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. Recognized as a British icon, she is celebrated for her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and emotionally resonant songwriting. Throughout her career, she has amassed numerous prestigious awards, including multiple Grammy Awards, Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award, solidifying her status as one of the most successful and influential artists of her generation.
1985: Adele's '21' is the longest-running album at number one since 1985
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.
1991: Biggest Weekly Sales Increase Post Grammy win
In February 2012, Following her success in 2012 Grammy Awards, 21 achieved the biggest weekly sales increase following a Grammy win since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991
January 2008: Recognition and Second Single Release
In January 2008, Adele was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act in a BBC poll and released her second single, "Chasing Pavements", which reached number two on the UK chart. She was also awarded the Brit Awards Critics' Choice.
October 2008: Saturday Night Live Appearance
In October 2008, Adele appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, which coincided with an appearance by Sarah Palin and led to a significant boost in sales of her album and singles.
2008: Release of Debut Album "19"
In 2008, Adele released her debut album, "19", which featured hit singles and became one of the best-selling debut albums in the UK. The album included "Chasing Pavements" and "Make You Feel My Love".
2008: Critical Acclaim for Singing
In 2008, Adele's singing received acclaim from music critics.
February 2009: Grammy Awards Wins
In February 2009, Adele won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Chasing Pavements."
July 2009: Album Sales Success
By July 2009, Adele's debut album "19" had sold 2.2 million copies worldwide, marking a significant milestone in her early career.
2010: Recognition and Chart Success
In 2010, Adele received a Grammy nomination for "Hometown Glory," and her song "My Same" gained popularity in Germany. Additionally, her version of "Make You Feel My Love" re-entered the UK charts. She also performed a widely publicised duet of Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" with Darius Rucker during the 2010 CMT Artists of the Year special.
2010: Adele's Albums Dominate UK Charts
In 2010, Adele's 21 or 19 albums were very popular in the UK and at one stage a copy was sold every 7 seconds.
May 2011: "Team Adele" Ranked Number One on Music Power 100 List
In May 2011, "Team Adele" was ranked number one on The Guardian's "Music Power 100" list: "the 100 most influential people in the music industry".
December 2011: "21" Becomes Best-Selling Album of the 21st Century
By December 2011, Adele's album "21" had sold over 3.4 million copies in the UK and became the biggest-selling album of the 21st century, surpassing Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black."
2011: Best-Selling Album Worldwide of 2011
Adele's album, 21, was the best-selling album worldwide of 2011.
2011: Release of "21"
In 2011, Adele released her second studio album, "21", which became the best-selling album of the 21st century. The album topped charts worldwide and featured hit singles like "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone like You", and "Set Fire to the Rain".
February 2012: Adele Listed Among VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music
In February 2012, Adele was listed at number five on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music, highlighting her significant impact and influence in the music industry.
March 2012: Adele's '21' Achieves Record-Breaking Success on Australian ARIA Chart
In March 2012, Adele's album '21' reached 30 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Australian ARIA Chart, making it the longest-running number one album in Australia in the 21st century, and the second longest-running number one ever.
March 2012: Adele Achieves Historic Chart Success on Billboard
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 at the same time. Billboard also announced the same day that Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" is the biggest crossover hit of the past 25 years.
April 2012: Adele Named One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People
In April 2012, Time magazine named Adele one of the 100 most influential people in the world, recognizing her global impact and cultural significance.
July 2012: Forbes Ranks Adele Among Highest-Paid Celebrities
In July 2012, Adele was ranked sixth on Forbes list of the world's highest-paid celebrities under 30, having earned £23 million between May 2011 and May 2012.
December 2012: Adele named Billboard Artist of the Year
In December 2012, Adele was named Billboard Artist of the Year, and her album 21 was named Album of the Year. The Associated Press also named Adele Entertainer of the Year in 2012.
2012: Multiple Grammy Wins and Brit Award
In 2012, Adele made her live comeback at the Grammy Awards and won in all six categories she was nominated for. 21 was also the best-selling album worldwide of 2012.
2012: Release of "Skyfall"
In 2012, Adele released "Skyfall", the soundtrack for the James Bond film of the same name. "Skyfall" earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
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 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 her services to music.
December 2013: Received MBE from Prince Charles
On December 19, 2013, Adele received her MBE award from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace.
2013: Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo 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
In 2013, Adele topped the List of Richest Young Musicians under 30 in the UK and Ireland as part of the Sunday Times' annual Rich List.
January 2014: Adele receives a 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.
2015: "Hello" becomes a global success
By the end of 2015, "Hello" had sold 12.3 million units globally and was the year's 7th-best-selling single, despite its late October release. It broke records on YouTube and topped charts worldwide.
2015: Release of album 25
In 2015, Adele released her third album, 25, which became the year's best-selling album, breaking first week sales records.
2015: "25" breaks sales records and tops charts
In 2015, Adele's album "25" broke sales records in the UK and US, becoming the fastest-selling album in UK chart history and the best-selling album of the year worldwide. IFPI named Adele the Global Recording Artist of the Year.
April 2016: Named Songwriter of the Year
In April 2016, Adele was named Songwriter of the Year for the second time at the Ivor Novello Awards by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.
July 2016: Adele Ranked Among Forbes' Highest-Paid Celebrities
In July 2016, Adele was ranked number nine on the Forbes list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities in the world, showcasing her continued financial success.
November 2016: Adele Ranks Second on Forbes' Highest-Paid Women in Music List
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: Sales of 21 Surpass 31 Million
As of 2016, Adele's album 21 had sold over 31 million copies worldwide, highlighting its enduring popularity and commercial success.
2016: Adele wins four Brit Awards and headlines Glastonbury
In 2016, Adele won 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, calling it the best moment of her life.
January 2017: "Easy on Me" breaks record
In January 2017, Adele's "Easy on Me" had the highest first-week sales for a single since January 2017.
February 2017: Adele wins five Grammy Awards
In February 2017, at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, Adele won all five of her nominations, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year.
March 2017: Adele performs in Australia
In March 2017, Adele performed in Australia for the first time, playing outdoor stadiums. Her Sydney show on March 10 was seen by 95,000 people, with the following night breaking the record with more than 100,000 fans.
November 2017: Adele Again Ranks High on Forbes' Highest-Paid Women in Music List
In November 2017, Adele again secured second place on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid women in music, earning $69 million.
2018: Adele Continues Reign as Richest Young Musician
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.
December 2019: Named singer of the 2010s
In December 2019, Adele was named singer of the 2010s by Israel's largest TV and radio stations.
2019: Adele Listed Among Top Artists of the Decade
In 2019, Insider Inc. listed Adele among the top artists of the decade, recognizing her artistry and style that broke through in a time of ultra club-happy pop music.
2019: Adele Valued at £150 Million on Sunday Times Rich List
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: Release of "30" and Global Success
On November 19, 2021, Adele's album "30" was released and achieved global success, reaching number one in 24 territories. It became the best-selling album of 2021 worldwide.
2021: Release of "30"
In 2021, Adele released her fourth studio album, "30", which featured the hit single "Easy on Me" and continued her streak of best-selling albums. "30" became the best-selling albums worldwide, including the US and 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: One of Time's 100 Most Influential People
In May 2022, Adele was named for the third time among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, in the "icons" category.
October 2023: Adele reveals she's Sober
On 14 October 2023, Adele revealed that she had been sober for three months.
December 2023: Received 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 Win for "Easy on Me"
In 2023, Adele won a Grammy Award for "Easy on Me", a single from her album "30".
2023: Rolling Stone Lists Adele Among Greatest Singers of All Time
In 2023, Rolling Stone listed Adele at 22nd in their list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, cementing her status as one of the most talented vocalists.
2024: Continued Album Success in 2024
As of 2024, all of Adele's studio albums, except "19", have topped the yearly best-selling albums chart worldwide in the 21st century, highlighting her consistent popularity and commercial success.
