Hi, just thought I'd make a thread were all current and new future records can be posted in here to prevent clogging up the forums.

I'll start:

UK Records

1. Sold the most albums in a calender year in the UK than any other artist in history.

US Records

1. Longest running album at No.1 by any female artist in history.

Feel free to add to this.

US:

Biggest selling digital album ever.

'21' is the only album to concurrently be No 1 with 3 singles pulled from it.

Album which took the most chart weeks to reach the US Top 5 (19, 122 wks)

Grammies: Only female to win the 'Big Four' Grammies (Record/Song/Album of the Year, Best New Artist)

US and UK:

Only non-soundtrack ever to spend 20+ wks at No 1 in both the US and UK.

This thread could get very long, lol!

(thanks to phoenix83 on UKMix for all these)

US
Tied with Beyonce to have won the most grammys in one night for a female artist

Records in the UK for 21. By Rundmck.
Biggest selling album:
- ever by a female
- ever by a solo artist (in a few weeks!)
- of 21st century

Most weeks at no.1:
- by a female (21 wks)
- by a solo artist (21 wks)
- by UK female in career (22 wks)
- consecutively by a female artist (11 wks)

Biggest calendar year sales:
- one album (21, 2011, 3.8 million)
- all albums (2011, 5.0 million, ~5.2 if including LATRAH)

Most consecutive:
- top 10 weeks by female artist or solo artist
- weeks over 100k (12 wks)
- weeks over 20k (52 wks)

Most total weeks:
- over 100k (14)
- over 20k (57 up to 18/03/2012)
- in top 10 (by UK female. All time record "Tubular bells" 74 wks)

Fastest album ever to:
- 2m (by female w/Dido)
- 3m (all)
- 4m (all)

Biggest selling single:
- by UK female ever (SLY)
- digital single ever (SLY)
- by female artist in 21st century (SLY)
- no.2 by UK female ever (RITD)
- no.2 by solo artist ever (??? RITD ???)
- non top 10 single ever (SFTTR in a few weeks!)

Only female ever with 2 top 5 singles & albums concurrently (only non-Beatle ever)

Most separate 'runs' at no 1 (6)

Studio album with longest time between release and 1 million selling year (19)

She's broken so many records! This thread could be big lol!

Isn't she the only Best New artist winner to then win all the major categories again?

Yes. Only two people have ever won all four general field Grammy categories (AOTY, SOTY, ROTY, and Best New Artist). Christopher Cross sweep them all in one year and Adele did the sweep in two different years. As you pointed out, the only best new artist winner ever to come back in another year with another album and win the other three.

Wow absolutely fantastic achievements and it's just great that she's British I think she'll have many more massive selling albums to come as well even though none will probably reach 21's dizzying heights

It's a sobering thought for her 'rivals' to think that even if the follow up to '21' is just ONE THIRD as successful it will probably still be #1 in the WW albums sales chart the year it is released. '21' has dominated THAT much. But if they get the lead single right (anything that is as good/almost as good as Rolling) the first week's sales of the follow up will be absolutely humongous.

Props to her

Adele had the biggest-selling UK single and UK album of 2011. I cannot remember the last time anyone achieved both feats in the same year.

Here are records in US. From P83, thank you!
ADELE US RECORDS FROM THE 21 ERA

Most weeks at no.1:
- by a female (23 wks)
- in the Soundscan era (23 wks)
- by a 'fully' UK artist (23 wks) *

Album sales
- biggest selling digital album ever.

No.1 album and singles concurrently:
- only album to concurrently be No 1 with 3 singles pulled from it

Singles records:
- No 1 single which spent most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 (RITD)
- Single which appeared on most radio format charts (RITD: 12: Triple A, Adult Top 40, Rock Songs, Alternative, Adult Contemporary, Hot 100 Airplay, Mainstream, Dance Airplay, Rhythmic, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Latin Pop Airplay, Hot Latin Songs)
- Biggest-selling digital song by a solo artist (RITD)
- Only US No 1 single to be solely "voice and piano" (SLY)

Only female (and only non-Beatle) ever to have 3 Top Ten singles and 2 Top Five albums concurrently

Most separate 'runs' at no 1 (9)

Album which took the most chart weeks to reach the US Top 5 (19, 122 wks)

Grammies
- Most awards won by a female in one night (6) **
- Only female to win the 'Big Four' Grammies (Record/Song/Album of the Year, Best New Artist)

Transatlantic chart domination
- Only non-soundtrack ever to spend 20+ wks at No 1 in both the US and UK.
- Only female (and only non-Beatle) to have the bestselling album and single in the US and UK in a calendar year (2011: "21" in US/UK, "RITD" in US, "SLY" in UK)

* "Rumours" and "Saturday Night Fever" of course had British input.
** tied with Beyonce.

