It’s official: Adele’s 25 album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music. That’s the largest single sales week for an album since Nielsen began tracking point-of-sale music purchases in 1991. 25 is the first album to sell more than 3 million copies in a week in Nielsen history, and only the second to surpass 2 million sold in a single frame.
Nielsen Music’s tracking week runs from Friday to Thursday each week, so 25’s opening frame ended at the close of business on Nov. 26. The new set, which is Adele's third studio album, was released on Nov. 20 through XL Recordings/Columbia Records.
Adele's '25' Sets Biggest U.K. Opening Sales Week, Most Downloaded No. 1 Album