Adele's second studio album, 21, is her second studio album. It was released by XL Recordings in Europe on January 24, 2011, and Columbia Records in North America on February 22, 2011. The album was called after the singer's age at the time of its recording. Adele began listening to American country and Southern blues music during the North American leg of her tour An Evening with Adele, and 21 shares the Motown/soul influences of her 2008 debut album 19. It also draws influence from the American country and Southern blues music Adele began listening to during the North American leg of her tour An Evening with Adele. The album, which was written following the singer's breakup with her then-partner, tackles themes of heartbreak, healing, contemplation, and forgiveness.

Adele started composing 21 in April 2009, while remaining in the relationship that would later inspire the album. She planned to produce a more joyful and modern follow-up to her first album, in order to depart from the melancholy feel of her first. However, due to a lack of creativity, studio sessions were cut short. She began producing soon after her relationship ended, channeling her sadness and depression into her music. Adele worked with a number of composers and producers, including Rick Rubin, the co-president of Columbia Records at the time, Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Jim Abbiss, and Dan Wilson.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 31.0

Eminem's fourth studio album, The Eminem Show, is his fourth studio album. Due to pirating and bootlegging, the album was released on May 26, 2002, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records instead of the intended June 4, 2002 release date. Eminem had a far more prominent part in the production of the album, with the majority of it being self-produced with his longtime collaborator Jeff Bass and Dr. Dre serving as executive producer. Obie Trice, D12, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Dina Rae, and Eminem's daughter Hailie Jade Scott-Mathers make cameo cameos.

The album uses more rap-rock than Eminem's previous albums, and its themes are mostly focused on Eminem's notoriety in hip hop culture, as well as his conflicted feelings about stardom. The album also includes political commentary on the United States, with references to 9/11, Osama bin Laden, the War on Terror, President George W. Bush, Lynne Cheney, and Tipper Gore among those mentioned. The Eminem Show was viewed as Eminem's most personal album at the time, and a step back from his Slim Shady alter ego, due to its less humorous and shock factor lyrical style.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 27.0

Norah Jones's debut studio album, Come Away with Me, was released on February 26, 2002, by Blue Note Records. Sorcerer Sound Studio in New York City and Allaire Studios in Shokan, New York was used for recording sessions.

Come Away with Me reached number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States and was nominated for Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. It was eventually certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 15, 2005, for shipments of over 10 million copies in the United States, and as of 2016, it had sold over 27 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 27.0

Adele's third studio album, 25, was released on November 20, 2015, by XL Recordings and Columbia Records. It is her third studio album. The album is referred to be a "make-up record" since it is a representation of her life and state of mind at the age of 25. According to a Rolling Stone interview with Adele, the song's lyrical substance includes themes of parenthood and regret, as well as Adele's "yearning for her former self, her nostalgia," and "melancholia at the passing of time." Unlike Adele's previous albums, 25 was produced with the use of electronic components and unique rhythmic patterns, as well as elements of 1980s R&B and organs.

Music critics praised the album's production and Adele's vocal delivery, however, others criticized its predictable style and Adele's lack of risk-taking. The album was eagerly anticipated and Adele's record firms pushed it with an elaborate marketing effort over five years after the release of her sophomore album, the worldwide successful 21.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 23.0

Evanescence's debut studio album, Fallen, was released on March 4, 2003, through Wind-up Records and Epic Records. The band signed to Wind-up in January 2001 after releasing three EPs and a demo CD. Fallen began writing songs shortly after the band was formed, and some of the tracks that would be on the album had previously been released by the band. Fallen was recorded in a variety of locales between August and December 2002, including Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. The album was then mixed for two weeks at Conway Recording Studios in North Hollywood. Evanescence's only album with guitarist Ben Moody, who departed the band later in 2003, is this one.

