One of the '30 under 30'

Today in Music History: January 22

The step back in music for this day's spotlight goes back only a couple of years to one who has in a short period of time already left an indelible mark on the music industry. Overall, this recording artist has received 95 awards from 178 nominations. All that and more to come for someone under 30!

Welcome into the Spotlight...

Adele - 2012

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, aka Adele: a throwback, soulful sound made this recording artist an international success

Adele is one of those recording artists whose success has climbed higher and higher up the ladder of music success in just a few short years. In 2008, her debut album, 19, (her age when she recorded it) skyrocked the singer to fame. 19 resonated with American audiences so much that after an appearance on Saturday Night Live and taping of the show, the album rose from #40 on iTunes to #1 in less than 24 hours. Her follow-up album 21 (again named for the singer's age) showed no signs of disappointment. The album was a monster hit selling over 23 million copies worldwide. Adele swept the 2012 Grammy Awards, taking home six wins, including Album of the Year, named Billboard's top artist for 2012, and topped Forbes' annual list of the thirty brightest music stars under thirty years old, the '30 under 30'. 

Adele developed a passion for music early on even though there was no musical heritage in her family. She was a music fiend at the early age of 3 and became a big fan of Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald.  

"Chart music was all I ever knew. So when I listened to the Ettas and the Ellas, it sounds so cheesy, but it was like an awakening. I was like, oh, right, some people have proper longevity and are legends. I was so inspired that as a 15-year-old I was listening to music that had been made in the 40s."

2012 Adele broke an American chart record that has stood for years after being set by The Beatles and Pink Floyd. The singers second album '21' clocked up 16 weeks at number one on the US chart matching the success of the Titanic original soundtrack. '21', released last January had now beaten The Beatles' 'Sgt Pepper's' and Pink Floyd's 'The Wall', which had previously held the accolade with runs of 15 weeks at Number 1. The London-born singer had now sold over 6 million copies of '21' in America bringing her sales to over 17 million copies worldwide to date.

No.1 singles on this day...
[Click on the year for the songs that hit number one on the charts in the US during that year.]

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  1977 Stevie Wonder went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Wish', his 5th US No.1, it made No.5 in the UK.

• 1987 One hit wonder Steve 'Silk'Hurley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Jack Your Body', the first 'House' record to top the UK chart.

• 1994 Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'All For Love', a No.2 hit in the UK. Taken from the film 'The Three Musketeers'.

• 1994 D:Ream had their first UK No.1 single with 'Things Can Only Get Better', it stayed at No.1 for four weeks. In 1997 the track was adopted by the UK Labour Party as their theme for the 1997 UK General Election. Keyboard player Brian Cox became a renowned physicist and science broadcaster on the BBC.

• 2006 Arctic Monkeys scored their second UK No.1 single with 'When The Sun Goes Down', from their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. The song contains the line, "and he told Roxanne to put on her red light," a reference to The Police song, Roxanne.

No.1 album on this day...

1977 Wings went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Wings Over America', Paul McCartney's sixth US No.1 after The Beatles.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...