Adele's album 21 has earned the prestigious Diamond Award from the RIAA for selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. 21 hit the 10 million sales mark in only its 92nd week of release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The last album to sell as many copies in a shorter span of time was 'N Sync's No Strings Attached, which raced to 10 million in its 43rd week in January 2001. Only one album in the SoundScan era hit 10 million faster: the Backstreet Boys'Millennium, which made it in its 39th week in February 2000.
Cary Sherman, Chairman/CEO of the RIAA, released a statement saying, "We are thrilled to honor Adele with an RIAA Diamond award marking her enormous 21 sales success. Selling more than 10 million albums in the United States, in less than two years, is an achievement unparalleled by any other artist in the past decade, let alone just a few in all of history. Adele's unique talent is a gift to music fans, and her success is certainly cause for a celebration of Diamond magnitude."
Adele is the only British or European female solo act in history to earn an RIAA Diamond award. She joins the ranks of other female Diamond acts including Celine Dion, The Dixie Chicks, Whitney Houston, Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears, TLC and Shania Twain.