21

Well, this certainly is an album containing music. People who are capable of an intense emotional reaction to Adele mystify me. It's like being a connoisseur of porridge.

21. 2+1 = 3. That'll do. Don't want to expand on that or I'll be torn to shreds.

Incredible voice, produced to 'perfection' but totally bland and made for the masses. It has it's place, which is not on my list.

Listening to this album, I might well have thought, "This must be the greatest hits album of a long established artist!" rather than the second album put out by a 21-year-old singer/songwriter. There are so many songs here that have become rightfully inseparable from the last decade. This is a masterpiece.

The contrast between her speaking voice and her singing voice is insane. Fun fact: Four of the songs on this album are about ham.

Has it been 10 years already?! This is definitely one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years. I love it from beginning to end. Taking some time for a close listen just reminds me how amazing it was to first listen to Adele. It's cool to remember a time when her star burst out and had us all paying attention.

More Adele. She can sing, but I'm not engaged. Whatever the reviewers who describe her voice as enigmatic or magical can hear, I definitely do not. I hear a stage-school show-singer belting uninteresting ballads in a mid-Atlantic yowl. Millions disagree with me, but I'm ok with that.

The year is 2011, and everything is going wrong. You get into college and say goodbye to your high school friends, then try to convince yourself that you fit in with a group of equally awkward strangers. You date the first guy who says he loves you, not learning yet that people are fully capable of saying things they don't mean--and of acting the exact opposite. You're slut-shamed by a group of uptight college girls for sex you aren't having. By "you", of course, I mean me. Because 21 was my essential coming of age album. Are there coming of age albums with better songwriting? Yes, definitely. Are there coming of age albums with better vocals? Very, very few. But there's something magical about the alchemy of this album's elements that Adele, in my view, has never been able to quite match before or since 21. Of course, that could be the nostalgia talking. But this was the album that resonated with key points in my life. I'd dedicate "Don't You Remember" to fairweather friends ("When will I see you again?"), "Turning Tables" to my shitty exes ("I won't let you close enough to hurt me"), and "Someone Like You", my fave album track to absolutely no one. Rare is the album that's emotionally resonant and relatable, even on songs about experiences you've never had. But the emotional truth of this album just puts you right there in it. Apologies to Adele for taking so long to get on board the hype train of this album, since I discovered it for myself nearly a year after its release. 21 deserves all the hype it got and more.

I don’t want to hear it. This fucking album. So many incredible songs on one album. AND SHE WAS 21. Yes I cried listening to this even after all the times I’ve heard these songs.

It’s dinner party soul, but produced with restraint and based on some tasteful influences. In a way it is to Motown and Stax what Clapton is to Chicago blues, nicely done, but with the rough edges sanded off. Makes it more palatable, but also slightly blander. The quality of her voice and the songwriting is what sets it apart from the Duffys and Joss Stones of thus world. Not my bag, but not everything is for everyone, and I can appreciate how well done this is.

Starts off upbeat, gets into boring slow jams, picks back up, slows down again, picks up, slows down it all sounds too clean, I'm sure grocery stores and outlet malls are happy this exists

One of my favorite albums of all time.

"21" is the second album from Adele, and was recorded while she was 21. It was originally going to be an upbeat album until Adele separated from her partner, and the album turned into a heartbreak album. "21" was a sleeper hit at release, becoming the best-selling album of 2011 and 2012, and being certified diamond. Many of the songs on this album were smash hits and are easily recognizable by most people. "21" draws some inspiration from country music, but stays true to Adele's usual style of gospel, soul, and pop music. This record breaking album is amazing and a must-listen for anyone. "21" is still listed on the Billboard's Top 200 Albums for over 500 weeks now. It is the best-selling album of the 2010's and the fastest album to reach diamond certification with 92 weeks. Adele has a beautiful singing voice, and that matched with the perfect melodies, created this award winning masterpiece.

Despite being criminally overplayed, this is actually a pretty decent album. Adele's singing talent is remarkable, although a few of her vocal flourishes can get a little grating. The production is also quite good, a minimalist approach was taken here, which I think was the right call, to really focus on her vocals. The instrumental performances are solid, adding emotion in the right places to the songs and the mixing is great. The slight country edge is a nice touch too. A few of these songs are just a bit too cheesy, and I found myself rolling my eyes at some of the lyrics. I'll give it a solid 3, it does deserve to be here but I think it was released about 50 years too late to actually be anything groundbreaking. Fav Tracks: Fire To The Rain, Lovesong

First of all, credit where credit is due: an album doesn’t sell over 31 million copies without extreme talent and widespread appeal. What’s often overlooked is that 21 was released on the indie label XL Recordings. While Adele’s debut, and especially "Chasing Pavements," hinted at potential, no one could have predicted the stratospheric success of 21. Today, it’s hard to separate the album from its overwhelming cultural presence. These songs—still omnipresent on playlists, soundtracks, and radio—remain as epic and timeless as they were a decade ago. Despite the numerous high-profile collaborations, Adele retains songwriting credits on most tracks, but crucially, she makes it feel like no one else in the world could ever sing these songs. The opener, "Rolling in the Deep," remains one of the best tracks recorded this century, blending gospel and blues in a way that was both fresh and unexpected from her at the time. The retro-inflected "Rumour Has It" follows a similar path, its rhythm-driven, almost Motown feel makes it immediately memorable. It suffers solely from being in the shadow of such an electrifying opener. The album's main issue is that as it proceeds, the tracks become less memorable. While "Set Fire to the Rain" and the closer "Someone Like You" certainly keep up the emotional intensity and songwriting quality, they shift toward more straightforward pop territory. As Adele dives deeper into heartbreak and lost love, some tracks feel less impactful. The vocal performance is (obviously) flawless, but certain songs play it a bit too safe. Rick Rubin’s involvement had my expectations high, but his contributions, unfortunately, fall short. His work, on the tepid cover of The Cure’s "Lovesong" for example, lacks the spark it could have achieved considering the people in the room. Rubin’s production feels overly reverential and flat here. Did/Do I own this release? No Does it belong on the list? Absolutely, given its massive cultural impact Would it make my personal list? No Will I listen to it again? Whether I want to or not, I’ll hear these songs again soon. 21 is everywhere.

Oh this.

The voice is there, the emotions are there, but… I require more than this from my music. This album might please the masses, but musically it is far too bland and basic for yours truly.

Hadn’t realised just how good this would be. Great from start to finish.

Good

I'll be honest, I prematurely turned my nose up when I saw this was today's album but there are some fricken excellent tunes on here. The production is an easy five stars and her voice is near on perfect too. Obviously the subject matter doesn't resonate but that's on me. He Won't Go is a perfect song, all I could think about was watching a conductor lead a studio band through the arrangement, sounds so so tight. No surprises that Rick Rubin had a hand in this.

I can certainly appreciate Adele's incredible voice and respect her hit songs, which this album has plenty of. I have two favorites: her cover of "Lovesong" by The Clash and the very underrated "He Won't Go". 9/10.

Well written and produced album but other than the hits the songs are rather forgettable. Great voice and easy to listen to.

never sat and thought to myself "hmm you know what i really wanna listen to? some adele" but still man, how could you have anything bad to say? not my cup of tea at all but if i were to hear it randomly i'd enjoy every second, i woulnd't rush to the skip button like i did with too many of the albums i've had that are solely on here for the pretentious folks to enjoy

It's a rare thing to find an album whose title is made up of the two ratings I considered giving it.

It said 11 tracks but they all sounded the same

14th September 2022 Listened throughout the day while Ben and Nilisha stayed and worked from home at ours. Dinner at mum and dad’s in the evening. I was always quite dismissive of Adele, but listening back now this album is stunning. It’s big, it’s bold, her delivery is generational.

06/04/2022 What can be said that hasn't already? Beautiful voice, aching passion, etc. You feel the heartbreak and hurt as if it was your own.

Obviously she's incredibly popular for a reason

One of the most attractive voices of all time. I love how the album starts with "Rolling In The Deep". Her voice and guitar are perfect and the kick drum breaking in at full intensity is so badass. She deserves all the accolades. 21 deserves all the praise!

Absolute perfection. Adele's 21 was my first real introduction to her and I instantly fell in love. From 'Rolling in the Deep' to 'Someone Like You' 21 doesn't miss a beat. With almost half of the album released as singles, along with topping the music charts in over 30 countries, it's not hard to see how much of an impact this has had within the music world. Adele's soulful voice coupled with her deeply personal trials and tribulations that resonate with so many worldwide, and is touted as one of the best break-up albums ever created. Best: All of it Worst: N/A

Remember Duffy? The Welsh singer who popped up the mid 2000s? She has those songs Warwick Avenue and Mercy which got pretty big radio play and I’m pretty sure she was a musical guest at one point on SNL. I had stock in her as I was sure she was going to blow up. She seemed an obvious choice to do a Bond theme too. Well she got market-corrected by Adele a couple years later and had this massive album and put out what many now consider the best Bond theme song. This album is undeniable. Nearly every song became a radio staple, it plays like a greatest hits record.

This had more of an edge too it and I enjoyed it alot more than I expected, I think the surprise of me enjoying may have boosted my score but having said that rolling in the deep is a banger

Adele is a complete icon. A legend, at that. She signed with XL in 2008, gave us her debut album 19, and then gave this masterpiece in 2011. Long story short, this is an amazing album from an amazing singer. Her hits defined a generation and introduced them to soul. She’s like an Amy Winehouse in her own right. The songwriting is emotional and you might end up screaming to it. People say this album is made for the masses, but I disagree. Remember what I said about Amy Winehouse? Adele carries that torch. Scratch that, actually. She RUNS with it. Legendary album. 5/5 Fav: “Set Fire to The Rain”, “He Won’t Go” Least Fav: None

In her zenith, Adele makes a triumphant album full of power and emotion. Starts out with a ton of energy to dance to before moving to the piano ballad "Turning Tables" and acoustic-driven "Don't You Remember." It's a landmark in the neo-soul movement following the steps of Winehouse and Duffy. Even though there are more songs I like from 19, there's less filler here and I can enjoy the whole thing without wishing to skip a track. The production is so clean unlike other loud pop such as Lady Gaga or Katy Perry who could overwhelm the audience at times. Likewise 21 also contrasts with other R&B pop albums that focus too much on highlighting the singer's voice, by instead balancing Adele's voice with the flamboyant yet controlled instrumentation. To me, it sounds very natural, with almost no electronic devices here. You can probably perform the songs almost perfectly with just a school band (idk I've never been in one). In addition to modern R&B, I hear influences from gospel (not just the choir but also the funky piano), jazz, rock, country, and folk. There's something for everyone, making it a very accessible album. Many of the tracks have enough energy to keep audiences engaged for the full 48 minutes, with very hits well dispersed to keep people looking forward to something. I admit there's several ballads I'm not a fan of, but that's just personal preference and they're still amazing songs with their own moments. Favorites: Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, He Won't Go, Someone Like You

I have loved this album for years and I continue to do so!!

What can I say... I'll buy into the hype. Adele has an incredible voice, her songs are catchy, sultry, emotional, fun. The entire album is a solid piece of work, and easy to listen through all the way. In fact, I'm on #3 right now. She has clearly earned diva status with songs that will likely persist for decades.

A modern classic.

Not necessarily my thing, but filled to the brim with bangers.

Plenty of solid hits and thankfully more upbeat than the swathes of depressing wallowing that followed.

i don't love the sound but adele is a killer singer and there are some certified classics. and a cure cover? one and only was my favorite song

This is possibly the most machine-tooled bid for pop stardom since Like A Virgin. Don't play the big singles and it still sounds unstoppable. Not actually an album I feel a great deal of affection for, perhaps the only album I can actually like of hers is 19, but respect.

Classic

Jodidamente brillante. Una joya en bruto y de los mejores discos de los 10

Every song is perfect.

An excellent album

Amazing second album that put Adele on the map.

sooo many songs i didn’t know abt!

I love every song!

good

beatiful this album is her best album that she has ever pulled out 10/11 song still a 5/5 great hits on there absolutely incredible her vocals the instrumentals everything is amazing the themes incredible nothing bad about this album

Discazo "mainstream" que abría casi insuperablemente, dentro de su/s género/s la década de 2010. Me gusta de inicio a fin, con cover de The Cure, y "Set Fire to the Rain" es una de mis baladas pop en inglés favoritas, creo. 10/10

Her best album.

So I am not an Adele fan. Don’t hate her by any means, I just mean that I’ve never listened to an album of hers all the way through before and none of her music is in my library. I thought about this one a bit after listening and I have to say, with no existing bias towards her whatsoever, I’m going to have to give it a 5. I can’t think of many albums with such a strong first half. This first 5 songs from Rolling In The Deep to Set Fire To The Rain was relentless. There was one song in the middle I’d not hear before and then it went on to a really strong finish. I can’t say that Adele will take a permanent place in my library rotation after this, but you’ve got to give credit where it’s due as the saying goes. Brilliant album to be fair. Weird one for me to give a 5 and not have it in my library already and then subsequently choose not add it after giving it that score. But I feel confident in the score “I was in the o2 signing my lungs out, Rudeboy - you’re never too big for Adele” - Stormzy, Big For Your Boots - Feb 2017.

A modern classic, Adele's voice is so gorgeous. Listening to the whole album is a lot since she sounds like a psycho stalker after 11 songs about the same dude, but every individual song on its own is so good!

Beautiful

5 Love this Have heard this shit so incredibly many times, but still it just works.

9/10. This had a lot of rather good songs on it, that all sound a lot better after a few years of not having listened to the radio.

I own this album and have listened many times. While there are some songs that I don’t love, it’s excellent. I love Adele so much.

Todella upea levy tämäkin Adelen teos

Fantastic album - wide variety of soulful, emotive songwriting and Adele's vocal performance is wonderful.

Adele at her best!

I knew adele but to be honest i never listened to one of her album. This was a pleasent surprise. Each song was well sang, well composed and really great overall. The vocals are insane, this is really a great album and i will definitely catch up on her other works

The bookends of this album make it an instant classic. Heartfelt lyrics from a heartbreak mixed with clean and simple arrangements make this a great listen. Take my 5 for those bookends.

Honestly I'm not the world's biggest Adele fan but this album was such a cultural moment I can't help but appreciate it

Un d'aquells casos improbables on tot encaixa. Composicions, arranjaments, veu, moment, so... Un disc per una generació

I've heard this album a bunch of times. Adele has a magnificent voice. The songs are all good, and it flows quite well. While not my preference in music, the album is definitely a good one.

Le retrait de la liste des 1001 d'Adele est largement compréhensible. On ne peut la comparer à Sepultura, Ice Cube, Mike Ladd ou encore aux cinq albums de Tom Waits. L'album 21 est très sympa attention, mais il faut savoir raison garder, peut-être dans quelques années une fois sa discographie plus solide, Adele pourra esperer réaliser avec les mastodontes présents dans cette liste magnifique concoctée par Robert.

Adele is one of the only truly unique talents to come out of the last 20 years and I'll fight you about it.

Pleasant.

Maravilhoso, um dos álbuns preferidos da minha vida. Adele extraordinária.

So good. Kismet moment. Listened to it already this week. Her best work likely!!

Desde antes me gustaban 3 o 4 canciones de aquí y la verdad es que su voz me gusta mucho. Disco variado con arreglos y ritmos diversos y discretos cuya función es lucir la voz y lo logran. One and Only y Set Fire to the Rain son mis favoritas.

It's hard when you have to sit a group member down for a difficult intervention. To have a talk about a review so absurd it makes the whole group look bad. But we are sadly at that point with pretentious-ass. A hard reviewer to agree with, as the data attests, but someone who often makes a good point and shares a reasonable opinion even if I don't always share it. Alas, not today. "Every couple of years a singer like Adele comes through with a breakout album that's been promoted, marketed and consequently adored by all the early/mid-30's, recently married (mostly) women." Adele is totally not my typical kind of music. Pop heavily influenced by soul and R&B, with an emphasis on a generational vocal talent, isn't something I listen to much of. Then again, there really isn't much else like Adele, despite some of the nonsense below. I am married. But not a woman. And no longer in my 30s. But I'm pretty confident Adele transcends the bubble pretentious-ass tries to shove her into. "There were the Celines, the Didos, the McLachlans, the Tunstalls and countless others. Now, it may not be fair for me to lop them all in together, because they're not all the same, but they all serve the I Heart Radio enthusiasts that gobble up this homogenized stuff." Um, please. Celine Dion is the only one that can come close to touching Adele's popularity and superstardom. I'm sorry that I Heart Radio is having such a tough time figuring out what to put on your Adele station, but that's because there is pretty much no one else that fills that same niche. But KT Tunstall? Never even had a top 10 hit song. Dido? Once. Sarah McLachlan? Just two, though "Angel" far outlived it's time as a hit thanks to the ASPCA. Dion is the only one who comes close. Though she had contemporaries in the 90s that were just as big, whereas no one in the 2000s can touch Adele. Dion had four #1s and 10 top 10s. Adele has had five #1s, eight top 10s, and 25 total songs on the Hot 100 to Dion's 21. But "Rolling in the Deep" was on the chart for 65 weeks, twice as long as the biggest Dion hit. It's not just 30-something soccer moms that kept Adele that hot. "There's nothing wrong with 21, but there's nothing amazing about it either. It's plain vanilla. I can say that. I'm a dabbler in the I Heart Radio world and I've even got a special place for the tunes that I find there. That place is called my 'guilty pleasures' playlist. You'll find artists like Vanessa Carlton, Counting Crows, Jane Weaver and Cracker there. If you're an artist tho, there's no clear path to gaining acceptance to this coveted and enviable playlist." You can love it, like it, or loathe it, but Adele's music isn't vanilla. There is all kinds of vanilla pop being cranked out, but Adele is at the very least Neapolitan. Then we're bringing Vanessa Carlton into it, which seems to follow in the seriously overrated department after Dido and KT Tunstall, but then we take a major detour. Counting Crows were not vanilla. But you finally got one right. Acceptable guilty pleasure. Jane Weaver I'll pass on as I barely know her from the 1001, and Cracker... the less said about that barely a one-hit wonder the better. This guilty pleasures playlist is weird. "Yes, Adele has a great voice, amazing even. All of the women above do. But unfortunately, this is just like so many others and doesn't resonate as anything special." Not amazing, even. Just flat out amazing. One of a kind. The only one that could have given her any kind of run for her money as the iconic voice of her generation would have been Amy Winehouse. "21" is absolutely top-notch from start to finish. Five singles hit the top 100. It sold 31 million copies, more than 10% more than the next highest album of the 21st century (weirdly 2nd place is a three-way tie between Linkin Park, Eminem, and Norah Jones). It is likely that no album will ever sell that many copies again. No one since Adele has come through with a break-out like she did at 19, or followed up with an even bigger hit at 21. The only artists making those kind of sales, pop chart, spins, and streams impact at that age are manufactured boy bands. She is a legit singer-songwriter with a dynamic voice (both in her writing and her singing). There is almost no one who is comparable, despite pretentious-ass' misguided efforts. I rarely listen to music like this. But when I do, it's Adele. I'm pretty sure that even if I really didn't care for the music I'd have to give it at least 4 stars on iconic impact alone. But there are so many songs on this album that break the scale that I don't even have to consider it.

gotta love adele this is full of bangers

Excellent. 9/10

A master at the height of her game.

This is an album I am very familiar with! I can't believe it came out 11 years ago! I distinctly remember Adele's name being everywhere following the release. There are 5 singles out of 11 songs on this album, and each one recieved insane amounts of fanfare. Adele has an amazing singing voice! It is so weird to hear her speak, then sing! It's like 2 different people. The music on this album is minimalistic, but I believe that is on purpose so that her voice is in the spotlight, which it should be! Another crazy fact is that Adele recorded this album when she was only 21 years old. There are a lot of songs about heartbreak on this album, which she wrote after a hard breakup shortly before this album was released. There is always something to be said about an artist who writes their own material, because the pain felt through the lyrics of some of these songs is something that cannot be recreated by anyone except the person going through the breakup. This was a phenomenal album, and I will definately listen again! Favourite songs: Someone Like You, Rolling In The Deep, Rumour Has It, Set Fire To The Rain, Turning Tables, He Won't Go, One And Only Least favourite song: if forced to pick, Lovesong 5/5

Really good album. Excellent vocals and song writing

Love it

Real shit, no autotune. Olipas virkistävää ja modernia!

Undeniably a stunning album

Ok, no voy a hacer chistes de gordas… ¿Pero qué tal de exgordas? No encontré razón para no darle 5 estrellas a este discazo. Por un lado, encontraron una fórmula para hacer POP que no fuera música de antro (todo el resto del pop que ha pegado desde 1998 es música para bailar, y de hecho los artistas se ven forzados a lanzar música así solo para mantenerse en el gusto del público). No solo eso, el disco tiene canciones para todos: movidas, tristes, artísticas, etc. y son canciones que tienen cohesión entre ellas. La voz de Adele es uno de los grandes ingredientes (independientemente a que si su técnica es buena o no y eventualmente la va a dejar afónica), pero también el peso de Rick Rubin como productor y la excelente instrumentación, llena de buenos detalles, hacen que el disco sea agradable todo el tiempo. Mención especial a Someone Like You, que además tiene una letra tremenda. Por otro lado, creo que el cover a The Cure podría ahorrármelo (pero porque no soy fan de la original).

Pour ceux qui ne seraient pas encore au courant, je suis extrêmement proche de Robert. Je n'ai de ce fait aucun mal à lui dire très franchement le fond de ma pensée quand les choses ne tournent pas comme j'aimerais qu'elles tournent. C'est pour cette raison que le jour où j'ai appris que celui-ci avait retiré Adele de son grimoire d'une édition à l'autre, je me rendis à son domicile, furax comme un lièvre. Je toquai douze fois à la porte, très bruyamment. Quelques secondes plus tard, j'entendis son fils Mike Ladd demander avec sa voix aiguë : "C'est qui ? Papa m'a dit de pas ouvrir aux gens que je connais pas..." Je continuai de frapper sans répondre jusqu'à ce que le bambin ouvre. Je le poussai alors violemment contre le mur et allai trouver Robert pour lui en coller une belle.

Banger after banger!

Yeah that was good

Adele clearly went through some shit but damn I am glad we got this album as a result. This album is a pop masterpiece with infusions of R&B, gospel, and soul. Her voice has a very unique texture and tone that makes every note ooze with her heartbreak, anger, and depression. By the time Set Fire to the Rain is done, I am emotionally exhausted, and it's only halfway through the album! This album will be in my regular rotation forever, it was a classic the moment it was released.

STAAAHHPP. This album is fucking flawless.

My favorite Adele album. She was absolutely peerless and put out a record that showcased everything she does to perfection. So many high points.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Rolling in the deep, Rumor has it, Turning tables, Set fire to the rain, He won’t go, Someone like you

Not in my edition of the book! 2011. 5 stars. Adele before she became a parody of herself. Cracking voice, and the albums is packed with great tunes. What's not to like?

On second listen I don't think there is a bad song on the album. First half is stacked with radio hits but there is a lot to like through the end. Favorite: I'll Be Waiting

Heartbreak hotel.

Great best album so far

One of the defining albums of a generation

Killer album by a killer voice

Adele is a force! I appreciate any artist that includes covers.

Pop, but good. Excellent vocals.

Different album, but Stevie Wonder must be pissed!! Anyway, so going into this I thought I just listen to it the background while getting ready for the next day, well prepared to give it a 4 because everyone knows this is a great album. I was even considering a 3 just because I had heard is so much and was possibly sick of it. But, it is a great album and actually hooked. I began to appreciate what a story it tells. Will definitely go back.

Such a beautiful voice. Such an amazing songwriter. Top-notch album.

raw emotion, beautiful vocals, wondrous production. literal music heaven. adele’s best album, and for sure one of the best albums of all time. highlights: EVERY. TRACK.