21

maravilloso

A powerful voice, a booming return and the continuation of a master.

Iconic

Adele has a wonderful voice, but her songs tend to be rather samey. However, I don't think one could plausibly make a case to not include her on a list like this. I think two albums is too much and if you have to choose one, this is the one. Compared to 25, 21 is a lot more varied and has her biggest hits.

Mostly average but gets a 4 because her voice is great and the hits slap

Great voice!

It's 2011, I'm 9 years old and on holiday. We're driving back to where we've been staying along winding costal roads after a long day of swimming and sightseeing and eating. My sisters iPod touch has the middle seat in the back of the rental card with two sets of headphones plugged into it and Adele's 21 plays on repeat, just as it did on the flight there and will on the flight home. Fourteen years later I still remember every word of the album- I also remember how travel sick I got on that journey. Favourite song: Rumour Has It (Or almost any of the songs dependent on the day) Least: One and Only

So funny to finally realize that Adele released a shit ton of bangers in a single album, but since they're all hit tracks that took everyone by storm, I assumed they were singles that released at different times. Just amazing.

Krasses Album, objektiv müsst ich ne 5 geben, aber mir mitunter zu schnulzig

It’s a classic

Who cares if this is a mass produced pop album. It's really good and I can belt out many of the songs to my heart's desire. 'Nuff said!

Hits, hits, hits

Great album. Unanimous 4.

I remembers how cool this was when it came out! It’s (in my opinion) her best, a pop album that really showed us what pop music could potentially be. It was such a breath of fresh air in 2011. The hits are good, of course, but the rest is solid too.

301223 14:27 3.5

LOVE It

A superb talent. Although this is don’t my style of music, I enjoyed it very much.

Amazing vocals obviously, production compliments Adele well and allows her to be the star of the album the whole way through. Powerful start to the Album with the first 2 tracks, strong ending too. Rumor Has It is the standout for me, so many layers sonically that all come together beautifully, great energy, love Adele’s shit talking on the song. Definitely some songs I will come back to, but I’m not sure there is enough sauce outside of Adele’s stellar vocal performance to bring me back to the album as a whole too often.

Love the mixing on the album vocal forward with just the basics behind it

beautifully sounding album with amazing ballads. great songwriting. Favourites: turning tables, he won't go.

This is for sure a great one! 4*

Honestly foi hit after hit não estava à espera mas também já conhecia basically tudo é chocante o quão adelesque é a infância europeia nos 2010s

An all time great vocalist at her peak, rolling in the deep is a top 5 pop hit of the 21st century

Was surprised how many of these songs I actually didn’t know! Great album, tells a story and is super cohesive. Also Adele is the absolute queen of the pre-chorus, so many great ones on this album!

Great album. Singles are a bit stronger than the rest of the album but over all, really good. I love the cover of "Love Song".

Removed. (!!!) Hey, it's the best selling UK album of the century but Curator changed his mind, you can skip it #derp And while she's the also the best-selling UK artist of the century, Curator has none of her records on the list #derp I have admittedly snob tastes and I'm not putting this in heavy rotation, but one of the purposes of music is doing what this does for the, what, hundreds of millions? people that it works for. Dismissing this while holding on to your fifth Leonard Cohen record is the "sportsball" of music POVs.

Adele is amazing. I couldn't appreciate this album, I was too busy being an idiot 16 year old.

Mostly still just love the popular ones but Lovesong was a solid revelation

4.4

Despite really liking, 'someone like you', the rest of the album is a bit humdrum. But with that said, it is an impressive feat to put together an album like this at a young age.

Just an incredible voice.

great breakup album with the exact right flow of anger, sadness, melancholy and new hope at the end.

101/1089 Rolling in the Deep kinda one of the best pop singles ever released, and an incredible album opener Rumour Has It is a lot of fun and has a great bridge, Turning Tables is a solid track too. Set Fire To The Rain is a generational pop song, god tier The way One and Only develops towards the end is quite beautiful and a standout moment Someone Like You speaks for itself. This is such a strong project. I think the singles do stand out fairly high above the others but the deep cuts hold up 71/100

Great album. Starts off incredibly strong with Rolling in the Deep. Between that, Someone like you and set fire to the rain- the singles on here are insane. Lovesong was a sleeper hit I’m surprised isn’t more popular. Rating this 3.5 but I’ll round up.

Not as good as 19 but still very good.

Nice

Sublime

She has a beautiful voice and the topics she deep, meaningful and mature. Thinking about how she was only 21 at the time seems so impressive that she had had these experiences and so eloquently can describe the pain.

Adele brings the drama. It's pretty good pianowork and I like her soulful, strong voice. Favorites: Rolling in the Deep, Rumour Has It, Fire to the Rain, I'll be Waiting, and One and Only has a really nice old skool R&B feel. I didn't especially like her version of the Cure's Lovesong. I appreciate that she made it her own but it drags. Unfortunately the rest of the songs on the album feel kinda meh to me. Leaving me somewhere between a 3 and a 4 but "I'll Be Waiting" is probably my FAVORITE Adele song. Such great energy and love the horns in that one. So okay fine Adele. Take my four and all of it's heartache.

4- Stars (10/15)

7/10… uk soul / power pop

god its good banging my head like its rock and instantly giving me inspiration to create my own music

Insane album.

Great pop songs, well written and what a great voice.

16/10/2025 Don't really really have time for some of these songs as they are overplayed. A good album over all though. Spotify listeners: 55.8 million

Good R&B fundamentals, nice pop composition, great lyrics

Sie war 21 Jahre alt, als sie dieses Album rausbrachte. Zwei unsterbliche Hits drauf (Someone like you, Rolling in the deep) oder sogar drei wenn man Turning Tables dazuzählt. Grande Formaggio! Sonst ein paar eher belanglose Füller-Songs. «He won't go» wäre ein Hit, wenn er von Alishia Keys gesungen würde...Adele hat zu wenig RnB-Soul für den Song. :)

Gfallt mir seeeeeehr!! Sone krassi stimm. Zum teil es bizli corny aber was wilsch mache wenn dis herzli broche wird. Standout track: Rumour has it.