Fallen is the band's most financially successful album to date, having sold over 8 million copies in the US and over 17 million copies globally, making it the fifth best-selling album of the twenty-first century. It debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 in its first week, selling 141,000 copies, and peaked at number three in June 2003. The album has been certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and has topped the charts in over ten nations (RIAA).

Worldwide sales (in millions): 17.0

Back to Black is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with her then-ex-boyfriend and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who temporarily left her to pursue his previous ex-girlfriend. Their short-lived separation spurred her to create an album that explores themes of guilt, grief, infidelity, heartbreak and trauma in a relationship.

Winehouse worked with producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, as well as Sharon Jones' band The Dap-Kings, to capture the sounds of the 1960s while merging them with modern R&B and neo-soul music. Winehouse was influenced by the pop and soul music of 1960s girl groups. She recorded the album's tracks with Remi at Instrumental Zoo Studios in Miami between 2005 and 2006, and then with Ronson and the Dap-Kings at Chung King Studios and Daptone Records in New York between 2007 and 2008. At Metropolis Studios in London, Tom Elmhirst mixed the record.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 16.0

Let Go is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on 4 June 2002 by Arista Records. For a year after signing a record deal with Arista, Lavigne struggled due to conflicts in musical direction. She relocated to Los Angeles, where she recorded her earlier materials for the album, the sound of which the label did not approve. She was paired with the production team the Matrix, who understood her vision for the album. Critics described Let Go as an alternative rock album with a post-grunge-oriented sound.

In the United States, the album was certified seven times Platinum, making it the largest pop debut of 2002. It garnered mostly excellent reviews, while some people criticized Lavigne's songwriting. It also went very well in Canada, earning a diamond certification from Music Canada and going multi-platinum in a number of countries across the world, including the United Kingdom, where she became the region's youngest female solo artist to have a number-one album.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 16.0

Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on March 25, 2003, through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album that featured remixes of songs included on their 2000 debut studio album Hybrid Theory. The band collaborated with Don Gilmore to create the album. The name Meteora is derived from the Greek Orthodox monasteries of the same name. According to reviewers, Meteora has a sound comparable to Hybrid Theory, and the album took nearly a year to record. It's the first Linkin Park studio album after bassist Dave Farrell rejoined the band in 2000 following a brief stint with other groups.

In its first week, Meteora debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 810,000 copies. For more than a year, Linkin Park released songs from Meteora, including "Somewhere I Belong," "Faint," "Numb," "From the Inside," and "Breaking the Habit." Meteora got mostly excellent reviews, while several critics pointed out that the album's musical sound was similar to Hybrid Theory.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 16.0

Michael Bublé's Christmas is his seventh studio album, his fifth big label studio album, and his first Christmas release. The album was released in Ireland on October 21, 2011, in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2011, and in the United States on October 25, 2011. Christmas debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales list on December 10, 2011, becoming Bublé's third chart-topper after 2007's Call Me Irresponsible and 2009's Crazy Love. It stayed five weeks at the top.

With almost 14 million copies sold globally as of December 2021, this is Buble's most successful album, making it one of the best-selling albums of the twenty-first century. The album was also nominated for a Juno Award for Record of the Year, making it the first Christmas album to do so.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 15.0

Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions, is his fourth studio album. Arista Records published the album on March 23, 2004. The album was recorded between 2003 and 2004, with production handled by his longtime partner Jermaine Dupri, as well as Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Lil Jon, among others. Confessions is mostly an R&B album that shows Usher's crooning abilities through a combination of ballads and up-tempos that incorporate musical styles such as dance-pop, hip hop, and crunk. The album's themes sparked debate concerning Usher's personal connections; however, Jermaine Dupri, the album's major producer, asserted that the album mirrors Dupri's own personal experience.

The album sold 1.1 million copies in its first week in the United States. The album's special edition, which features the tune "My Boo," a duet with Alicia Keys, was released to bolster sales amid worries of bootlegging. Usher won multiple prizes with Confessions, including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Worldwide sales (in millions): 15.0