Adele's '21' Sets Highest Sales Figure Since Usher's 'Confessions'

    Dec. 28, 2011, 9:45 AM EST

    WENN

Adele's 2011 has ended on a high note: She's sold more albums in 12 months than any artist since Usher seven years ago.

The singer released her second disc, "21," in January and, boosted by a showstopping performance at the Brit Awards in February and the worldwide success of lead single "Rolling in the Deep," it enjoyed a long run on the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Sales figures for the year from Nielsen SoundScan show "21" has sold over 5.28 million copies in the U.S. alone, the highest annual sales since R&B star Usher's "Confessions" in 2004.

Lady Gaga's much-hyped "Born This Way" trails Adele with sales figures of 2.03 million, while Michael Buble's festive album "Christmas" sold 1.96 million copies.