Adele, 1D and Ed Sheeran have the world's best-selling albums

'Hello' sensation Adele outsold the rest of the top five bestsellers around the world put together in 2015 with her latest studio album, '25'.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which is a global body representing the music industry, has confirmed that Adele's reports that her third album shifted a phenomenal 17.4 million units in 2015, despite the fact that it was only released in late November. The IFPI claimed that this offering helped to reverse “two decades of almost uninterrupted decline” in music industry sales.

Also leading the way in sales are Ed Sheeran’s album 'X', which came in second place at 3.5 million, Sam Smith’s stunning offering 'In The Lonely Hour' (No.5 with 2.6 million sales), One Direction's 'Made In The AM' (No.6 with 2.4 million sales), and Coldplay's 'A Head Full Of Dreams' (No.8 with 1.9 million).

The IFPI also revealed that digital trumped physical sales for the first time ever and revenue had its first significant rise at 3.2% to £10.5billion, in 20 years. The IFPI’s Frances Moore explained: “After two decades of almost uninterrupted decline, 2015 witnessed key milestones for recorded music: measurable revenue growth globally; consumption of music exploding everywhere; and digital revenues overtaking income from physical formats for the first time. They reflect an industry that has adapted to the digital age and emerged stronger and smarter.”

Watch a selection of videos from the artists in this rundown here: