Adele's 21 certified diamond

Adele has joined the exclusive diamond club - her album 21 has sold more than 10 million copies in less than two years.

The sophomore project was released in January, 2011, and earned Adele six Grammy Awards, including the prestigious Album of the Year, while her smash hit Rolling in the Deep claimed Record and Song of the Year.

The continued popularity of 21 has turned Adele into a permanent fixture on the Billboard 200 chart - the album has remained in the countdown since it debuted at number one in February, 2011 - and this month (Nov12) it sailed past the 10 million sales mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures.

Linkin Park's debut album Hybrid Theory and Usher's Confessions are the only other releases to reach the landmark so far this year (12), but they hit retailers in 2000 and 2004, respectively.

Ironically, the achievement makes Adele's 21 the 21st album in the history of Nielsen SoundScan to reach the feat. The company began tracking sales figures in 1991.