Leona got close. Her and Amy had a great female storm in 2007/2008

And this. Best selling albums in the UK.
Rank Title Artist Released Retail Sales
1 Greatest Hits Queen 1981 5,863,000
2 Sgt. Pepper's The Beatles 1967 5,044,000
3 Gold: Greatest Hits ABBA 1992 4,989,000
4 WTSMG? Oasis 1995 4,517,000
5 Thriller Michael Jackson 1982 4,248,000
6 Brothers in Arms Dire Straits 1985 4,152,000
7 21 Adele 2011 4,126,915
8 TDSOTM Pink Floyd 1973 4,114,000

She is going to pass Dire Straits next week. Then it will go after Thriller. Which is crazy to grasp. Yes, this is only UK sales but still, very impressive.

To overtake Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon is an incredible achievement.

Both sides of the Atlantic she has been smashing records all over the place.

To add Australia to this, her album has spent 31 weeks at number 1. Crazy numbers

amazing achievements...shes also the singer with the most mentions on the DS music forum for the last 12 months. (probably)

31 weeks at number 1 in Australia
12x Platinum (840,000) copies sold (21)
18th highest selling album of all time in Australia or equal 8th based on certifications.

From the OCC website:

The Official Charts Company can reveal today that Adele’s 21 has overtaken Pink Floyd’s 1973 epic, The Dark Side Of The Moon, in the UK’s all-time biggest selling albums chart. The news comes just three weeks after the London-born singer’s 2011 second album overtook sales of Michael Jackson’s Bad.

21 has now sold over 4,142,000 copies in the UK, making it the seventh biggest-selling album of all-time. However, with just 12,000 sales separating 21 from the Number 6 album, Dire Straits’ 1985 long player Brothers In Arms, Adele could easily overtake the British rockers by the end of this week.

"As every week goes by, another record seems to tumble in front of Adele," comments the Official Charts Company's Managing Director, Martin Talbot. "Now, her 21 album has overtaken The Dark Side Of The Moon in the all-time biggest sellers list - and by the end of the week, it may well have overtaken Brothers In Arms, too. Then she will have Michael Jackson's Thriller in her sights. It has been an extraordinary 12 months or so for Adele, and it looks set to become even more extraordinary as the days and weeks go by."

The biggest selling albums of all-time Top 10 now stands as follows:

01) GREATEST HITS – QUEEN - 5,864,000 - (1981)
02) SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND – THE BEATLES - 5,045,000 - (1967)
03) GOLD: GREATEST HITS – ABBA - 4,992,000 - (1992)
04) (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? – OASIS - 4,520,000 - (1995)
05) THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON - 4,272,000 - (1982)
06) BROTHERS IN ARMS - DIRE STRAITS - 4,154,000 - (1985)
07) 21 – ADELE - 4,142,000 - (2011)
08) THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON - PINK FLOYD - 4,116,000 - (1973)
09) BAD - MICHAEL JACKSON - 3,960,000 - (1987)
10) GREATEST HITS II – QUEEN - 3,888,000 - (1991)

She's no Taylor Swift.

This is UK sales only, what about worldwide sales??

I know Michael Jackson's Thriller has sold 110 million worldwide.

Is she a shoe-in for overtaking that now??

Thomas007 - There is no way that 'Thriller' has sold 110 Million.
That was just made up by Sony. The Michael Jackson Album has
not sold more than about 62 Million to 70 Million.

The Adele Album will not outsell 'Thriller' on a Global basis.
However, it is how well it is doing in the UK, that matters. It
is in the UK that it is climbing up the All Time Top 10.

'21' is now on its 60th Week in the UK Top 10, & only
9 other Artist Albums have managed that. It is also on its
51st Week in the Top 5 - and only 4 other Artist Albums have
managed that.

A) AS IT NOW HAS ITS 60th UK TOP 10 WEEK

It is only the 10th Artist Album to spend 60, (or more), Weeks in the UK Top 10.

(If we include Film Soundtracks, & Original Cast Albums, '21' is the 17th Album to achieve 60 Top 10 Weeks)

1) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - SIMON & GARFUNKEL - 135 (1970)
2) THE BLACK & WHITE MINSTREL SHOW - THE GEORGE MITCHELL MINSTRELS - 120 (1960)
3) THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON - 82 (1982) (Includes 6 Top 10 Weeks with ‘Thriller 25’)
4) TUBULAR BELLS - MIKE OLDFIELD - 74 (1973)
5)=BACK TO BLACK - AMY WINEHOUSE - 72 (2006) (12 Top 10 Weeks with the Deluxe Edition)
5)=THE FAME - LADY GAGA - 72 (2009) (Includes the Sales of The Fame Monster)
7) BROTHERS IN ARMS - DIRE STRAITS - 65 (1985)
8) THE SINGLES 1969 - 1973 - THE CARPENTERS - 64 (1974)
9) PLEASE PLEASE ME - THE BEATLES - 62 (1963)
10) 21 - ADELE - 60 (2011)

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B) ALSO - AS '21' IS ALSO IN THE LATEST TOP 5 - AT No.3.....