Quand j'étais petit, j'haïssais Adèle. C'était peut-être dû au ton trop triste et mélancho-plaintif des tounes, accentué par leur omniprésence sur les ondes des radios commerciales pendant une bonne demi-décennie. Maintenant mature et désintoxiqué, je vois l'album d'un autre oeil. Bon, j'ai toujours des ptsd en entendant Rolling in the Deep et Someone Like You, mais le reste est vraiment bon, je me suis suis même surpris à bopper ma tête sur Rumour Has It. Donc, belle surprise, à revisiter dans 10 ans

Great voice and production

Lovely album, groundbreaking. Too popular for its own good unfortunately, gives it 4.5 stars rounded down to 4. Really enjoyed the full album listen though - Sadly, overplayed. Awesome music, but going to be tough to appreciate. MJ level of popular though, I never realized these were all the same album!

what a voice. other than the super popular hits, i'm a big fan of "I'll Be Waiting"

Iconic album. I didn't really listen to it when it was really popular at the time but these songs dominate the karaoke scene

Some absolute bangers. Soundtrack to the background of my twenties. Not anything that I've listened to on purpose, but her songs are etched in my brain because I was alive at that time, via osmosis. Yes this was good and sounded good.

I've never had strong feelings about Adele. She's a great singer, but doesn't do much for me. Her hits are very good, but not great. This album is the same way. The hits are good/great, and the rest is okay/decent.

3.8/5 if it were not for the strong hits on this it wld b lower

excellent album

I don't know how someone who is seemingly 21 has a voice and creates songs that sounds like she's perpetually 45. The singles from this album are stellar - they were instant pop classics when they were released. I can't say the same for the rest of the songs, which I found boring and tedious. 3.5 rounded up

Take it all is a bloody hidden gem. Great album overall.

Amazing album

Soulful & passionate—a very pleasing, nostalgic listen.

Added to albums to clean the house or take a long shower to. 100% shamelessly singable

I’m really surprised by the negativity in the reviews. This isn’t my cup of tea personally, but the top review says they can’t understand how anyone could have an emotional reaction to this music? Let’s be serious. This is outstanding pop music. Plenty of hooks, well produced, and Adele’s powerful voice has plenty of personality. Plus I’m always a sucker for an artist who made it from the bottom to the top - and Adele’s is the ultimate such story. I will almost certainly not listen to this album ever again. But I can enjoy the pop hooks, appreciate the vocals and the very personal songwriting, and admire the enormous impact this album had.

This is an excellent mainstream pop album. Great vocals, great songs, great production. If you don’t like this, do you even like music? Or are you just here to be a snarky hipster?

ok

I rather enjoyed this despite the sadness of some of the songs. She really has a great voice.

I have found I can do about 35 minutes of Adele's voice before it starts to annoy me. This was more than 35 minutes. Also when like 70% of the songs are slow piano ballads, the album kinda drags. Also all the songs are sad love songs, wish there was a little more variety.

This is a really good record. Adele’s voice is undeniable — soulful, commanding, and full of emotional weight. The production is strong throughout, and the hits feel absolutely earned rather than overblown. What really surprised me is how consistently solid the album is front to back; it’s not just the singles carrying the load here. That said, I’m trying to keep 5-stars reserved for those rare, transformative listens, so I’m landing on a very strong 4. It’s impressive how much staying power 21 has, even after all the overexposure these songs got when they first came out. For me, it’s not perfect, but it’s way too good to dismiss the way some people on this site seem to.

Pretty solid stuff

Slagararnir hafa verið svo mikið í spilun að maður er hálfpartinn orðinn leið á þeim en þeir eru samt svo góðir að maður syngur hástöfum með. Það eru samt þó nokkur uppfyllingar lög sem sitja ekki eftir.

Med flera absoluta bangers är detta hennes starkaste album by far imo. Ett par för många ointressanta låtar för en femma, men i övrigt jäkligt fint o välgjort!

A smooth and dynamic voice is the be all and end all of this album. The "band" is nothing more than a backing track for her voice. Which, in this case, is good enough to carry the album. But I can't help but wonder what might happen if she had a good band as well.

Not my usual genre, but a lot of good songs here.

Exciting to get this album/artist as I’m familiar with the hits, but have never given a listen start to finish before. I love when artists write their own music/lyrics and draw from personal experiences - it’s such a sincere form of expression and clearly connected with a lot of people leading to this albums overwhelming success.

Very nice!

I think I would like Adele if I listened more of her but, what concers that album, it is good, yet not that great for me to love it. Some songs are really good, but others don't have much power on the overall of the project. But I liked it, it's a really pleasant album to listen to, bland and uninteresting sometimes, but being most of it good and nicely done.

Rolling in the Deep is one of the best songs I've ever heard. Rumor Has It, Set Fire to the Rain, and Someone Like You are great too. The rest .... it's all good, just a lot of the same thing. I can't quite give it a 5. The best of it is up there with the best of all time, the rest is a modern generic soul album.

Amazing voice, super clean production, and punctuated by a two iconic songs that still hold today.

This is a pretty fucking good album. It does unfortunately falter in the middle there a bit for me, but all the singles are deservedly so, and Lovesong is such a chef's kiss addition on here.

Some of the most insane 1-star reviews I’ve ever read exist for this album. Some people are so incredibly hateful. Some catchy songs, some heartfelt ones, and an amazing voice. It’s obvious why these songs were everywhere at the start of the decade. And not just young people either, I mean EVERYONE knew Adele. Absolutely crazy that pretty much all her most popular songs were from a record that came out when she was 21. Minus points for dating Rich Paul tho.

Wait that was kinda great! I don't have much to say, except that I unexpectedly enjoyed a lot of the deeper cuts on here, and that it has aged pretty damn well after 14 years. Standouts: Rolling in the Deep • Don't You Remember • Set Fire to the Rain • He Won't Go • I'll Be Waiting • One And Only • Lovesong

A modern day diva, Adele is amazing. This album came out the year I graduated high school so I may be biased. Only couldn’t give it five stars because it drops off for a couple songs in the middle, sounding a little more like country ballads and the musicians not matching Adele’s energy.

Love a bit of Adele

It’s just so good, which I alway seem to forget till I listen to it again - sad but good feels

While I’ve never been a huge fan of Adele, I’m also not an idiot.

I didn't know that I'm a fan, but I guess I am.

Great album by adele

The girl can sing.

A voice still sounds a bit rough on this, which I love, and the emotion is well and truly in there. It gets a bit lost towards the end. But this is great in a way that Adele albums will never be again.

There is no denying her vocal chops. And the album starts off great, with two bangers that I still enjoy after many listens. But then the songs become very same-y and slow, even with her amazing singing. The production is fine, but there is too much down time between the faster tempo songs. IMO those songs are where the album really shines. Two in a row of the slow ones are ok, but more than that makes for a somewhat boring listen at times. The album is finishing playing as I'm writing this, and my final thought is that this is a good album bookended by four great songs (two to start and two to end). It's a 3.5 that will get a 4 as it's consistently listenable regardless of my complaints.

Adele undeniably has one of the greatest voices of a generation. Some of the singles have lost a bit of their luster for me, but Someone Like You is a perfect song.

Kyllä se osaa laulaa. Ei kuitenkaan mikään lemppari albumi. Saa lisäpisteitä koska tiiän nää laulut melkeen kaikki joten voi laulaa mukana😜.

so many popular songs from this album!

Some really good bangers out of this one. Rolling In The Deep, Fire To the Rain, Someone Like You are all widely popular singles for a good reason. There's something about Someone Like You that really hits for me in particular. Few songs go for a feeling of indignant weakness, but it's just as valid a human emotion as any other.

Great album with some modern classics like Rolling in the deep and Someone like you

This album was a solid part of the soundtrack of the world around the early 2010s. Definitely needs to be in this list for just how huge it was. In regards to my personal enjoyment, I thought it was fun to notice now how American and blues/folky she can sound on here. I had a good time, but it's probably something I'm not going to go back to any time soon

I honestly enjoyed many songs more than I'd expected, I actually liked an Adele album!

Loved this. The songwriting lends to Adele’s voice so well. Rolling In the Deep is just superb.

The album that first introduced me to Adele. I've heard her songs countless times, even tried to sing to a few, but I usually can only go a little bit before I want to switch. She's overall just not for me musically. That said this album reminded me that she is a powerhouse. Her songs are strong on this and only a couple didn't hit for me, I'll Be Waiting and her cover of Lovesong. That

Enjoyable. Significant but not overly heavy. 4+

Listened July 2021. Many of these songs are so overplayed that I don't get any pleasure from hearing them anymore. Nevertheless, this is a strong contender for most iconic album of the last 15-20 years with an insane collection of hit singles.

This came out just after I broke up with my ex, and brought back a lot of memories from that time. Due to current issues this was quite painful to listen to. It's brilliant though, Adele has a powerful voice and some touching lyrics. I understand why this is one of the best selling albums in Britain of all time.

Bello, ma un po' monotone le lyrics

The arrangements, instruments, and vocals are great. The pathos is overbearing, but maybe it was cathartic. Schadenfreude is the nature of this beast, unless you’re going through the same thing, I would guess. Still, very good overall.

Very good

Great album - didn't quite make the grade for a 5 but so very close

I'm not strong enough to resist Adele or a power-pop break up album! But the Lovesong cover just makes me want to listen to the Cure.

Still not my favorite genre but a very good album. Definitely better than 25.

Svakalega vönduð og flott plata hjá Adele. Ótrúlega þroskuð.

Incredible voice and incredible album. The biggest thing for me that takes it down to a 4 (and one of the reasons I like 25 over this one) is just that I’ve never been a fan of rolling in the deep. I know it’s a very cold take but there’s always just been something about it that I haven’t jived with and since it’s like the main single from this album I’ve got to take it down one star. But otherwise incredible variety and vocals here.

4/5

Her second album. Pop. Rolling In The Deep is a great opening track. The vocals are superb and a good beat. At the time of recording this album she was only 21 and a talented singer songwriter. The production is as slick as can be. Before Adele became somewhat of a cliche, there was this. Top ballads and a great voice. This isn't even my kind of thing but I can't deny how good it is.

I knew Adele at 25 years old, so now it's time to figure out who she was at 21 years old. I really enjoy this album, and as usual, her voice is fantastic. It made me nostalgic for my early college days. Favorite Track: "Rolling In The Deep".

A classic record that stands the test of time. However, I did feel like somewhere around the middle of the album, there are a couple of filler songs. Remarkable album, solid four-and-a-half stars.

A bit too sad for me

Cool cure cover, a lot of bangers. Deserves a 4.5

4.2

I love that the guy from Semisonic cowrote Someone Like You

The maturity of delivery and vocal quality of Adele at the age of 21 will always amaze me. Remarkably talented. The album is solid from beginning to end, but seems to really just stay in the same wheelhouse. Nothing wrong with knowing what you do best, but, for me, I like to hear artists explore a bit further. Musical quality great, musical variety not so much. Rounded up 3.5 stars for how hard “Rumour Has It” kicks.

