IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, has announced Adele’s 30 as the winner of the Global Album All Format Chart for 2021. 30 also tops IFPI’s Global Album Sales Chart and the inaugural IFPI Global Vinyl Album Chart.
30, the hugely anticipated fourth studio album from global superstar Adele, was released on 19 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 surpassed over five million physical album equivalent units in 2021 alone, in under two months.
Frances Moore, Chief Executive, IFPI, said: “It has been wonderful to have Adele back and releasing music over the second half of last year. Her dominance of all three IFPI Album Charts speaks to her unique song-writing talent, her iconic voice and unrelenting global popularity.
“We are thrilled to award Adele and all of her team the IFPI Global Album All Format chart award and send huge congratulations for a stellar year.”
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).
Overall, the three charts clearly illustrate the diverse tastes of global music fans, with the all-conquering 30 the only album to feature in all three Top 10 charts.
Top 10 Global Album All Format Chart 2021
1 Adele 30
2 Olivia Rodrigo SOUR
3 Justin Bieber Justice
4 Ed Sheeran =
5 The Weeknd After Hours
6 Dua Lipa Future Nostalgia
7 The Kid LAROI F*CK LOVE (Mix Tape)
8 ABBA Voyage
9 Morgan Wallen Dangerous: The Double Album
10 Doja Cat Planet Her
