15 Years Ago Today, Adele Took Over the World With This Iconic Album

British singer-songwriter Adele is best known not only for her great, powerful voice but also for her songs that are deeply emotional and universally relatable. Some fans even joke that Adele sings as if she has been through multiple divorces already, largely because of how she conveys the emotion in each of her songs. That joke comes without basis, though. Her debut studio album, 19, is filled with heartbreak anthems, including "Chasing Pavements." When she released her second album in 2011, called 21, she was still quite young at the time, but the album is so powerful that you’d mistake it for the work of someone who had already experienced a lifetime of love and loss. That very album, released on January 24, 2011, wasn’t just a pivotal moment in Adele’s career — it was also one that defined pop and soul music for a new generation.

In an era of music that’s constantly shifting, Adele remained true to her ballad roots. In this generation, moreover, Adele is probably the only artist quite like her. And 21 proved that even further. Boasting songs like “Rolling in the Deep,” “Rumour Has It,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” and “Someone Like You,” 21 proves to be more than just an album: it’s a journey of love, heartbreak, and chaos. It is in the sincerity of Adele’s voice that listeners can feel every line in her songs, but no one can deny that she has a knack for songwriting as well. As is the case with all her albums, 21 is named after Adele’s age at the time of its production. It’s impressive that an artist as young as Adele could create something like 21, a mature, timeless album that defies age. It's truly an album for everyone who feels, who hurts, and who’s on the verge of healing.

Adele's '21' All Defied Expectations

To call 21 a successful album would be an understatement. Recognized as Adele's best work to date, 21 topped charts in over 30 countries and is the best-selling album of the 21st century. The music industry also saw a major shift in sales, thanks largely to 21, which sold millions of copies worldwide and was widely credited with revitalizing interest in full-length albums during the digital era. The lead single and opening track of the album, “Rolling in the Deep,” spent a total of seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. However, it wasn’t the only single from the album to dominate the charts: “Someone Like You” spent five weeks at number one, “Set Fire to the Rain” topped the chart for two weeks, “Rumour Has It” peaked at number 16, and “Turning Tables” reached number 63.

To this day, “Easy on Me” (from 30) and “Hello” (from 25) remain Adele’s longest-running number-one singles, each spending ten weeks at the top of the chart. However, 21 — as a complete body of work — remains Adele’s most dominant album, having spent 24 weeks in the number-one position. Much of Adele’s Grammy success can be attributed to 21. At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, the record earned major accolades, including Best Music Video (Short Form), Song of the Year, and Record of the Year for “Rolling in the Deep,” Best Pop Solo Performance for “Someone Like You,” Best Pop Vocal Album, and, ultimately, Album of the Year. The dominance of 21 extended into the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, with “Set Fire to the Rain” winning Best Pop Solo Performance. As of this writing, the singer-songwriter boasts 16 Grammy wins from 25 nominations.

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'21' Remains Adele's Magnum Opus

Looking at the success of 21, it’s no surprise it’s considered Adele’s magnum opus. The album grew so massive that even Adele admitted she was “frightened” by its overwhelming success. After 21’s release in 2011, she waited four years before dropping her follow-up, 25, in 2015. The album took on a life beyond her control, and the thought of living a normal life amid such attention became overwhelming.

“There are, or were, elements of what happened with 21 that really frightened me… It got so out of control, and it got so big… it just grew limbs of its own and started doing marathon runs," the singer said in an interview. "I mean, how is it possible that an album can keep getting bigger and bigger? The fact that I was frightened by it and distanced myself was for no other reason than to live a real life, to write a real record, that’s the only reason. How am I supposed to write a real record people can relate to if I’m doing un-relatable things? It’s impossible. So that’s why I backed off.”