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Whenever you strike a party, one of the biggest problems is to make sure the music is always rocking, that nobody is looking around for the right disk in complete silence and that the good vibes are always in the air. Of course, you can spend all night sitting by your stereo system and switching tracks, but why not join the raving crowd?
Named for the age Adele was when she recorded the album, 21 marks the moment the perpetually brokenhearted singer reached the top of Britain's soul-revival scene. Full of gospel-tinged pain, remorse and longing, 21 is a nuanced breakup album that is steeped in sadness but never veers into cornball territory (a balance struck with particular grace on the album's biggest tearjerker, "Someone like You"). These are songs of solace for the lovelorn, whether you're the dumper or the dumpee.
Information contained in the Top 100 Seventies Singles was excerpted from The Top Ten by Bob Gilbert and Gary Theroux (New York: Fireside, 1982), The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll ed. by Patricia Romanowski, Holly George-Warren and Jon Pareles (New York: Fireside, 1995), and The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson (New York: Billboard Publications, 1988).
Published: Jan. 19, 2012 at 9:14 PM