I am certainly not a fan of the 2000's pop era....but this is such a finely crafted album with great vocals, of course, and also some really good songs. It starts out in great soul-rock fashion with "Rolling in the Deep" and "Rumor Has It." There are some forgettable, samey songs after that but the arrangements and orchestrations really elevate songs like "Set Fire to the Rain." And, come on, "Someone Like You" is a great song, even if it was played ad nauseum and you couldn't escape it in 2011. The passion and conviction in her voice really sells it. Just an all around solid pop album that was a pleasure to listen to again.

Conocia de Adele solo sus hits y fue una grata sorpresa escuchar este álbum. Aquí se ve lo virtuosa que puede ser su música y me sorprendió enormemente en varias partes el álbum, una escucha satisfecha.

I had no idea I knew this many Adele songs. Awesome album. Best song: Rumour Has It

Surprisingly good. Great voice, comfortable and well crafted pop songs. Someone Lile You is immense

mostly I liked it, some of the tracks were a bit too R&B for my tastes

I have to admit I’ve never heard her before and only barely heard of her, as i switched off from pop music decades ago. I expected, then, to hear another of these little girly fantastic-plastic voices like many of the other blonde popsicles preceding her. So i was pleasantly surprised by her presence and big ‘real woman’s’ voice. This was no popsicle! The songs themselves don't speak to me but she well and truly earns her place on this rather dubious list.

Really good album and its really easy to see why. Adele is a very powerful singer, the songs are really memorable and for a mainstream pop album the production is very well done

First half I wanted to cry with each and every song. This is all thanks to the incredible sound of Adele’s powerful voice. So many hits as well?! I also fell in love with turning tables, he won’t go and lovesong. Great album!

In 2011, right after my sophomore year of college, I broke up with my longterm, long distance girlfriend. It definitely blindsided her, even tho it was something I had been contemplating for a while. When I got home, I remember my sister shared this CD with me. I listened to it on my laptop and wept, feeling that each lyric was written specifically to stab me in the heart for what I had just done. I guess I’m speaking to the universality of Adele. It’s pop music, but it’s damn good pop music.

I remember my younger sister listening to this a lot when it came out. Good album, a couple great hits and a couple legendary ones. Not really an album I see myself coming back to but nonetheless still good

Nice

Pretty good album, incredible voice. She really just has that “it” thing that only a few vocalists seem to have. Don’t like it enough to listen to it often, but definitely a good listen.

Det är Adele!

In 21 Adele finds a great balance between soul and pop, being mostly driven by her powerful and emotional vocals. It's a melancholic and often sad album, and it delivers very well that vibe. The understated and minimalist production compliments Adele's voice very well, giving her a lot of space to shine and carry the project. Most of the tracks are very good, there's of course very well known tracks like "Rolling In The Deep", "Set Fire To The Rain" and "Someone Like You", which remain as hard hitting and catchy as when they released. I particularly liked the lesser known ones from the second half like "He Won't Go", "Take It All" and "I'll Be Waiting", the latter bringing a much needed dose of higher energy. I didn't like much the country-influenced "Don't You Remember"and while I liked the "Lovesong" cover, I felt like it didn't quite match the level of the original. Overall it's a great album. My only drawbacks are the couple of songs mentioned before, and the tone can be a bit one-dimensional (and sad).

Great, but not my taste.

Of course this is one the list, of course she’s a great singer and writer, of course the production is fantastic, but the thing that really gets me is that she did all this at 21. It’s almost unbelievable. It’s not even my cup of tea but gotta give massive credit where it’s due.

3.5 stars. They’re overplayed for a reason. She’s undeniably very talented.

3.75.

4.5. iconic timeless bangers. a few songs were skips.

This album was super popular when I was in high school so I associate this heavily with that time. Better than I remember it being. Obviously Adele has an amazing voice, so it’s a very easy listen. Some songs in the middle of the album did kind of blend together for me. Overall, a very good album.

This is an album in two halves: the first half is a belter - “Rolling in the Deep” still sounds as good as it did the day it was released and begins an almost perfect run of tracks, any of which would be strong enough to release as singles. The second half of the album loses some of that momentum for me, and isn’t as strong. It took me a minute to realise “Lovesong” was a (quite nice) cover of The Cure and, of course, “Someone Like You” will forever be the heartbreak anthem of the 2010s, and is the standout track at the back-end of the album.

4.5 stars. Really well made pop album. Has a few absolute bangers, a couple earworms (Rumor has it will be in my head all day) and some beautiful piano ballads. Adele's voice is unique and amazing as always, and never too show-boaty. Her vocals always seem to match the song well. Main thing holding it back from 5 stars is that it just didn't evoke any intense emotional response that makes an album really stick with me. Its almost too polished for that. Great listen though.

I've never been a fan, but you can't deny quality. I'm definitely going to be listening to more of Adele :)

adele? adele ist die queen. ich liebe liebe liebe dieses album. Von den bereits bekannten songs bis zu den die ich nicht kenne. Lovesong hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Es ist einfach krass und echt erstaunlich, dass adele nur 21 war als dieses album rauskam.

Beautiful voice, though admittedly a bit boring at times.

Classic

While i listened to it I def loved the production and her voice is as good as people say. However, I forgot this was meant to be i guess sad? Maybe its her lyrics or maybe I read the tone wrong but for its intention, I don't see it. Still, great music overall

Alright, confession time: I didn’t expect to like this at all. When I first saw the album cover — Adele’s hand on her face, that grayscale melancholy oozing out like she’s about to read me a diary entry I didn’t ask for. I braced for a flood of maudlin ballads and overwrought wailing. But it caught me off guard in the best way. Dramatic without being cheesy. Honest without trying too hard. Basically, it’s what everyone else tries to do when they say they’re making a “mature” record. So yeah. I liked it. Adele, of all people, got me. I’m just as surprised as you are.

Great album. beautiful voice.

