Adele's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Adele.
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, known as Adele, is a highly acclaimed English singer-songwriter celebrated for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and emotionally resonant songwriting. A British cultural icon, she has achieved remarkable success and recognition, evidenced by her numerous awards. These include 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, solidifying her status as one of the most successful and respected artists in contemporary music.
1991: Nielsen began monitoring sales
In 2015, Adele's album debuted at number one in the US where it sold a record-breaking 3.38 million copies in its first week, the largest single sales week for an album since Nielsen began monitoring sales in 1991.
2008: Vocal Acclaim
In 2008, Adele's singing received acclaim from music critics, with Sylvia Patterson of The Guardian noting her bewitching voice and its ability to evoke strong emotions.
2009: Adele Wins Grammy Awards and Receives Letter from Prime Minister
In 2009, at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, 21-year-old Adele won awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Also in 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent a thank-you letter to Adele, acknowledging her positive impact during a financially troubled time for the country.
May 2011: "Team Adele" Ranked Number One
In May 2011, "Team Adele" was ranked number one on The Guardian's "Music Power 100" list, recognizing the 100 most influential people in the music industry.
December 2011: Album Sales and Chart Records
By December 2011, Adele's album, 21, had sold over 3.4 million copies in the UK, becoming the biggest-selling album of the 21st century. "Set Fire to the Rain" became her third number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
2011: Album Sales Success
In 2011, Adele's album '21' became the best-selling album worldwide.
2011: "Rolling in the Deep" Award
In 2012, at the Ivor Novello Awards in May, Adele was named Songwriter of the Year, and "Rolling in the Deep" won the award for Most Performed Work of 2011. At the 2012 BMI Awards held in London in October, Adele won Song of the Year (for "Rolling in the Deep") in recognition of the song being the most played on US television and radio in 2011.
February 2012: VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music
In February 2012, Adele was listed at number five on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music.
March 2012: 21 Longest-Running Album
In March 2012, Adele's album 21 spent its 23rd week at number one, making it the longest-running album at number one since 1985 and the fourth-best-selling album of the past 10 years in the US.
March 2012: Billboard Chart Dominance
In the week ending 3 March 2012, Adele became the first solo female artist to have three singles in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously with "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You", and "Set Fire to the Rain" as well as the first female artist to have two albums in the top 5 of the Billboard 200 and two singles in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously.
April 2012: Time's 100 Most Influential People
In April 2012, Time magazine named Adele one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
July 2012: Adele Listed Among Highest-Paid Celebrities
In July 2012, Adele was listed at number six in Forbes list of the world's highest-paid celebrities under the age of 30, having earned £23 million between May 2011 and May 2012.
December 2012: Billboard Accolades
In December 2012, Adele was named Billboard Artist of the Year, and her album 21 was named Album of the Year, making her the first artist to receive both accolades two years in a row.
2012: Grammy Awards and Album Success
In 2012, Adele made her live comeback at the Grammy Awards, winning in all six nominated categories, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. Her album, 21, experienced a significant sales increase, becoming the best-selling album worldwide in both 2011 and 2012.
2012: Ivor Novello Awards and BMI Awards
In 2012, at the Ivor Novello Awards in May, Adele was named Songwriter of the Year, and "Rolling in the Deep" won the award for Most Performed Work of 2011. At the 2012 BMI Awards held in London in October, Adele won Song of the Year (for "Rolling in the Deep") in recognition of the song being the most played on US television and radio in 2011.
February 2013: One of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the UK
In February 2013, Adele was named one of the 100 most powerful women in the UK by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.
June 2013: Appointed a MBE
In June 2013, Adele was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to music.
December 2013: Receives MBE
On 19 December 2013, Adele received the MBE award from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
2013: Grammy Award Win for Live Performance
At the 2013 Grammy Awards, Adele's live version of "Set Fire to the Rain" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance, bringing her total wins to nine.
2013: Adele Tops Richest Young Musicians List
From 2013 to 2018, Adele topped the List of Richest Young Musicians under 30 in the UK and Ireland as part of the Sunday Times' annual Rich List.
2013: Academy Award and Brit Award for "Skyfall"
In 2013, Adele won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the James Bond theme "Skyfall". "Skyfall" also won the Brit Award for Best British Single at the 33rd Brit Awards.
January 2014: Grammy Award for "Skyfall"
In January 2014, Adele received her tenth Grammy Award with "Skyfall" winning Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
2014: Album Sales Milestone
By the end of 2014, Adele had sold an estimated 40 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide, marking a significant milestone in her career.
2014: Adele Recognized as British Cultural Icon
In 2014, Adele was already being regarded as a British cultural icon, associated with UK culture alongside figures like William Shakespeare and The Beatles.
