Adele's '30' becomes fastest-selling album of 2021

The album's first single, 'Easy On Me', has also claimed a sixth consecutive week at No 1

Adele's '30' has broken another record. Photo: YouTube / Vogue

Adele has broken records by chalking up the fastest-selling album of 2021 in the first week of its release.

The album, 30, has overtaken Abba's Voyage by racking up 261,000 sales in its first seven days, according to the Official UK Charts.

It has become the fourth UK number one album for Adele, 33, a record for a female act. All of Adele's previous albums – 25, 21 and 19 – also featured in the chart this week.

The album, which comes after her split with ex-husband Simon Konecki, is also the biggest first week for an album since Ed Sheeran's Divide in 2017.

It was also the most-streamed album of the week, with 55.7 million plays across its 12 tracks, after fans waited six years for its release.

The Brit Award and Grammy winner spent the week in a three-way chart battle with herself before Easy On Me claimed a sixth consecutive week at No 1.

The song is now Adele's longest-running No 1, overtaking Someone Like You, according to the Official UK Charts.

The album's total sales were made up of 67 per cent physical sales and was this week's biggest seller on vinyl, with 16,700 copies sold on wax.

Elsewhere on this week's Official Albums Chart, Oasis shot to No 4 with the live recording of their Knebworth 1996 gig. James Blunt's greatest hits collection The Stars Beneath My Feet debuted at No 9.

Michael Buble's Christmas album was this week's biggest gainer on the Official Albums Chart, rising 39 places to number 17.

It follows the similar rise of Christmas classics from Mariah Carey and Wham! on the Official Singles Chart.

Scroll through our gallery below to see Adele's style evolution over the years.