It’s good 👍. I don’t think I can say anything that hasn’t been said about 21, but the hits hit hard and the rest are generally so so. Still, the quality of the production is set high and Adele’s voice is soulful and captivating.

Every song is great more or less. I have to be in the right mood, but stands the test of time

I actually never head this (or any Adele album) before despite knowing "Rolling in the Deep", "Rumour Has It", and "Someone Like You" via their early 10s ubiquity. Overall, I think this is really good -- I think Adele is a great singer and I think the retro-modern style she employs on "Roliing in the Deep" and "Rumour Has It" is really cool. If I had one complaint about it (and Adele is far from the only singer guilty of this) is the sort of over-reliance on somber ballads. Still, there's some great stuff here and nothing really bad. Standouts for me are "Rolling in the Deep", "Rumour Has It", and "Don't You Remember" (which was cowritten by Dan "Closing Time" Wilson). 4 stars.

Overall the album is immense, and is just scratching the line for a 5/5 album. Multiple highlights like Rolling In the Deep, Set Fire to the Rain and Someone Like You which have become classics, as well as songs like Turning Tables, Don't You Remember which were personal highlights. Furthermore songs like Rumor Has It which showed an interesting and brief tempo change 2/3 way through and gave slightly Bond-esque vibes foreshadowing a future Skyfall and One and Only which showcased some more raw vocals in mini-riffs. There were also some more dud songs like Take It All and He Won't Go or I'll Be Waiting which were less of duds, but noticeable based on the heavy-hitting album. As such, this will get a 4.5/5 being extremely close to a 5/5 but getting bumped down to 4 as 5/5 are exclusively reserved for a 5.

Very good album. Her powerful vocals are always a treat to listen to. A couple of timeless classics bookending the album. Not quite a 5 but up there for sure.

This album had a really interesting history in terms of production. The songs recorded as demos end up being the best versions/songs on the album and the Rick Rubin produced songs are the weakest on the album. The various production ideas come through when listening but not in a good way. I thought this would be a nailed on 5 but it's no Thriller. Great vocal and 5 top tier songs. 4/5.

Great album. So many hits. I think one and only Might be my favourite but hard to choose. I hadn’t heard this album in a while so this was a nice surprise.

The album was massive. It's my favorite of her three albums. Her voice is incredible. The ballads get a bit tedious for me, perhaps because this album was so ubiquitous. I prefer the pop songs, but still awesome.

Staggering how massive the hots on this thing are

Haven't listened to Adele for some time, but when you listen to this you realise what an amazing talent she is (was?). Fantastic selection of songs, different styles and that amazing voice. Loved hearing it again.

Got to be honest, I didn’t listen to this. I’ve heard it a lot. Great album though.

Vocal masterpiece, many great songs

Sad banger

Phenomenal voice and great songs. Sometimes people sell boatloads of albums because of their undeniable talent.

bonus points for covering a the cure song 👍

Twenty one

Favorite: Rolling in the Deep This album is iconic

Changed pop vocals forever.

I really like this album. Adele can sing the damn paint off the walls, but beyond that, the production is big where it needs to be, and sparse where it doesn't. Some of the "not massive" songs drag a little, but not enough to detract from this being a fine listen.

This is the album that has been in the charts the longest ever in my country. 613 weeks and counting. That's almost 12 years. Over 100 weeks more than the runner up, Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. It's good, but it has too many too similar piano ballads to be 5 star. Favorite song: rolling in the deep

Bangers

I would say more like 3.5 since this isn't one I am going to put on my to-buy list, but Rolling in the Deep definitely bumps it up to 4

all time classic

-Heavy focus on the singing -Simple instrumentals strong vocals, overall okay, but it's noticeable that there wasn't much put into the other parts of some songs as they just relied on her singing

What a beautiful soulful voice. I could listen to her for hours.

I liked it more than I expected. That said, I knew way more if it than I thought k would. Obviously the hits are the best songs on the album. Adele’s cover of lovesong may be my favourite version

Its nice

Didn’t think I was going to like it, but pleasantly surprised!

I played “I’ll Be Waiting” three times in a row; was that even a single? The point is, 21 goes deep. The hits are obvious but there are no bad tracks on the record. And Adele’s voice still hits like a train. Goddamn can she belt! The album’s lost none of its impact fourteen years on.

Me, a 40 year old male engineer with a beard, driving home from gym: "Set fi-iiiii-reee, to the raaaaaainnnn".

Einerseits positiver bias weil ich es sehr mochte als meine Mutter damals die CD geschenkt bekommen hat, andererseits negativer bias weil ich das Album so gehasst habe weil sie es SO VIEL und SO LAUT gehört hat. Aber das gleicht sich schön aus, insgesamt ein super Album.

Nothing bad and a few very good songs here.

Great

💘

A lot to like about this album but short of a 5 cause too many songs are too dreary and about the same subject matter. Stand out song - rumour has it

Now this is what you call a modern classic! This is the kind of 2010s pick you see on the list and think "Yeah. That makes sense. Good pick." Why is that? Oh, I don't know. This album's only the best-selling album of the 21st century and the 17th-best-selling album of all time at a reported 31 million sales. Combine that with its legendary singles and Adele's fairly strong legacy and you've got an album that feels like a shoe-in for a list of must-listen albums. But does the quality of 21 back up its inclusion? Yeah! It does! The 21 hype was warranted. This album's pretty great. I wouldn't call it my favorite album of the 2010s. It's pretty hard to top something like TPAB after all. But 21 is still an album that's worth the listen. It's pretty clear to me know why Adele managed to be a huge success at this time. It's powerful yet sophisticated. Adele is not a flashy or over-the-top character. She feels like a person and not a product of the music industry. It helps that the album focuses on relatable themes pertaining to love and heartbreak, making this work well as a breakup album. The sound of 21 also plays a part here. Think back to the music of the late 2000s and early 2010s. "Recession Pop" if you will. Everything was all upbeat and flashy and, well, poppy. 21 was different. It's got soul to it. You listen to a ballad on here like the closer, "Someone Like You" and feel the emotions that a song like this demands. It's some good stuff. And to think that she made this at only 21 years old. Crazy. Of course, the album doesn't work if the songs are bad. Fortunately, they're all good. Of course, you have the big hits like the aforementioned "Someone Like You" and the endlessly iconic "Rolling in the Deep," but the "deep" cuts here are still good too. Shoutouts to the cover of the Cure's "Lovesong." Not as good as the original, but I respect the idea of covering a song like this on an album like this. The production's not the best, but it's mostly good. The lyrics are nice. Maybe a little repetitive but it does make the album feel cohesive. The songs themselves have good variety though. Is it fair to call this album timeless? I think so. It's not quite "peak music" but to say that 21 is a bad album would just be insane. High 4/5.

