Biggest-selling album worldwide for a solo artist (current year)

With more than 5 million copies sold in the last 43 days of the year, Adele (UK, b. Adele Adkins) had the world’s biggest-selling album of 2021 with her fourth studio effort 30, as confirmed by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) on 1 March 2022. 30, released across the planet on 19 November 2021, topped all three of the IFPI’s published album lists – Global Album All Format Chart (physical sales, digital downloads and streaming combined), Global Album Sales Chart (physical sales and digital downloads) and Global Vinyl Album Chart – and was the only album to appear in all three Top 10s.

Respectively, Adele shut out Sour by Olivia Rodrigo, ABBA’s Voyage and Fine Line by Harry Styles on the IFPI charts.