Adele’s comeback single “Hello” after a three-year hiatus became the first song to sell over 1 million digital downloads in a week in the US.
The Return
Released October 23, 2015, “Hello” shattered records: 27.7 million views in 24 hours (then-YouTube record), debut at #1 in 36 countries, and over 1.1 million downloads in its first week—the first song to cross the million-download threshold since tracking began.
The black-and-white music video directed by Xavier Dolan featured Adele using a flip phone, spawning countless memes about the anachronism. The song’s opening line “Hello, it’s me” became instantly iconic and widely parodied.
Album Lead
“Hello” served as lead single from 25, which sold 3.38 million copies in its first week (US) and won Album of the Year at the 2017 Grammys. Adele performed the song at the ceremony, breaking a microphone during rehearsals hours before.
The single won Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, cementing Adele’s position as the dominant voice of heartbreak ballads in the 2010s.
Sources:
- Billboard: https://www.billboard.com/
- YouTube Premiere Record: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHsXMglC9A