Adele's '25' Is 42 Percent of Total Music Sales This Week

When comparing their different eras and sales climates, 25 handily beats No Strings Attached in terms of their respective slices of first-week music sales. Meaning: Adele's share of total music sales during 25's debut week is far greater than *NSYNC's was for No Strings Attached. Adele is on track to capture an estimated 42 percent of recorded music sales this week, considering both her album and track sales (a combined 3.15 million units when every 10 tracks are converted into one "album"). No Strings Attached grabbed a 16.7 percent share of sales in its first week of release.

Another way to compare today's apples to yesterday's oranges is by adjusting for "inflation." Everything from food prices to movie revenues are regularly adjusted for shifting currency values -- for example, $100 in 1980 would go as far as $290 would today. The difference, of course, is that music sales have fallen, not risen, since 2000. Adjusting for that contraction, Adele's projected first-week sales would be equivalent to her selling 7.59 million units in 2000.

It's important to note that some differences between the eras cannot be removed when comparing first-week sales. Because iTunes didn't exist in 2000, No Strings Attached didn't have the 900,000 pre-orders 25 is said to have had. Back then, when online retailers like Amazon and CD Now represented a small share of total sales, nearly all sales came from physical retailers, which would give big albums sale pricing and prominent shelf space for at least a month.

Nevertheless, the music industry has not lost its enthusiasm for following first-week sales as if it were a sport. Labels and artists (ahem) desperately want to reach number one on the charts. Four-week sales may be a better way to measure albums from different eras -- but there are no bragging rights for best four-week sales period.