Adele’s Blockbuster Earns Its First Platinum Plaque In Eight Years

Adele’s 25 is now 12-times platinum in the U.S. after moving 12 million units, earning its first new RIAA certification since 2017. LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 02: Adele performs on stage as American Express present BST Hyde Park in Hyde Park on July 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele

In a few months, Adele’s album 25 will turn 10. The English superstar delivered her third full-length in November 2015, by which point she was already one of the most celebrated artists of her generation. The project was an immediate bestseller, and in the near-decade since it dropped, millions around the world have continued to buy — and especially stream — the collection.

As Adele continues her musical hiatus, which could last for years, 25 earns its first honor from the RIAA in quite a long time.

25 Becomes a 12-Times Platinum Album

The organization has now certified 25 as a 12-times platinum album. That means that the blockbuster has shifted 12 million equivalent units between sales and streams. That sum is specific to the United States, and its global total is surely much higher.

Eight Years Later 25 Advances

25 advances from 11-times platinum to 12 almost exactly eight years after it last scored a platinum plaque. The title jumped from diamond status (10 million units) to 11-times platinum in August 2017. Since then, it has not managed another certification until now.

Adele’s Album Went Diamond in One Year

Less than a month after its release in December 2015, 25 earned its first honors from the RIAA with a historic showing, as it went from no certifications to five-times platinum almost instantly. That meant that in its first few weeks in the U.S., it shifted at least five million units.

Less than a month later, in early January 2016, 25 advanced to the eight-times platinum level, and before it turned a year old, it had already been named a diamond winner.

21 Remains Adele’s Biggest Album

Most musicians will never see an album go diamond, as it remains one of the rarest achievements in the music industry. Amazingly, 25 isn’t even Adele’s biggest full-length. Her breakout sophomore set 21 is now up to 14-times platinum status. It’s been almost nine years since that Grammy-winning effort earned a new award, so whenever it is certified again, 21 could jump by at least another million copies — if not several at once.

“Hello,” “When We Were Young,” “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)”

25 gave Adele another No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 as lead cut “Hello” immediately topped charts everywhere in the world. Fellow singles “When We Were Young,” “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” and “Water Under the Bridge” were all top 40 successes in the U.S. as well. The full-length gave Adele her second Album of the Year win at the Grammys, while “Hello” scored both Record and Song of the Year.