The reign Adele’s ’21′ may have ended in the UK but its domination continued in the US. In fact, album has achieved the near impossible by returning to the top of the Billboard 200 for a 24th week, thus matching the chart rule or Prince & the Revolution’s ‘Purple Rain’.

With 30% boost in sales, ’21′ has reclaimed the #1 slot on the Billboard 200 for a 24th week and matched the leading streak of Prince & the Revolution’s ‘Purple Rain’, which ruled the listing the same length of time in between 1984 and 1985.  In fact, ’21′ is now ranked as the 4th longest-running #1 album in the history of the Billboard 200.

Thus far, ’21′ has sold over 3.52 million copies in the US in 2012 as the only album to sell over 1 million copies this year. Moreover, with 68 consecutive weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the LP has amassed a total of 9.34 million copies since February 22nd 2011. It is placed as the 24th best-selling album of the SoundScan era (1991 to present).

In the UK, ’21′ has yielded over 4.34 million copies in sales and the 5th highest-selling album in the history of that territory. The record recently slipped out of the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart after 71 weeks.

See the leading releases in the top 10 of both Billboard 200 and the Hot 100 below:

Billboard 200

1. Adele – ’21′ – 75K (total: 9.34 M)

2. Alan Jackson - ‘Thirty Miles West – 73K (debut)

3. Beach Boys - ‘That’s Why God Made the Radio’ – 61K (debut)

4. Neil Young - ‘Americana’ – 44K (debut)

5. Big K.R.I.T. - ‘Live From the Underground’ – 41K (debut)

6. One Direction – ‘Up All Night’ – 40K (total: 779K)

7. John Mayer - ‘Born & Raised’ – 39K (total: 323K)

8. Curren$y - ‘The Stoned Immaculate’ – 36K (debut)

9. Carrie Underwood - ’Blown Away’ – 27K (total: 544K)

10. Brandi Carlile - ‘Bear Creek’ – 27K (debut)

 

Billboard Hot 100

1. Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’

2. Gotye’s – ‘Somebody That I Used to Know (Ft. Kimbra)’

3. Maroon 5 – ‘Payphone (Ft. Wiz Khalifa)’

4. fun. – ‘We are Young (Ft. Janelle Monae)’

5. One Direction – ‘What Makes You Beautiful’

6. Nicki Minaj – ‘Starships’

7. Flo Rida – ‘Wild Ones (Ft. Sia)’

8. Rihanna – ‘Where Have You Been’

9. Katy Perry – ‘Wide Awake’

10. Justin Bieber – ‘Boyrfriend’

Watch the Adele perform ‘Lovesong’ from ’21′ below:

Thoughts?