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By the Official Charts Company’s 2021 UK ranking, Adele’s biggest songs were “Someone Like You” at No. 1, “Hello” at No. 2 and “Rolling In The Deep” at No. 3. That is a dated UK chart-sales-and-streams ranking—not a universal verdict on which songs are artistically best.
What are Adele’s most popular songs?
The Official Charts Company ranked these three songs at the top of its 2021 list of Adele’s biggest UK songs. Its reported chart-sales figures are UK figures from that list, not global sales or current streaming totals.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Adele: Complete 4 Studio Album CD Discography Collection (19 / 21 / 25 / 30) with Bonus Art Card | $69.36 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![21 [CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/411HHS-YJ+L._SL160_.jpg)
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21 [CD] | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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30 | $8.28 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Adele Cd Collection - 30 / 25 | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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25 | $14.61 | Buy on Amazon |
| Rank in 2021 UK list | Song | Reported UK chart sales | UK chart peak | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Someone Like You” | 3 million | Not stated in the cited 2021 ranking | 21 |
| 2 | “Hello” | 2.5 million | No. 1 | 25 |
| 3 | “Rolling In The Deep” | 2.1 million | No. 2 | 21 |
All ranking and chart-sales figures above come from the Official Charts Company’s 2021 list. The album placements are supported by the company’s entry for 21 and the Recording Academy’s overview of “Hello.”
How the three songs differ
“Someone Like You” — a piano-led ballad
The No. 1 song on the UK list is a sparse piano ballad and a centrepiece of 21. The Recording Academy describes it as a piano-and-vocal performance; it won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards. For a listener looking for Adele in a stripped-back, emotionally direct mode, this is the clearest starting point.
#1 Best Overall
“Hello” — the dramatic return
Opening 25, “Hello” pairs a ballad structure with a large-scale, dramatic sound. The Official Charts Company placed it second on its 2021 UK list and records a UK peak of No. 1. At the 59th Grammy Awards, it won Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
“Rolling In The Deep” — forceful, blues-inspired pop
The lead single from 21, “Rolling In The Deep” is the most forceful of these three in its production, with a blues-inspired character noted by the Official Charts Company. It ranked third on the company’s list, reached No. 2 in the UK chart, and won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 54th Grammy Awards.
Rank #2
Which one should you play first?
- For a spare, piano-centred performance: start with “Someone Like You.”
- For a sweeping ballad from 25: choose “Hello.”
- For a more driving, blues-inspired sound: choose “Rolling In The Deep.”
The ranking answers which songs led this particular UK measure; the best starting point depends on whether you want a quiet ballad, a dramatic return, or a forceful pop track.
Where the songs sit in Adele’s albums
Two of the three songs come from 21: “Rolling In The Deep” and “Someone Like You.” The album was released on January 24, 2011. “Hello” opens 25, making the three-song shortlist a useful path between two different album eras.
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For listeners who want the full context around the two 21 tracks, the official Adele US Store lists a 21 LP with both songs on its tracklist. The store page showed the LP as sold out when checked; availability can change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why 21 became an awards landmark
The Recording Academy retrospective on 21 reports that the album won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 54th Grammy Awards. Alongside “Rolling In The Deep”’s two major song awards and “Someone Like You”’s Best Pop Solo Performance, those wins place the album and its songs among Adele’s most recognized work.
Rank #4
- Adele Records
In a 2015 New York Times interview, quoted by the Recording Academy in its retrospective, Adele described writing 21: “It was horrible. I was miserable, I was lonely, I was sad, I was angry, I was bitter.” That comment concerns the album’s writing period, rather than explaining any one song.
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