This makes it the Artist Album with the 5th Most Top 5 Weeks

1) BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER - SIMON & GARFUNKEL (1970) - 105
2) THE BLACK & WHITE MINSTREL SHOW - THE GEORGE MITCHELL MINSTRELS (1960) - 97
3) PLEASE PLEASE ME - THE BEATLES (1963) - 56
4) THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON (1982) - 55 (Includes 1 Top 5 Week with ‘Thriller 25’)
5) 21 - ADELE (2011) - 51

What more important than worldwide??

Where is she placed on the all time worldwide list? In the top 10 yet as well?

Quite incredible when you look at the year of release of all the others - the most recent album in that list was released 17 years ago!

PS She's averaging 33.5k/week sales in the Uk since the start of 2012 so there's every chance she will be #2 on that list by the end of the year!

Thomas007 - I mean that in a List of the UK's Top 10 Best Selling Albums,
it is how well '21' sells in the UK that matters. Because that is true.

We will see how '21' climbs the UK Top 10, as we get further into 2012.

21 is actually 53rd on the ww list. After 14 months. By the end of this year she may be over 30 million shipped (which is how these figures are counted). Which would put her in the top 20. She just passed (in the UK) the second biggest selling album ww. That's interesting to me. And these albums have had 15+ years to get these numbers.

Michael Jackson Thriller 1982 Pop / Rock / R&B 65 [1][2]
Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 Progressive rock 50 [3]
AC/DC Back in Black 1980 Hard rock / Heavy metal 49 [4]
Whitney Houston / Various artists The Bodyguard 1992 Soundtrack 44 [5]
Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell 1977 Hard rock 43 [6]
Eagles Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) 1976 Rock 42 [7]
Various artists Dirty Dancing 1987 Soundtrack 42 [8]
Bee Gees / Various artists Saturday Night Fever 1977 Soundtrack 40 [9]
Fleetwood Mac Rumours 1977 Rock 40 [10]
Shania Twain Come On Over 1997 Country / Pop 40 [11]
30–39 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV 1971 Hard rock / Heavy metal 37 [12]
Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill 1995 Rock 33 [13]
The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967 Rock 32 [14]
Celine Dion Falling into You 1996 Pop 32 [15]
Mariah Carey Music Box 1993 Pop / R&B 32 [16]
Michael Jackson Dangerous 1991 Pop / Rock 32 [17]
The Beatles 1 2000 Rock 31 [18]
Celine Dion Let's Talk About Love 1997 Pop 31 [19]
Backstreet Boys Millennium 1999 Pop 30 [20][21]
Bee Gees Spirits Having Flown 1979 Disco / Pop 30 [22]
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 1984 Rock 30 [23]
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 1985 Rock 30 [24]
James Horner Titanic 1997 Soundtrack 30 [25]
Madonna The Immaculate Collection 1990 Pop / Dance 30 [26][27]
Michael Jackson Bad 1987 Pop / Rock 30 [17][28]
Pink Floyd The Wall 1979 Progressive rock 30 [29]
Nirvana Nevermind 1991 Grunge / Alternative rock 30 [30]
20–29 million copies

Artist Album Released Genre Sales (millions) Source
ABBA ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits 1992 Pop 28 [31]
Backstreet Boys Backstreet's Back 1997 Pop 28 [32]
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 1986 Hard rock 28 [33]
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 1987 Hard rock / Heavy metal 28 [34]
Various artists Grease 1978 Soundtrack 28 [25]
Santana Supernatural 1999 Rock 27 [35]
Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time 1999 Pop 26 [36]
Carole King Tapestry 1971 Pop 25 [37]
Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida 1968 Psychedelic rock 25 [38]
Mariah Carey Daydream 1995 Pop / R&B 25 [39]
Metallica Metallica 1991 Heavy metal 25 [40][40]
Queen Greatest Hits 1981 Rock 25 [41]
Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water 1970 Folk Rock 25 [42]
U2 The Joshua Tree 1987 Rock 25 [43]
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 1985 Pop / R&B 25 [44]
Backstreet Boys Black & Blue 2000 Pop 24 [32]
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory 2000 Nu metal / Rap metal / Alternative rock 24 [45]
Madonna True Blue 1986 Pop 24 [46]
Ace of Base Happy Nation/The Sign 1993 Pop 23 [47]
Spice Girls Spice 1996 Pop 23 [48]
Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 1995 Britpop / Rock 22 [49][50]
Bon Jovi Cross Road 1994 Rock 21 [51]
Madonna Like a Virgin 1984 Pop / Dance 21 [52]
Adele 21 2011 Pop / Soul 20 [53