Adele’s still selling well and there may be something behind Kaiser Chiefs‘ Andrew White’s recent comment in our interview that “If it wasn’t for Adele, the whole music industry would shut down”. Now 21 is sitting pretty at number 7 according to the Official Charts Company after recently overtaking Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon.
Adele’s second studio album which was released in January 2011, won the BRIT award for best album, picked up a Grammy and is also the best selling album of the 21st century, with a fitting title. 21 has now sold over 4.14 million copies in the UK alone, while Pink Floyd’s prog rock classic could only manage 30,000 total sales less. It will likely not be long before the album overtakes Brothers In Arms, the current number six and the dramatic album from Dire Straits. While Queen still remain at the top of the list with 5.8 million sales, it would not be absurd to suggest the soul singer could yet reach these heights in coming years.
This is quite a remarkable feat, even when taking into account increases in population and music awareness. Considering the musical plurality available today, Adele has seamlessly managed to develop a crossover hit which will be a defining album of our generation.
