Adele's 21 Breaks Records: The Best-Selling Female Album of All Time
Adele has broken the record for the best-selling female album of all time, surpassing Whitney Houston's iconic soundtrack to The Bodyguard. Adele's album 21 has sold an impressive 56.38 million copies globally, edging out Houston's 56.37 million copies. The album propelled Adele to worldwide fame with hit songs like Rumour Has It, Someone Like You, Rolling in the Deep, and Set Fire to the Rain, which quickly became fan favorites.
Dr. Sheldon Leal, a Musicologist and Academic Registrar at the Academy of Sound Engineering, praised Adele's remarkable achievement. He highlighted that Adele is one of the few artists in history to have the same album reach number one for two consecutive years (2012 and 2013). When Adele released 25 in 2015, she once again dominated the charts, solidifying her status as a top artist.
Leal pointed out that The Bodyguard soundtrack, while popular, was a mix of Whitney Houston's songs and tracks from other artists. This distinction led to some controversy as it was not solely a Whitney Houston album but rather a movie soundtrack featuring a compilation of artists. As a result, Shania Twain's Come On Over holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling female album of all time, with 47.633 million units sold.
In a conversation with 702's Gugs Mlungu, Dr. Sheldon Leal delved deeper into the significance of Adele's achievement and the impact of album sales on the music industry. Adele's success with 21 solidifies her position as a powerhouse in the music industry, setting new records and captivating audiences worldwide.