Adele's 39th Birthday Countdown

Adele's songs

Adele Timeline

About Adele

A BRIT School graduate with a once-in-a-generation voice, Adele's albums 19, 21, 25 and 30 chronicle her life in real time, 21 became the best-selling album of the 21st century, and 'Skyfall' won her an Oscar.

The demo a friend posted without a plan

Adele recorded a three-song demo as a class project at the BRIT School, and a friend posted it to Myspace, where it racked up thousands of plays and caught the ear of XL Recordings. When the indie label called her in, Adele - who only really knew Virgin - assumed they were offering her an office job in A&R. They wanted to sign her instead. She graduated in 2006, signed that year, and released 19 in 2008.

The 21 avalanche

Her 2011 album 21 became the best-selling album of the 21st century, moving more than 31 million copies and sweeping six Grammys in a single night. The follow-up 25 opened with 3.38 million US copies - the biggest sales week since tracking began in 1991 - while its lead single 'Hello' became the first song ever to sell a million US downloads in one week. Add the Oscar for 'Skyfall' and 16 Grammys, and the numbers speak Tottenham-plainly for themselves.

Cake at the fire station

Days after the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, Adele quietly joined mourners at a vigil near the site, then turned up at Chelsea fire station with cake to thank the first responders. She used her Wembley Stadium finale shows that summer to raise money for Grenfell relief, asking every fan to give five pounds. Earlier, on her 21 tour, anyone wanting complimentary or backstage tickets had to donate to Sands, the UK stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

Quick facts

• Born May 5, 1988, in Tottenham, London
• 21 is the best-selling album of the 21st century, with over 31 million copies sold
• Won an Academy Award for the Bond theme 'Skyfall'
• Has won 16 Grammy Awards
• 'Hello' was the first song to sell a million US downloads in a single week
• 25 sold 3.38 million US copies in week one - the biggest sales week since 1991