Adele’s best album for sure. Despite being 21 she sounds so mature and perfect

forgot how many bangers live on this!

This is incredible. Powerful, heart wrenching, catchy, yes some cheese, and simple. Perfect songwriting and execution. My first listen to the full record and will return for future listens. My 5-year old also took my headphones at 9:30PM on a Sunday night while doing the dishes to listen to “Rumour Has It” and it was so pure, she was so excited. So, this album gets that memory now. ♥️

there’s a reason it’s been overplayed and didn’t need to revisit but good for you girl

Such a solid album. No filler and still feels pretty timeless. 'Don't You Remember' is the sleeper ballad I dream about belting out to in karaoke. It's still not a 5 for me for some reason, but it's close...

Screaming at the top of my lungs or nothing

Evidently I'm a sucker for Adele as I enjoyed 21 even more than my surprisingly highly-rated 25. Something about her vocals strike a chord with me as I found myself drawn in through pretty much all 48 minutes of this album. She manages to effectively meld emotional lyrics with engaging pop music somehow which is a fine line to walk. I had mild exposure to a couple of the hits over the years but didn't realize how deep 21 is as I found myself recognizing quite a few tracks off this album. I wasn't surprised to see this listed as a #1 chart topper and Grammy winner and agree that it deserves its props. Can't believe I'm saying but it's pretty clear I'm a bigger Adele fan than I expected, far beyond just her title track from Skyfall. 3.81 stars

At the start of the week I was complaining about how I hadn’t had any female-lead albums. I’ve now had four this week, which I’m very happy about. Adele has such an incredible voice. It really suits the music that she makes. This album has some massive songs on it, and some I hadn’t heard before. I enjoyed most of them! Overall: 4/5

My wife owns this album on CD. It's the pinnacle of 21st-century Pop. You'll never catch me listening to it; I consider it "chick music," but it's full of earworms, and Adele has an incredible voice.

Overall a great, easy listening album that shows why Adele reached the heights she has.

Adele has such a special voice. It seems like she’s never fully unleashed and yet she outshines nearly every other singer. The lyrics have a sincerity and continuity to them that immediately recognizable.

21 is potentially everything that is wrong with modern music: meaningless, soulless, overplayed pop. But to say it does not hit unbelievably hard is just a lie. That 5 song run from ‘Rolling in the deep’ to ‘Set fire to the rain’ is banger after banger. Lovesong is such a good cover of the original Robert must have been punching the air and ending the album on ‘Someone like you’ is fire.

Really good. Great voice, pleasant pop songs.

Absolutely love her singing voice, I mean, who doesn't? My one issue with the album as a whole is it lacks that edge that most soul music does. It was a little shaped to fit a global palette and it certainly worked. Otherwise amazing album. Also she covers The Cure, that alone adds a star.

Adele has such a powerful and amazing voice didn’t think this one would be as good as it was but this was a great album turning tables was a favourite

21 is an album made for the masses—and it works. Adele’s voice is undeniably powerful, and this album is where it truly shines. In my opinion, 21 is her best work, packed with some of her biggest and most iconic hits. The production is polished to perfection—maybe even too polished at times, teetering on the edge of being overproduced. Still, it serves the songs well and showcases Adele's emotional range. You can really feel what she’s thinking and going through with every track. The heartbreak is raw, the delivery honest. Favorite Song: Of course, the big hits like Rolling in the Deep and Rumour Has It are classics, even if they’ve been played to death. But a personal standout for me was I’ll Be Waiting—it’s musically brilliant and has a great Northern Soul vibe that adds something fresh to the album. Least Favorite: This might be an unpopular opinion, but Someone Like You just doesn’t do it for me—it’s slow, and I find it quite boring. Album Artwork: A classic Adele cover—simple, emotive, and instantly recognizable.

I think this album is far superior to 25. Vocal range seems larger, and more fresh, raw, emotion. Close to 5 stars.

8/10

8/10

Adele really is quietly one of the best artists of the twenty-first century. just extremely solid with some absolutely MASSIVE hits sprinkled in

This album isn’t new to me, it was nice to listen to it again.

Classic pop record.All songs are great .Listened to this many times when it originally came out

I'm kinda pro adele

Turning tables and the lovesong cover are *chefs kiss*

Fantastic hits. Only ding that there’s a few boring songs on here

One of those albums where I'm rating it off of aggregate enjoyment and appreciation over time, rather than how much I enjoy listening to it in this particular moment. Packed with hits, but those have been played to death. I'm trying not to let that affect my score. It's the best selling album of the 21st century for a reason.

Pretty terrific album. Surprising probably nobody.

Probably Adele’s best album. Lots of hits.

One of the great voices in music

87/100.

Came out of the box with a banger and then kinda evened out for me. Still very solid.

Adele is a queen and this is her reigning album. There were some misses for me, so not a perfect album. But I just love me some Adele.

The pipes on this woman...

