British singer and songwriter Adele’s new album 25 has sold more than 800,000 copies in its first week of release – the highest ever figure for a single UK chart week.
Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: “The statistics surrounding the album are staggering.”
He added: “No album has ever sold 800,000 copies to reach number one in the history of British music.”
Sales numbers for the album were helped along by its lack of presence on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.
On the other hand, sales albums which are available online have increased from 4.6 million to 117.6 million on the same period of time. Her singles ‘Hello’ and ‘When We Are Young’ have racked up a mammoth number of views on YouTube with more than half 1 billion and 28 million views respectively. It sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. It is Adele’s third studio album.
Earlier in the week, Adele thundered by the previous record holder, boy band NSYNC.
NSYNC member Joey Fatone talked to Billboard about Adele breaking their record – and admitted even he bought her new album. ‘I thought this one would be tough to beat,’ admitted Joey, 38. ‘In all honesty, Adele is the truth – kind of excited a rare talent like hers is in the same breath as our group. I’m a huge fan… I even bought the damn album.’
Adele’s record-breaking sales
- Before this, no album had sold 100,000 copies in a single week this year. Adele’s 25 has sold 800,307.
- That is more than the combined sales of the last 19 number one albums in the weeks they topped the chart.
- More than 300,000 people bought 25 on its first day of release.
- Ed Sheeran held the previous record for weekly digital album sales, with 95,709. Adele’s 25 has eclipsed that with 252,423 downloads.
- 25 have reached double platinum status already.
- It still has some way to go to match the sales of Adele’s last album 21, which is owned by 4.8 million people in the UK.
It will be the first time the British singer has toured in five years, following her 2011 Adele Live series of concerts following the release of her second album 21.