Adele Vinyl Albums: Shopping Guide

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No matter who you are, where you come from, or how many times you’ve lyrically danced around the sun, you’ve probably heard of Adele—and not just because of her unique name.

The British-gone-worldwide musical sensation has been transcending hearts and musical boundaries since 2008. With seemingly mystical and effortless ability, Adele’s songs dive into the oceans of humanity and conjure waves of emotion. Don’t be surprised if some of that salt water ends up in your eyes.

Adele’s 15 Grammy wins, 18 nominations, and countless other accolades prove that she’s onto something. What better way to soak up this star’s magic than on high-quality vinyl?

Tune in, music lovers—we’re walking you through each of Adele’s albums to give you everything you need to know to shop Adele vinyl like a pro.

19 (2008)

You may have noticed that all of Adele’s album titles are numbers. What you might not know about those titles, however, is that each number indicates the age Adele was when she wrote most of the songs on that album.

It’s hard to believe that the singer was only 19 when she wrote her first household hits like “Chasing Pavements” and “Make You Feel My Love.” The soulful artistry and lyrical depth in this album are far beyond her time. It expertly marries blues, soul, folk, and jazz with influence from Etta James and Amy Winehouse.¹

Adele landed this debut album after graduating from the BRIT School for Performing Arts in 2006. XL Recordings, a British independent record label, discovered her music on MySpace and later produced 19.² Whatever they’re serving up at The BRIT school, we want a piece.

Notable Tracks

While the whole album is a must-listen, we’ve handpicked a few of our favorite tracks for your listening pleasure:

“Chasing Pavements” – This song catapulted Adele’s career from the UK into the US. It won Adele several awards at the Grammys, which is impressive for a new artist at the time.³
“Best For Last” – A deep track with an even deeper bassline. The raw strings accompanying Adele’s powerhouse voice will have you grooving as hard as the turntable itself. The pop-infused rhythm foreshadows the upbeat anthems in Adele’s later albums.
“Hometown Glory” – Adele wrote this song when she was only 15 years old about her hometown of West Norwood, London. Adele and the accompanying piano pluck notes of nostalgia that deeply resonate.
“Make You Feel My Love” – This song was originally recorded by Bob Dylan in 1997. Adele said in an interview in 2008, “The lyrics are just amazing, and summed up exactly what I’d been trying to say in my songs.”⁴ She certainly did it justice.

Check out your favorite tunes or discover new ones. Explore the record store!

21 (2011)

Adele’s famous second album probably conjures the image of her iconic black and white portrait that flooded shelves, playlists, and gift wrap in 2011. The album is teeming with award-winning tracks that made it the world’s best-selling album in 2011 and 2012. Some of the notable producers that produced this album include Ryan Tedder and Rick Rubin.

In 21, Adele carries over some jazz and soul roots from 19 while adding upbeat pop and R&B. The start and end of one relationship inspired this anthemic album.

Here are a just a few of many humble accolades for 21:

Ranked number one on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time.⁵
Ranked the best album of the year by a number of publications, including the Rolling Stones.⁶
Included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Notable Tracks

It’s difficult not to list every single track, but here are the ones we highly recommend you tune into on the turntable:

“Rolling in the Deep” – This song had listeners unapologetically performing karaoke until dawn for good reason. This upbeat track has the power to move a nation—and it did when it swept its category at the 2012 Grammys.³
“Rumour Has It” – This track is second on the album but certainly not playing second fiddle. Adele scorches this track with vengeful drums, storytelling, and prowess that remind us of Alanis Morissette’s feminist rock era. The song is about Adele’s struggles with friends believing rumors about her in the media. Fun fact: One of the producers of this track was Ryan Tedder.
“Turning Tables” – We simply cannot think of a better song to listen to on a turntable. In this track, Adele masterfully merges softness and slow-burning power. Listen closely, and you’re guaranteed to find poetic lyrics that cut deep over the string-swelling bridge.
“Set Fire to the Rain” – Adele has a knack not only for recorded masterpieces but live performances as well. Her performance of this song at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012 won the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.³
“Someone Like You” – This unbridled ballad topped the charts in multiple countries and swept through arenas, stages, talk shows, and TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Grey’s Anatomy, and Glee.

