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Our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list will look at a talented singer and songwriter. She has sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. Adele’s second album 21 is one of the world’s best-selling albums in the 21st century. It topped the charts for 24 weeks. It was the longest reign for a female artist at the time. That is quite a feat for someone new in the business. She has won numerous awards throughout her career. When Adele first started singing, she wasn’t a stick-figured model. She had a realistic shape. She was someone who gave people hope that you didn’t have to be a size zero in order to be a successful singer. She is beautiful without having to be a size zero.
Adele’s album covers are classy and respectable. She never dresses in scantily clad outfits. She also doesn’t flaunt her body the way other singers have done. Her beautiful face is enough to grab your attention. The photographers and artists behind her album covers show her in an excellent light. They were able to capture her beauty without her having to showcase her body in a scantily clad way. Adele’s album covers are easy to decipher. She doesn’t use any special effects or imagery to tell the story of the album covers. The photographers and artists keep things simple, so it is easy to see what is going on in the pictures. Adele has a lot of beautiful album covers to choose from in her catalog. Our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list will give you a chance to look at Adele from different angles.
# 10 – Chasing Pavements
The first pick on our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list is “Chasing Pavements.” “Chasing Pavements” is the second single from the 19 album. This import cd single album cover features a full body shot of the talented singer. She is sitting on a dark brown chair. She is wearing a long black shirt and black pants. Adele is leaning over to her left side. Some of her hair is pulled back while the rest of it is draped over her shoulders. The song is about finding happiness after finding out her boyfriend cheated on her. The album cover contradicts the theme of the song because she doesn’t look happy in the picture. Despite that, we picked this cover because it gives listeners a chance to see a full body shot of Adele.
Photographer Lauren Dukoff took a beautiful shot of Adele. She may not look happy in the picture, but the shot is beautiful. It looks like a shot a model would use in their portfolio. Lauren Dukoff used dark colors for the album cover. The light tone of Adele’s skin and the lettering brings out the darkness of the photo. Lauren Dukoff made it impossible to take your eyes off the singer. You will be immediately drawn to her face. Lauren Dukoff is best known for working with Adele. She has done numerous album covers for Adele. Lauren Dukoff has also worked with Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Katy Perry. “Chasing Pavements” was released in January 2008. The song peaked at number 21 on Hot 100. ”Chasing Pavements” sold over one million copies.
# 8 – Someone like You
The next pick on our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list is “Someone like You.” “Someone like You” is the second single from the 21 album. The song is about a woman coming to terms with the end of a relationship. This album cover reflects the pain she felt when she went through her breakup. This is a black and white photo of Adele. This is a profile shot of the singer looking to her right. She has her hair in a bun. Her right hand is on her chin. She is wearing a polka dot dress. Adele has a somber look on her face which coincides with the theme of the track.
Lauren Dukoff captured the perfect shot of Adele. Choosing a black and white photo was an excellent choice. It made the picture look powerful. The black and white photo makes a big statement. You can practically feel Adele’s pain through the picture. Adele wasn’t afraid to show everything. You can see that she has moles on her body that weren’t photoshopped out of the picture. Lauren Dukoff created a photo you can see on your desk. Lauren Dukoff had Adele posing in a natural pose. The picture makes you wonder what Adele is thinking. “Someone like You” was released in January 2011. “Someone like You” peaked at number one on Hot 100. The song sold over six million copies.
# 7 – Hello
Coming in at number eight on our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list is “Hello.” “Hello” is the first single from the 25 album. The song is about regret. This album cover fits the theme of the song. This is another black and white photo of Adele. This is a different photo of the singer because you can’t see her entire face. The left half of her face is in darkness while the right half of her face is shown. You can see the top of her hair. She has a sad look on her face as if she is trying to reach out to someone. Adele is holding a phone to her ear. She is holding the phone with both hands. Her nails are painted red.
Photographer Alasdair McLellan took a cryptic photo of Adele. Half of her face is out of the shot. He shined a little light on the right side of her face. Is it possible that the right side of her face is her best side? He took such a dark photo that the only light in the picture is from her face, phone and hands. There is nothing else focused in the shot to take your eyes away from the singer. The picture may be simple, but it says a lot. It will put you in the nostalgic mood that Adele was in when she posed for the picture. Alasdair McLellan is a photographer who has taken pictures for magazine covers. His signature shots are black and white photos. He is best known for working with Adele. “Hello” was released in October 2015. The single peaked at number one on Hot 100. “Hello” sold over seven million copies.
# 6 – Easy on Me
The seventh pick on our list is “Easy on Me.” “Easy on Me” is the first single from the 30 album. This song is about the pain she felt having to tell her son about leaving his father. This is a black and white photo of Adele. She appears to be looking through a rear view mirror. This photo features a shot of her eyes. You can’t see her whole face in the picture. You can see some of her hair as well as her earrings. In this picture, you can see the left side of her face. Her eyes look smoldering in the photo. Adele has taken multiple pictures for this single. We chose this album cover because it is original. It is not just a standard headshot. It has meaning behind it.
Photographer Charlotte Wales took an enigmatic photo of Adele. She chose not to showcase on Adele’s body or face. She only wanted to focus on Adele’s eyes. The picture tells a story. It tells the story about her leaving the past behind. She doesn’t want to deal with drama so she is leaving it behind. Adele is symbolically looking at her past as she is driving past it. Charlotte Wales captured a photo that will give you a lot to think about. She took a risk by only taking a photo of Adele’s eyes because she looked unrecognizable. If you didn’t know who Adele was, she could have been a different person. The risk paid off. The photo showcases how beautiful Adele’s eyes are. She looks as if she is staring into your soul. Charlotte Wales is a photographer who has done work on magazines. She has taken photos of numerous models. “Easy on Me” was released in October 2021. The single peaked at number one on Hot 100. “Easy on Me” sold over four million copies.
