Adele’s 30 tops all IFPI’s Global album charts which include the Global Album All Format Chart, the Global Album Sales Chart and the Global Vinyl Album Chart. The Global Album All Format Chart takes into account all consumption formats, spanning physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming platforms across the year. It is weighted based on the relative value of each method of consumption. The Global Album Sales Chart combines global sales of physical albums and digital album downloads and the Global Vinyl Album Chart combines global sales of vinyl format physical albums to rank the top albums in the year.
30, the fourth studio album from Adele, was released on 19th November 2021. It marked a welcome return to music for Adele after a six-year hiatus since the release of her multi-award winning third studio album 25, released in 2015. Preceded by chart-topping return single Easy on Me, 30 went on to reach #1 in over 20 markets including the US where it became Adele’s third album to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album continues its record-breaking streak by topping all three of IFPI’s Global Album Charts – the Global Album All Format Chart (introduced last year and won by 2021’s Global Artist Of The Year, BTS), Global Album Sales Chart and the first-ever Global Vinyl Album Chart. Following its release in November 2021, 30 achieved over five million physical album equivalent units in 2021 alone, in under two months.
Elsewhere in the Global Album All Format Chart there were successes for fellow UK superstar Ed Sheeran with his album = at #4, and first appearances for newcomers Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR at #2, The Kid LAROI’s F*CK LOVE (Mix Tape) at #7 and Doja Cat’s Planet Her at #10. Swedish legends ABBA also appeared with their first album in 40 years, Voyage, one of the biggest selling albums of 2021 across all formats, appearing at #8 in the Global Album All Format Chart and #2 in the Global Album Sales Chart.
The Global Album Sales Chart highlights the continuing importance of Asia, particularly sales of physical albums, with K-Pop stars BTS (#4) and SEVENTEEN (who featured twice in the chart at #3 and #7) featuring prominently, while Japanese group Snow Man’s first studio album Snow Mania S1 charted at #9.
The first ever Global Vinyl Album Chart, introduced to reflect the continued strong growth of the format, completes Adele’s sweep of all three awards. The chart presents an eclectic mix of old and new, with albums from Fleetwood Mac (#3), The Beatles (#7), Nirvana (#8) and Pink Floyd (#9) charting alongside releases from Olivia Rodrigo with SOUR (#4)and Billie Eilish’s second album Happier Than Ever (#5).
IFPI Top 10 Global Album Sales Chart 2021
IFPI Top 10 Global Vinyl Album Chart 2021
