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Adele Tops *NSYNC’s Record for Most Albums Sold In a Week
Posted On Nov 27 2015
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Adele’s “25”, released on Friday (local time), won’t officially enter the Billboard charts until next week, but Billboard said that the album sold more than 900,000 copies on Apple Inc’s iTunes store in its first day. The record was previously held by *Nsync’s “No Strings Attached”, which sold 2.4 million copies in its first seven days back in 2000. Keeping “25” off of those services, which pay less than outright sales, risked alienating younger fans who don’t tend to buy CDs.
Being the first living artist to achieve the feat of having two top 5 hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since the Beatles in 1964. Labels don’t have a say in this type of licensing; so Adele’s new album, like Taylor Swift’s 1989 a year ago, still ends up streaming on Pandora.
“25” could function as the quickest-selling record since at least 1991, when Nielsen Music began to monitor weekly music sales in a methodical way.
We haven’t got United Kingdom album figures yet but it’s set to be the fastest-selling album ever here.
25’s download haul is already more than the former single-week download record-holder: Lady Gaga’s Born This Way, which sold 662,000 digital copies in its first week (ending May 29, 2011). Within the first three days of its release, 25 sold 2,433,000 in album sales, a number confirmed by Nielsen Music on November 24.
While these streamers have a potential to boost the album’s popularity, it also risks that issues in exacting the definite sales and royalties paid to the artist.
Adele is known for her power ballads, and that is certainly present in her third album. Spotify, Apple Music, and other music streaming services that let you choose exactly which songs you want to hear all operate through direct deals with record labels.
She recently told NPR she takes it as a “huge compliment” that fans are so moved by her tunes. I am so overwhelmed and grateful to be able to even put another record out, and put it out how I want.