# 5 – Rolling in the Deep
The next pick on our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list is “Rolling in the Deep.” “Rolling in the Deep” is the lead single from the 19 album. The song is about a woman who is free of a bad relationship. She has no plans of getting back together with her former lover. This is a black and white photo of Adele. She is looking down in the picture. Her hands are folded over each other. She is wearing a black top. Her hair is pinned up. Adele is wearing her emotions on her face. She looks as if she is about to break down in tears. The photo is a vulnerable side of the singer.
Lauren Dukoff took a lot of black and white photos of Adele. The black and white photo adds to the mystique of the picture. The black and white photo makes Adele’s skin look flawless. She captured a breathtaking photo of Adele. She isn’t wearing much makeup in the picture. The photo highlights her thick eyelashes. Lauren Dukoff used a good blend of dark and light colors. The picture is mostly dark except for Adele’s skin, hair, and lettering. This looks like a portrait that could hang in a museum or art gallery. “Rolling in the Deep” was released in November 2010. The song peaked at number one on Hot 100. “Rolling in the Deep” sold over eight million copies.
# 4 – 30
30 is Adele’s fourth studio album. This album is about hope. She went through the trials and tribulations of divorce, motherhood and heartache. This album is an uplifting tale about getting through your struggles. This is a colorful album cover. It is like Lady Gaga’s Joanne album cover. This album cover features a profile headshot of Adele. She is looking to the left in the picture. The shot focuses on the right side of her face. Her hair is flowing down her back. She is in front of a blue background. If you relax your eyes, it looks as if she is in front of trees.
Photographer Simon Emmett took a picture of Adele as if he was taking a picture of a model. Adele looks glamorous in the picture. It looks like a magazine photo instead of an album cover. She is the star of the picture because there is nothing else in it but her face. The album cover doesn’t have her name or album title on it, so you only have her face to rely on in order to know that it is her project. Most album covers feature the name of the artists and/or the album title in order to know which album you are buying. Simon Emmett relied on Adele’s face to sell the album cover. 30 was released in November 2021. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. 30 features the singles “Easy on Me,” “Oh My God” and “I Drink Wine.” The album sold over two million copies.
# 3 – 21
The third pick on our list is 21. This is Adele’s second studio album. This album talks about heartbreak, healing and getting over the past. This is the album that made Adele a star. This is a black and white picture of Adele. This is a headshot taken from her shoulders up. Her head is leaning towards the right. Her hand is on her head. Her hair is in front of her shoulders. Her eyes are closed in the picture. It is a close shot of the singer. It is a revealing picture because it looks as if she is stressing over something. Adele was dealing with relationship issues, and it shows in the picture.
Adele did a wonderful job staying in character for the album cover. Lauren Dukoff captured an emotional picture of the artist. She has a light shining on Adele’s face to keep the photo from being too dark. Lauren Dukoff made Adele look like a supermodel. She captured Adele’s high cheekbones in a picture. Lauren Dukoff created an elegant photo of Adele. She may have been going through personal drama, but she still looks dazzling in the picture. 21 was released in January 2011. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. 21 features the singles “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone like You,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Rumor Has It” and “Turning Tables.” The album sold over 31 million copies.
# 2 – 25
25 is Adele’s third studio album. This album is Adele’s make up album. She wants to return to her old self. She wants to be in a happier place. Adele wanted to leave the music business because her personal life was getting to her. She decided to change her mind and continue with her dream. Her son inspired her to continue recording music. This photo is black and white. This is a headshot of Adele. It is a monochrome picture. Her hair is on her shoulders. She is wearing a black top. Her gorgeous eye stands out in the picture. This is a raw look at the singer. She wears very little makeup so you get the chance to see her natural beauty.
Alasdair McLellen captured a graceful photo of Adele. He managed to make her look like a model as well as an everyday citizen. This could also be a selfie of the star. He wants your attention to be on her eyes. She is wearing eye makeup, so your attention is drawn to her eyes. It is a very hypnotic photo of Adele. It is easy to get lost in her amazing eyes. She looks as if she is in a trance. Her lovely eyes will put you in a trance while you are looking at the photo. This is another album cover that doesn’t feature any lettering. The picture speaks for itself. 25 was released in November 2015. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. 25 features the singles “Hello,” “When We Were Young,” “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” and “Water Under the Bridge.” The album sold over 23 million copies.
# 1 – 19
The number one pick on our Top 10 Adele Album Covers list is 19. 19 is Adele’s first studio album. This is the album that introduced the world to the incredible singer and songwriter. This album is about heartbreak and relationships. This is a color photo of Adele. This is a unique photo of the singer. She is shown from her nose up. The picture is taken from an angle instead of from the front. You can see the left side of her face while the right side is hidden in a shadow. The light is on the left side of her face. You can see her bangs, but the rest of her hair is hidden from view. Her eye is closed in the picture.
Hege Saebjornsen took a mysterious photo of Adele. We weren’t sure if he was trying to keep her identity hidden on purpose. Did the label want to keep her look hidden from the audience? As we mentioned earlier, she isn’t a stick figure, so we wonder if the label wanted the audience to judge her by her music instead of her appearance. You would never know that she isn’t a stick figure based on the photo. With that said, Hege Saebjornsen took a graceful shot of Adele. The picture is mainly dark except for her face and the lettering. 19 was released in January 2008. The album peaked at number four on Billboard 200. 19 features the singles “Hometown Glory,” “Chasing Pavements,” “Cold Shoulder” and “Make You Feel My Love.” The album sold over eight million copies.
Best Adele Album Covers article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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