25 (2015)

The release of Adele’s third album was hugely anticipated after Adele announced she’d be taking a break from music shortly after 21. After some press and social media teasing, fans rejoiced as Adele said “hello” for the first time in 4 years. Whether it was fashionably late or right on time, 25 only confirmed that this London-born songwriter is here to stay.

In a social media post about the album, Adele pronounces this album as the “make-up” to the break-up album that was 21. “I’m making up with myself. I’m making up for lost time,” Adele said.⁸

Indeed, like a hug in musical form, this album invokes self-love, nostalgia, and healing guided by its blues, gospel, and folk influences. Adele covers life stages like the fear of growing older, regret, remorse, and early motherhood.

Upon the release of 25 in 2015, it was hard to turn on the TV and miss Adele’s face. She performed notably on Saturday Night Live and the Carpool Karaoke segment on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Notable Tracks

Rest assured, this entire album will have you California dreaming about who you used to be. But whether you need a feel-good beat or a ballad that tugs gently at your heartstrings, here are some of our favorite tracks to fit the bill:

“Hello” – Adele’s legendary opening to the anticipated third album, like a whisper in a crowd, had the world leaning in closely. The artist’s vocal reverence on this track is pure gold—just what that stylus is digging for.
“When We Were Young” – Adele ties together major tones and gospel style in this ballad to let us in on the raw, unfiltered nostalgia that comes with growing up and moving on. By the end of the song, we dare you not to feel that salt water we mentioned earlier prickling your eyes.
“Water Under the Bridge” – This track boosts the tempo from the rest of the ballad-heavy album with a pop-inspired beat that graced radio stations everywhere. The will-you-won’t-you storyline is relatable to so many as she battles whether or not to end a relationship.

30 (2021)

Within the first minute, Adele’s artistic expansion in her new album, 30, is clear. It’s an expert-level symphony of swelling strings, jazzy chords, and ethereal harmonies.

This musical expansion feels appropriate as Adele expands on real-life themes entering her thirties, such as her divorce, a strained father-daughter relationship, and sweet-and-sorrowful lullabies to her son.

In an interview with Apple Music, Adele admits that she went “to hell and back” in creating this album.⁹

This highly anticipated album also attracted talented producers, such as Max Martin and Tobias Jesso Jr. Because of how good the tracks were, the vinyl sales of the album amounted to 41,000 copies upon its release.

Notable Tracks

Check out these life-changing tracks on the Adele vinyl album, 30:

“Easy on Me” – If you’ve turned on the radio in the last six months, you’re guaranteed to have heard—and maybe stirred up some emotions over—this single. The song has feelings of coming full circle after millions of fans have journeyed with the artist through fame, heartache, and growth. It might also delight you to know that Adele collaborated with Chris Stapleton on this single.
“Cry Your Heart Out” – “Cry your heart out, it’ll clean your face,” is the line Adele repeats in this song from a seemingly distant Reggae land. The lyrics cut deep despite its upbeat nature: a contradiction of elements well-suited for intimate vinyl sound.
“Hold On” – Caution: Get the tissues ready before starting this song. Adele’s vulnerability captures hearts all over the world, and this song is proof alone. Simple, raw, cutting lyrics over piano and light percussion is all that’s needed in the emotional healing journey of this track.

Immerse Yourself in Adele on Vinyl with Victrola

There’s no better way to experience Adele’s magic-infused musicality and compelling vocals than on vinyl. At Victrola, we combine class with innovation to bring you the highest quality music experience of any artist.

We offer a variety of styles, price points, and accessories to give you the most personalized music experience possible. Browse all Adele albums as well as hundreds of others to boost your collection.

Never found a record store that you like? It has never been easier to jump-start your vinyl collection with Victrola. Visit our record player inventory to start shopping. Here you can find some big names, such as Ariana Grande vinyl and Kanye West vinyl.

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