Adele’s 30 Greatest Achievements… So Far

Is there anything left for the all-conquering star to tick off her to-do list?
|

Adele has managed to achieve more in her 33 years on the planet than most of us could ever dream of in a lifetime.

From breaking chart records with her first three albums to bagging herself an Oscar, a Golden Globe and more Brits and Grammys than you can shake a mantelpiece at.

Throw into the mix that she’s also a mum to her young son Angelo and an all-round bloody good egg, and we can’t help but ask, is there anything left for the all-conquering star to tick off her to-do list?

Only time will tell, but in the meantime, we’re taking a look back at what the biggest musical star on the planet has achieved, so far...

1. Winning an Oscar for Skyfall

Open Image Modal
Getty

Deserved. 

2. Her performance of Someone Like You at the 2011 Brits

 

She managed to silence the entire 10,000 strong audience at London’s O2 arena.

3. Getting signed at just 16 years old

Open Image Modal
WENN

It happened just three days after she finished school, all because one of her friends posted one of her performances on MySpace.

4. Becoming the first star to cover both the UK and US editions of Vogue at the same time

Open Image Modal
Vogue

She’d previously covered both magazines in the years prior, too. 

5. Having her very own waxwork created by Madame Tussauds in London

Open Image Modal
AP

The completed figure was unveiled in 2013.

6. Winning six Grammy Awards in 2012, including Album of the Year

Open Image Modal
Getty

It equalled the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night, and hasn’t been achieved again since.

7. Getting to record a Bond theme

 

She was responsible for one of the best Bond themes in recent history with Skyfall. 

8. Her son Angelo

Open Image Modal
Splash

The singer welcomed her first child with now ex-husband Simon Konecki in 2012. 

9. Owning the most fabulous collection of black designer dresses in the celeb universe

Open Image Modal
WENN

You can always rely on an LBD. 

10. Delivering one of the most memorable Brit Awards moments ever

 

She flipped the bird to the music industry suits after she was cut off, mid-acceptance speech at the 2012 Brits. 

11. Cracking the US with a double platinum debut album, 19

Open Image Modal
19

She certainly made a splash over the pond. 

12. Being the first woman in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three singles in the top 10 at the same time

Open Image Modal
Billboard

Set Fire To The Rain, Rolling In The Deep and Someone Like You were all in the US chart in 2012. 

13. Her stunning performance of Skyfall at the Oscars

 

We still get chills every time we watch this. 

14. Keeping her feet on the ground despite being the biggest selling female artist on the planet

Open Image Modal
WENN

A humble queen. 

15. Being the first artist EVER to sell more than three million copies of an album in a year in the UK

Open Image Modal
21

It’s fair to say 21 was a big seller back in 2011. 

16. Having her second album, 21, certified 17 times platinum in the UK

Open Image Modal
WENN

Her follow-up 25, released in 2016, went on to be certified 12 times platinum. 

17. 21 also shifted some 31 million copies worldwide

Open Image Modal
Anthony Harvey via Getty Images

Wowzers. 

For comparison, 25 sold 22m worldwide. 

18. Winning a Golden Globe for Skyfall

Open Image Modal
WENN

We’ll bet that sits very nicely alongside her Oscar. 

19. Being named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine

Open Image Modal
Time

She first made the list in 2012 and went on to cover the magazine in 2016. 

20. Being the first living artist to achieve the feat of having two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since the Beatles in 1964

Open Image Modal
WENN

Someone You Like was number one while Rolling In The Deep was at number five in the singles chart, with 21 at the top of the album chart for the fourth week running at the time.

21. Basically owning the 2016 Brit Awards

Open Image Modal
Mike Marsland via Getty Images

She won all four of the awards that she was nominated for, taking her tally to eight Brits in total.

22. Being the first artist to achieve one billion video views in the shortest amount of time

 

Hello clocked that up in just 87 days following its release in 2016. 

24. Breaking pretty much every sales record going with her third album, 25

Open Image Modal
XL

She was the first artist to sell over 3 million copies (3.38m to be precise) of an album in a week in the US, and topping the charts in over 30 countries.

25. For being the best Carpool Karaoke guest in the skit’s history

 

Part in thanks to her top banter with host James Corden and for treating us all to a rendition of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe and Nicki Minaj’s Monster verse.

26. Her record-breaking 2016 tour

Open Image Modal
Gareth Cattermole via Getty Images

It sold out in minutes and saw 10 million Americans attempting to buy tickets to the US leg.

27. Headlining Glastonbury

 

Perhaps her greatest-ever live show came when she headlined the legendary music festival in 2016.  

28. Breaking a streaming record with her 2021 comeback single Easy On Me

The song registered 24 million listens in one week, beating Ariana Grande’s 2019 record of 16.9 million streams in a week for the song 7 Rings.

29. Being interviewed by chat show legend Oprah for her own US TV special

 

She followed in the footsteps of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry by sitting down with Oprah in the star’s rose garden. 

30. Hosting her own An Audience With

 

She brought the franchise back to our screens with a star-studded show at the London Palladium.