Excellent album! 4 big hits: Rolling In The Deep Rumour Has It Set Fire to the Rain Someone Like You. I also like: He Won't Go Take it All I'll Be Waiting Lovesong

LORD. NOSTALGIA MIGHT PLAY A FACTOR BUT DID I CRY. ROLLING IN THE DEEP HAS BEEN OVERPLAYED THO. 4

It's hard to have too strong of an opinion on Adele which confuses me as to why some of the reviews here are so polarizing. It's very competently made albeit pretty sterile pop with a few smatterings of soulful slowness. Very easy to listen to just not really much to consider a favourite

Music to make fat women feel empowered when their jobless boyfriend cheats on them.

4.5/5. Powerful voice, this album took the world by storm when it first dropped.

Let’s face it - she’s mega talented. 4 stars (but only because it’s not one of my all time faves / my typical genre)

Great album, the singles are the best songs but the whole cd was worth the listen.

not really my vibe but kinda bangs

21 was a great album much to my surprise. I think this project made me have a greater appreciation for Adele in my 20s than i did when i was a pre-teen during Adele's prime and listening to both this and 25 really helped with that. While i don't think that this album is as good as 25, i still think it is still a great listen with beautiful music, great songwriting and vocals which i now like far more than i did during my pre-teen years. This album did have a good diversion with I'll Be Waiting and had a cover of The Cure's Lovesong which it always shocks me when pop albums have cover songs but this cover was still very good. I liked this album quite a lot more than i thought i would have. Best Song: Rolling in the Deep Worst Song: Don't You Remember

[7/10]

this was actually quite good even though i didnt expect much from it.

It's pretty good, I like it, but I'm not sure what it says that my favorite song on the album is a cover.

I’m not even a huge Adele fan but this is such an accomplished album and also giving extra stars for the amount of American centric reviews without any idea of British cultural/musical influence.

A lot of her songs sound the same but man her voice is way too good to not enjoy listening.

Great album

Powerful and sad.

Parę fajnych kawałków, do tego cover the Cure :)

Singles are classics - easily 5* and beyond Lots of the album tracks have faded a little bit to time moving on - production a little staid, still the voice is always incredible, some of these would be 3* though (perhaps lower) Overall a strong 4* - which still feels harsh given the heights it reaches

Rolling in the Deep 4 Rumour Has It 3.7 Turning Tables 3.5 Don't You Remember 3.7 Set Fire to the Rain 4.1 He Won't Go 3.7 Take It All 3.6 I'll Be Waiting 3.8 One and Only 3.7 Lovesong 3.4 Someone like You 3.4 Score: 3.690909091

What a voice, what an album, so many hits !!! but this album lacks a bit of energy, which would probably hurts the poetry of this album, to qualify for 5 stars. I already have listened many time this album with great pleasure... but I rediscovered that it also contains a few tracks that I had forgotten because they are not at the level of the album. It would be a small album, okay, but we are talking about a great album here. So I'll stick to 4 stars. Adèle, if you're reading this (the head I have writing this...), call me to improve on your next album and thus get the 5th star!!

ich bin kein.hater

Nostalgie + actually gut. Best: Rolling in the deep, Lovesong (w the cure)

Incredible voice, a great diva album start to finish

Classique fin de secondaire/début cégep vibe. Ben ben nostalgique. J'ai jamais écouté l'album au complet

slow danced to the sound of Adele's and my girlfriend's voices on this Friday afternoon.

What a throwback!! Half of the album slaps, the other half is just alright.

Rolling in the Deep // Turning Tables // Set Fire to the Rain // Someone Like You 3.5/5

2nd album of Adele’s that has come onto my list, her voice is incredible and frankly an underrated artist. This album was what really got her charting in the day. Rolling in the deep, rumour has it and set fire to the rain are just great. 8/10.

Great pop record. Great vocals from Adele.

Almost hard to believe this is not a best-off album. The Cure cover lovesong is marvellous

A lot of great songs on this one. Just not my style to listen to it in full length

songs from this album bring back distinct memories of sitting in the Barnes & Noble in the Christiana Mall and killing time for hours on end while we waited for my dad to get off work. It was around 7th or 8th grade that this was on repeat over the intercom speakers in the store. It has a nostalgia for me that is only highlighted by Adele's skill.

Familier with this one. Didn't have the time to re-listen to it yesterday, but it is by no means a bad album. Quite good actually! Should probably find some time to re-listen.

Some great songs on this album. Personal favourite is Rollin In The Deep 4/5

so overplayed but it is ultimately pretty good

Starts strong and finishes strong, with a bit of filler in the middle

Excellent

Great album

Heard 25 previous to this. I think 21 is a more organic, soulful album. Love the arranging

Adelle's finest year. An album full of bangers. One has to overlook that dreadful Cure cover though. I can actually listen to this album with some modicum of enjoyment still and remember the time she had talent.

Very good album with some belters in it 9/10

Great album, but a bit tiring to the ears. My favourite songs are usually the least popular, with "One and only" being my top choice. Probably my most favourite album of hers.

Wow - I expected sickly sweet crooning, but she belts its out. What a remarkable voice and some really solid songwriting.

3.7 2x not exactly my favorite, but hard not to say this was a solid album

Great female singer. Great songs. Needs to record more.

honestly this may have become my new favorite guilty pleasure album cause god damn adele can sing

This list made an Adele fan out of me. I don't think I would have ever given her albums a chance without being forced to. She's got one hell of a voice and musical sense of timing.

Reminds me of very tumultuous times - listened to this back then because it gave me the feels. Still gives me some feels.

Didn't love this one as much as 25, but still a lot of beautiful songs on here.

I knew I’d enjoy this one because I already knew a lot of the songs but there were also a couple I’d never heard that I loved (Don’t you remember/one and only). Beautiful.

5/5 performance, 3/5 originality, 4/5 listen.