2015: "Hello" Release and Chart Success
In 2015, Adele released "Hello", which broke YouTube records with over 27.7 million views in its first 24 hours. It debuted at number one in multiple countries and became the fastest video to hit one billion views on YouTube.
2015: Release and Success of Album 25
In 2015, Adele's album 25 was released, debuting at number one in the UK and US, breaking sales records in both countries. It became the best-selling album of 2015 worldwide.
April 2016: Second Time on Time 100 List
In April 2016, Adele appeared for the second time on the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people.
July 2016: Adele Ranked Among Highest-Paid Celebrities by Forbes
In July 2016, Adele was ranked number nine on the Forbes list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities in the world.
November 2016: Adele Ranked Among Highest-Paid Women in Music by Forbes
In November 2016, Adele was ranked second on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid women in music, earning US$80.5 million.
2016: Album Sales Success
As of 2016, Adele's album '21' had sold over 31 million copies worldwide, marking significant success.
2016: Brit Awards and Glastonbury Festival
In 2016, Adele received four Brit Awards, including British Album of the Year for 25 and British Single of the Year for "Hello". She also headlined the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival.
January 2017: "Easy On Me" Single Sales
On October 15, 2021, Adele released "Easy on Me", which had the highest first-week sales for a single since January 2017.
February 2017: Grammy Awards Win
In February 2017, at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Adele won all five of her nominations, bringing her number of awards to fifteen. She won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 25, and Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Hello".
March 2017: Australian Tour and Stadium Records
In March 2017, Adele performed in Australia for the first time as part of her world tour, setting stadium records. Her Sydney show on March 10 was seen by 95,000 people, the biggest single concert in Australian history, a record she broke the following night with more than 100,000 fans.
November 2017: Adele Ranked Among Highest-Paid Women in Music by Forbes
In November 2017, Adele was ranked second on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid women in music, earning $69 million.
2018: Adele Tops Richest Young Musicians List
From 2013 to 2018, Adele topped the List of Richest Young Musicians under 30 in the UK and Ireland as part of the Sunday Times' annual Rich List.
2018: Inducted into the Royal Albert Hall's Walk of Fame
In 2018, Adele was inducted into the Royal Albert Hall's Walk of Fame, making her one of the first eleven recipients of a star on the walk.
December 2019: Singer of the 2010s
In December 2019, Israel's largest TV and radio stations named Adele singer of the 2010s.
2019: Adele Listed Among Top Artists of the Decade
In 2019, Insider Inc. listed Adele among the top artists of the decade, noting her unique artistry and style that broke through in a time of ultra club-happy pop music.
2019: Adele's Wealth Valued at £150 Million
On the 2019 Sunday Times Rich List, Adele was valued at £150 million (US$180.5 million) as the 22nd-richest musician in the UK despite not having toured since 2017.
November 2021: Album Release Date Announcement and Vogue Cover
In November 2021, the release date of November 19, 2021 was announced for Adele's album. On October 7, 2021, she was announced as the November cover star for both Vogue and British Vogue, a first for anyone.
November 2021: Release of "30" and Global Success
On November 19, 2021, Adele released her album "30", which achieved global success, reaching number one in 24 territories and becoming the best-selling album of 2021 in the UK.
2021: UK's Best-Selling Female Album Artist of the 21st Century
In 2021, Adele was named the UK's best-selling female album artist of the 21st century, based on Official Charts Company data.
May 2022: Third Time on Time's 100 Most Influential People
In May 2022, Time magazine named Adele for the third time among the 100 most influential people in the world in the "icons" category.
July 2022: Hyde Park Concert Tickets Sold Out
On October 28, 2021, pre-sale tickets for Adele's two concerts in Hyde Park, London, scheduled for July 1 and 2, 2022, sold out in less than an hour, with 130,000 tickets sold and over 1.3 million people attempting to buy them.
February 2023: Grammy Win for "Easy on Me"
In February 2023, Adele attended the 65th Annual Grammy Awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance for "Easy on Me", marking her as the artist with the most wins in that category.
October 2023: Adele Reveals Borderline Alcoholism and Sobriety
On 14 October 2023, Adele revealed during a concert that she had suffered from "borderline alcoholism" since her 20s and had been sober for three months.
December 2023: Sherry Lansing Leadership Award
In December 2023, Adele was listed in The Hollywood Reporter's 2023 Women in Entertainment Power 100, and received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award.
2023: Grammy Award for 'Easy on Me'
In 2023, Adele's song "Easy on Me" won a Grammy Award.
2023: Adele Ranked Among Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone
In 2023, Rolling Stone listed Adele at 22nd in their list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
2023: Rolling Stone's 200 Best Singers of All Time
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Adele no. 22 on their list of 200 Best Singers of All Time.
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