Adele’s latest record, “25” is undoubtedly the most anticipated record this year, as sales continue to climb just mere days after the album was released on November 20.
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In Nielsen’s 24-year history, “25” is the first album to pass the 3-million sales mark in its first week of release and only the second to exceed 2 million sales in one week.
On the British album charts, Adele’s 25, which easily placed Number One, sold more than the albums slotted at Number Two through Number 87 combined.
It has also become the first album to sell more than 100,000 downloads in the U.K.in a week.
According to the New York Times, Adele now holds the record for first-week sales, not so much ousting but hurtling N’Sync from the throne they’ve claimed since 2000.
The total, moreover, is already the largest year-to-date album sales figure for 2015. Obviously, that smashes the previous record for that chart as well, and what makes this number particularly impressive is Adele didn’t actually offer the album for stream anywhere. Anticipation for “25” has been the subject of considerable speculation for months, speculation that turned concrete with the release of the first single, “Hello”.
Adele Graces the covers The Observer Music [Image by Adele Instagram]In August of 1997, Oasis set the record in the U.K with the album Be Here Now, which had 695 thousand units sold. In comparison, 25 sold around 60,000 physical copies alone in this opening week. That puts “25” squarely in Taylor Swift territory – great storytelling, smart production, judiciously big dramas – plus a dose of secret soul all her own.
As of Friday, 25 has sold more than three million copies in the United States and another 800,000 in the UK.
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All Adele fans, here’s your time to rejoice.
