Adele’s 21 has topped IFPI’s top global sellers chart for 2011 with the highest calendar sales since the countdown was created a decade ago.

 

The XL album finished as the past year’s biggest seller after shifting 18.1 million copies worldwide, easily beating the highest previous tally recorded by the IFPI for Eminem’s The Eminem Show in 2002. His album sold 13.9 million units that calendar year.

 

Adele claims two of 2011’s Top 10 sellers with her debut 19 occupying sixth position, while there is also a double Top 10 appearance for Universal artist Rihanna whose Loud finishes in eighth position while follow-up Talk That Talk is ninth.

 

 

As was the case in both the individual UK and US markets, Warner act Michael Buble finds himself runner-up to Adele’s 21 on a global basis for 2011 as Christmas ranks second on IFPI’s chart. Universal act Lady Gaga is third with Born This Way, while EMI act Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto finishes fourth.

 

Bruno Mars had 2011’s biggest-selling debut album globally with the Warner-issued Doo-Wops & Hooligans appearing in fifth position, while the Top 10 is completed by two Universal albums, Justin Bieber’s Under The Mistletoe in seventh place and Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV finishing 10th.

 

Two UK albums just miss out on places in the Top 10 with Universal’s posthumous Amy Winehouse release Lioness: Hidden Treasures in 11th place and Mumford & Sons’ Sigh No More finishing as high as 13th, despite being released as far back as 2009 in some territories. It had multiple release partners around the world, comprising Universal, Sony and independent Glassnote.

Top 10 Best Selling Albums WW in 2011

 

1, Adele "21" - 18.1 million

2, Michael Buble "Christmas"

3, Lady Gaga "Born This Way"

4, Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto"

5, Bruno Mars "Doo-Wops & Hooligans"

6, Adele "19"

7, Justin Bieber "Under The Mistletoe"

8, Rihanna "Loud"

9, Rihanna " Talk The Talk"

10, Lil Wayne "Tha Carter IV"

 

The drop in global recorded music sales slowed sharply in 2011 with newly-released IFPI figures revealing the market fell 3.0% to $16.6bn (£10.5bn)

 

The year-on-year decline compares to a fall in 2010 of 8.9% with sales last year partially held up by another big increase in digital revenues, while physical sales declined at a smaller rate than in previous years. Digital numbers were up 8.0% to $5,229m (£3,292m), while physical dropped by 8.7% to $10,170n (£6411m). Digital made up 31% of all recorded music revenues, compared to 29% in 2010.

 

The figures are revealed in the IFPI’s newly-published 2012 edition of the Recording Industry in Numbers, which also shows a 4.9% increase across the year in performance revenue to $905m (£570m). This was helped by a 45.9% rise in the US, which overtook the UK to become the sector’s biggest market.

 

The IFPI has also added synchronisation numbers to its annual figures for the first time and these show the market went up 5.7% in 2011 to $342m (£215m) to account for 2% of all global recorded music sales.

 

After three consecutive years of double-digit declines, market leader the US saw a revenues fall of just 0.1% last year to $4,372.9m (£2,753.2m) with digital accounting for a majority of turnover (51%) for the first time. Japan remained in second place, although revenues were down 7.0% to $4,087.7m (£2573.2m) as its digital sales went into reverse.

 

Having overtaken the UK in 2010, Germany not only remained in third place in 2011 but widened the gap as its revenues fell by just 0.2% compared to a 3.1% drop in the UK. The German recorded music market was worth $1,473.7m (£927.8m) in 2011, compared to $1,433.7m or £888.9m in the local currency in the UK.

 

Three Top 10 markets experienced year-on-year rises with sales in Australia up 5.7% to $475.2m (£299.2m) to move it above Canada to take sixth position behind France, which fell 3.7% to $1,002.2m (£631.0m). Despite dropping in the global rankings, Canada actually increased revenues across the year, rising 2.6% to $434.0m (£273.2m), while Brazil posted the biggest percentage increase among the Top 10 players as it climbed above the Netherlands and Italy to take sixth place. This move northwards came on the back of an 8.6% revenues increase to $262.6m (£165.5m), while the Netherlands finished ninth as revenues fell 12.1% to $240.2m (£151.4m) and Italy 10th. Italian music sales were dow

 

top 10 biggest markets based on revenue were:

 

1) USA $4,372.9m (-0.1%)

2) Japan $4,087.7m (-7%)

3) Germany $1,473.7m (-0.1%)

4) UK $1,433.7m (-3.1%)

5) France $1,002.2m (-3.7%)

6) Australia $475.2m (+5.7%)

7) Canada $434.0m (+2.6%)

8) Brazil $262.6m (+8.6%)

9) Netherlands $240.2m (-12.1%)

10) Italy

Congrats to Adele! A brilliant achievement :cheer:

 

Also great to see Born This Way at #3, i still have no idea why people consider this a flop :lol: Granted it was nowhere near as big as TFM in the UK but it did incredibly worldwide, and outsold TF in some countries! :wub: