Adele has topped another chart as she was named the most popular act in the world.
The Hello singer leads a top 10 of recording artists across the globe compiled by an international music trade body.
Adele in 2011 (Jeff Christensen/AP)
British acts make up half of the top 10 artists on the 2015 list compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Adele, 27, is the third recipient of the IFPI global recording artist of the year award – an accolade that reflects an artist’s worldwide popularity across physical formats, downloads and streams.
Her place at the top of the chart was driven by the October release and subsequent global success of lead single Hello from her latest album 25.
The track was number one in more than 30 countries worldwide, including the US, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and the UK.
The album 25 followed in November and has notched up worldwide sales of over 15 million.
Other acts in the top 10 include Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Coldplay and Sam Smith.
Ed Sheeran (Ian West/PA)
Sheeran takes second place, one up from the third spot he occupied on the 2014 chart.
The singer, who released his second studio album x in June 2014, sold out Wembley Stadium on three consecutive nights last summer.
He also enjoyed a busy schedule of touring, award wins and personal appearances, whilst also launching his own record label, Gingerbread Man Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records UK.
At the Brits last February, he won the male solo artist and album of the year gongs, and in May he picked up an Ivor Novello Award for songwriter of the year.
Third on this year’s IFPI list is Taylor Swift, who topped the same chart in 2014.
Taylor Swift (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Swift had a busy 12 months as her 2014 release 1989 continued to dominate the worldwide charts, and she also embarked on a 85-date world tour.
Justin Bieber takes fourth spot and One Direction, the recipients of the 2013 global recording artist award, are fifth.
Coldplay are in sixth place, Maroon 5 are in seventh, Sam Smith is eighth, Drake is in ninth, and The Weeknd is at 10th place.
The global recording artist award and top 10 chart is the first and only ranking to accurately capture the popularity of artists across streaming channels, alongside digital and physical album and singles sales on a global basis.
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