Adele’s 25 tipped for 5m in 3rd week, ’theft’ accusations

Don’t get mad, get even! Noel Gallagher might have thrashed Adele’s music as “cheesy music for fucking grannies”. But the British singer continues to dominate charts around the world. Especially in the US where sales of 25 are set to exceed 5 million after its third week in-store, industry forecasters told Billboard.

Having sold 4.49 million in its first two weeks, according to Nielsen Music, the forecast is the album will find between 625,000 and 650,000 more owners in the week ending December 10.

As TMN reported, it made history as single largest sales week since 1991 with 3.38 million in the first week. The second week registered an additional 1.11 million, making 25 the only album in history to sell 1 million in two weeks.

That feat is considerably awesome given that only 20 albums have sold a million copies in one week in America.

In its second week, 25 also became the third-highest selling digital album of all time, behind her own 21 at top spot and Taylor Swift’s 1989 at #2.

As reported earlier this week, 25’s second week sales in Australia were 65,719 copies, bringing the local tally to 191,782, according to Noise 11.

Second week sales in the UK were 439, 337. Speculation is that Coldplay will dethrone her when the new UK charts come out on Friday night. However, given the slower sales rate for the Coldplay long-player, it is expected she’ll reclaim her throne the week after.

Apple iTunes overnight announced 25 as its biggest seller of 2015, beating out Drake’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.

But Adele is not the flavour among some music fans in Turkey. Followers of the late Turkish singer Ahmet Kaya claim that she ripped off her 25 track, Million Years Ago, from his 1985 song Acilara Tutunmak (Clinging To Pain). However Ahmet’s widow Gulten Kaya rejects the accusation.

Million Years Ago is also accused of sounding similar to Yesterday When I Was Young, made famous by late British singer Dusty Springfield in the mid-1960s.

Adele’s European tour, which starts next February, has already sold out. More than 500,000 registered for the early-bird phase.

By teaming up with British online and mobile ticket seller Songkick, she has cut down drastically on those tickets ending up with inflated prices in secondary ticketing sites. Songkick says that its secret technology can detect scalpers and prevent tickets from going into their hands. However some seem to have slipped through, to prices from £150 to £1,200 each.