiencewithadele #2021 #emotional #emotions #love ♬ To Be Loved - Adele
Best-selling female albums of all time
1. Adele, 21 - 56.365m
2. Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard OST - 56.372m
3. Shania Twain, Come On Over - 47.633m
4. Céline Dion, Let's Talk About Love - 47.501m
6. Lady Gaga, The Fame/ The Fame Monster - 45.469m
7. Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill - 43. 27m
8. Taylor Swift, 1989 - 41.874m
9. Madonna, Like A Virgin - 41.218m
10. Madonna, True Blue - 38.118m
Adele ‘25’ Album And Hit Song ‘Hello’ Were Released 10 Years Ago - Do You Feel Old Yet?
It’s officially been a decade since Adele changed the trajectory of modern pop with the release of her album 25 and its powerhouse lead single Hello — and yes, it’s the kind of milestone that makes everyone feel just a little bit older.
When the album arrived in November 2015, it wasn’t just another chart release. 25 became a cultural moment, dominating radio, streaming, and every conversation about music for months. In Ireland, the record was unavoidable — supermarkets, taxis, cafés, late-night radio shows, every station from RTÉ to local counties played Hello on a loop. The song’s first lyric alone, “Hello, it’s me”, instantly became one of the most recognisable openings of the decade.
The album went on to break almost every record within reach. It sold more than 3 million copies in its first week in the US alone, smashed physical sales in Ireland and the UK, and cemented Adele as the defining voice of her generation. Even in an era when streaming was overtaking traditional album buying, 25 proved that audiences would still show up — in huge numbers — for an artist they genuinely cared about.
Part of the magic was timing. Adele had taken a long break from the spotlight, and Hello felt like the return of an old friend. The video, shot by Xavier Dolan, was another pop-culture earthquake. Within 24 hours it had racked up more than 27 million views, becoming the fastest-growing music video release of its time. It sparked endless covers, sketches, memes and late-night parodies. For months, you couldn’t scroll through Facebook or Twitter without someone quoting “I must’ve called a thousand times”. Today, after being watched thousands of times each day for 10 years, it has racked up a whopping 3.2 billion views.
A decade later, the nostalgia hits even harder. Many of the fans who bought 25 on CD are now in completely different phases of their lives — marriages, break-ups, mortgages, emigration, the usual Irish chaos of the last ten years. Looking back, it wasn’t just an album release; it was a bookmark in time.
It also marked the moment Adele truly moved from superstar to cultural icon. 25 swept the Grammys, winning Album of the Year, and the singer’s raw, emotional performances became some of the most-watched award-show clips of the decade. Irish audiences, famously loyal when it comes to big vocalists, embraced it wholeheartedly. Even people who insisted they “weren’t really into ballads” found themselves quietly humming Hello while doing the dishes.
The album’s impact hasn’t faded either. Songs like When We Were Young and All I Ask remain staples at weddings, talent shows, and every karaoke night across Ireland. And as today's music landscape shifts toward short-form content and fast-moving TikTok hits, the idea of an album selling millions of physical copies feels almost unthinkable — another reminder of how much has changed since 2015.
Ten years on, Adele remains one of the most influential artists in the world, and 25 still feels as fresh and devastating as it did the week it landed. And if this anniversary makes you feel ancient, you’re not alone — there’s an entire generation collectively wondering where the last decade went.