Not sure how to rate this. For what it is, it's clearly a great album. It's very much not written for me, and that's OK. On its own merits it works. Several songs work really well - there's a reason why Rolling in the Deep, Set Fire and Someone like you are still played to this day, and I really enjoyed the production of Rumour Has It. At the same time, a lit of the filler tracks are forgettable, and I'm not sure the Cure cover was necessary. A low 4, but knowing that others would get a lot more from it.

some really good songs, some less good

So many WBLI bangers from High School. One of the better piano focused performers of the modern age, not to mention her story telling and vocal quality. A lot of it seems silly to me since I was NOT into Adele when I was 16, but credit is certainly deserved. I'll Be Waiting surprise banger of the album

Perfect album for my one year of listening. One I would have played for me by my mom in the car when I was a kid. Very nostalgic.

Well, that’s gorgeous, but I can’t get rid of that feeling there are too many mainstream hits on it. Anyway, Someone Like You is one of the most touching songs ❤️

Five cracking singles tiptoe this album into the 4/5 category

What a queen. I have definitely heard some of these songs too many times at this point, but I can hardly blame the album for that. I was surprised by the lesser-known tracks here, which were also very enjoyable. Although some parts come across as too polished or safe, I still think this is a great record.

I was surprised by this, I genuinely enjoyed it, save for a couple of duller tracks. Really holds up. Favorite Tracks: Rolling In The Deep, Turning Tables, Lovesong, Someone Like You

The album loses some steam in the second half, but Rolling in the Deep is so good that it can basically carry this album on its own

Pretty great, no bad songs but mixing wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped.

Como se nota cuando un artista pone su corazón en cada palabra que sale de su boca. No es cantar por cantar. Es expresar la letra de la canción con todo el sentimiento que requiere. Increíble album de POP con baladas clásicas al mas estilo SOUL.

That voice. Incredible talent. When she wails it is moving.

Besides a powerful voice, Adele sings from the very subtle mind deep within her heart. And who doesn't need the occasional lover-scorned anthem as a dose of empathy?

Side one is chock full of hot tracks that show the full arsenal of what Adele brings to the table. Side two - aside from the Lovering cover - reprises her talents but of far less effective. But I left impressed and entertained. As good a modern vocalist as there.

Adele, Adele, A dell. The album that defined her. I would say it's good, but the transition from upbeat to ballad in some songs was not really great.

I generally feel the same way about this Adele record as I do about her follow-up, 25. But while this younger (well I guess older now) record is more drenched in its influences, with the sounds of the late Amy Winehouse seeping into a good chunk of the songs here, it ultimately has the better crop of songs. It also beats out 25 nostalgically speaking for me. 'Rolling In the Deep' perfectly meshes those soul revival sounds of the '2000s with the incoming ferocity and punch of 2010-era pop. 'Turning Tables' is a gorgeous power ballad and while this cover of 'Lovesong' is missing that iconic 'The Cure' bassline, the magnificent string arrangements make up for it. The call-and-response chorus of the blues-rocky 'Rumor Has It' works better than it has any right to and the closing 'Someone Like You' is classic Adele and its finest. And I mean classic. And, even at 21, she's an incredible vocalist. Probably my favorite Adele album, so many classic tunes here. Nothing mind-blowing or really all that innovative on the production end, sure, but, believe it or not, sometimes music can just be really good and that's it.

i’m surprised at how much i liked the non-single songs on this album! i don’t think ballads will ever quite be My Thing, but adele’s voice is beautiful and i cannot believe she was twenty one when she released this.

One of the best voices of the 21st century also some of her best songs on this album

I had this on 💿

Се погоди да ги знам сите песни од артист што никогаш своеволно не сум го пуштил низ дома. Треба да си бил во кома или глув за да не наидеш барем на една песна од албумов додека слушаш радио во кола или си во кафич. Ми текна на Боби пред 10 и кусур години, ми вика да ти кажам еден сон сакам, многу е ненормален. Вика, сонувам како ми доаѓа волк, ноќе е и во некоја шума сум, но наместо да завие, ја отвора муцката и од уста му излегува рефренот од Someone like you. До ден денес број 1 сон на сите времиња.

I can see why people love this album. I've listened to Adele's songs before, but not a whole album from start to finish. I'll give this a 4 because there were two or three songs that I didn't care for.

ooh i was not expecting dis. timbremässig zwar oft eppe ähnlich, aber harmonisch-melodisch soo abwechsligsriich. bin teilwiis 3-4mal überrascht gsi bis sich es motiv wiederholt het, bspw. turning tables: am aafang en chordloop, aber denn no 2 anderi akkordfolge, alli mit eigenem flavour. denn bi "next time ill be braver" nomal epis neus ide zweite hälfti vom lied. glaub ned dass sie selber Klavier spielt aber isch mega in sync mit ihrere stimm und brucht glaubs 9th-voicings, which i appreciate. ihri stimm wird mer nach 1x lose den laaangaam chli much wegem belte. lyrisch findis toll weil eigen

This was really good, but not as good as her album '25.' I did, however, recognized more songs on this album than I was expecting to. This was still easily a 4/5.

Solid. Adele's voice elevates the sometimes bland and boring music.

So many hits in this record. I've never been an Adele fan per say, but I do have a lot of respect for her. Powerful voice and her emotions are FELT.

this album was inescapable when it came out, and for good reason. the radio hits are showstoppers, and the album cuts are really, really good

Such a solid album. It's crazy how many hits came from this one album written by a 21-year-old.

Woman's got a set of pipes on her!!! A lot of dynamite singles, especially the opening and closing tracks.

Beautiful performance and some very well written songs. Did not remember that she even covered Lovesong, so that was a cool surprise and such an interesting choice of cover for this album.

BEST SONGS: - Rolling in the Deep - Rumour Has It - I'll Be Waiting - Someone Like You

Excellent album. Incredible voice.