Adele is Still Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Some musicians spend their whole life trying to get on top – or even anywhere near it. Twenty-four year-old Adele, however, started at the top of the music world in 2008 and has been dominating it ever since. Her second album, 21, just reclaimed the number one spot on the Billboard 200 Chart, for a record 24 non-consecutive weeks on top!

Only eight other albums have claimed the top spot for six straight months. Her album is currently tied with Prince and the Revolution’s 1984 Purple Rain soundtrack and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

Despite being released more than a year ago, 21 is still selling like hotcakes. In just the last week, 75,000 copies of Adele’s 21 album have sold. Since being released, 21 has never left the top 10 spots on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and it has been in the top three for 60 of the 68 weeks.

Adele’s sophomore record is gunning for the record of longest top 10 run among albums by women. The current leader is Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, with 72 top 10 weeks.

The wild success of 21 has far surpassed the expectations of even the singer’s own record label, Columbia, which projected that the album would sell 4.5 million by the end of 2011 and 5-6 million by March 2012.

The singer’s NBC special, Adele Live in London, which aired June 5, also helped boost her sales by 30 percent. The special included footage of Adele’s 2011 "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" concert and an interview with the Matt Lauer. 

Lauer said, “It’s one thing to be the most talked about singer in the world right now. Do you want to be the most talked about singer in the world ten years from now?”

Without hesitation, Adele shook her head “no” and said with a big smile, “I just want to make music, not have anyone chat about me.”

The singer quickly added, “I mean, I still hope I have a little bit of clout in ten years. But all I want to do is sing.”

Adele need not worry; she will have clout for the rest of her life after what’s she’s done. And she’s just getting started.

Her bombshell sophomore record has already sold 9.3 million copies in the U.S. and is on track to achieve the rare and coveted RIAA diamond sales status when it surpasses 10 million units sold.