19 cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

19 Songwriting Credits by Adele

2008 XL Recordings 12 tracks 44 min

Produced by Jim Abbiss, Eg White, Mark Ronson  ·  Engineered by Matt Lawrence (recording), Dom Morley (recording), Richard Wilkinson (recording), Tom Elmhirst (mixing), Liz Brazil (mixing)

XL Recordings Blue-Eyed SoulFolk RockIndie PopJazz
92%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 12 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Adele carries a lyricist or composer credit.

92%
11 trackswritten by Adele 1 trackoutside writers
Adele's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist92%
Composer92%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
8
Lyricists
3
Producers
8.5 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
2008
Released

Awards & Recognition 2

Grammy Award for Best New Artist (2009)
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (2009)
Data Insight

19 was produced primarily by Jim Abbiss, with Eg White and Mark Ronson contributing additional productions, and recording by Matt Lawrence, Dom Morley, and Richard Wilkinson across studios in London, with Tom Elmhirst and Liz Brazil mixing. Adele was 18 and 19 years old during recording; the album title reflects her age at the time. Written from personal experience of teenage heartbreak and romantic desire, it draws on British blue-eyed soul and Motown traditions filtered through contemporaries like Lily Allen and Duffy. "Chasing Pavements" peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards (2009).

19 is the debut studio album by Adele, released in January 2008 on XL Recordings in the UK and produced primarily by Jim Abbiss and Mark Ronson. Named after the age at which Adele Laurie Blue Adkins recorded it, and the album that introduced the most commercially successful British singer of the following decade to a jazz, soul, and folk-influenced pop audience. Adele wrote or co-wrote most of the tracks, including 'Chasing Pavements' and 'Hometown Glory' (which she had written at 16 and was the first song she released as a single), establishing herself from the debut as a songwriter-performer in the tradition of Carole King rather than a performer of outside material. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart, where it spent 18 weeks in the top ten, and its commercial performance in the United States (where it reached number 56 on the Billboard 200 on initial release before charting much higher after 21's success) demonstrated the gradual rather than immediate nature of Adele's US commercial breakthrough. '19' won the 2008 BRIT Award for Best British Album and Adele received the BRIT Critics' Choice Award in January 2008, an annual award for breakthrough artists that has correctly identified commercial breakthroughs including Amy Winehouse (2007), Florence and the Machine (2009), and Ellie Goulding (2010). The album has been certified seven-times platinum in the UK and double platinum in the United States, figures that grew substantially as subsequent albums directed new listeners back through the catalog.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Daydreamer
Adele Adele Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
2
Best for Last
Adele Adele Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
3
Chasing Pavements #21
AdeleEg White AdeleEg White Eg White Adele (Lead Vocals)
4
Cold Shoulder
AdeleSacha Skarbek AdeleSacha Skarbek Mark Ronson Adele (Lead Vocals)
5
Crazy for You
Adele Adele Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
6
Melt My Heart to Stone
AdeleEg White AdeleEg White Eg White Adele (Lead Vocals)
7
First Love
Adele Adele Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
8
Right as Rain
AdeleLeon MichelsJeff SilvermanNick MovshonClay Holley AdeleLeon MichelsJeff SilvermanNick MovshonClay Holley Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
9
Make You Feel My Love
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
10
My Same
Adele Adele Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)
11
Tired
AdeleEg White AdeleEg White Eg White Adele (Lead Vocals)
12
Hometown Glory
Adele Adele Jim Abbiss Adele (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 10 contributors

More from Adele

Frequently Asked Questions 19

Who produced 19 by Adele?
19 was produced primarily by Jim Abbiss, who handled the majority of tracks. Eg White and Mark Ronson each produced additional tracks. Recording was handled by Matt Lawrence, Dom Morley, and Richard Wilkinson; Tom Elmhirst and Liz Brazil mixed the album. It was released January 28, 2008, through XL Recordings in the UK and Columbia Records in the US.
How old was Adele when she recorded 19?
Adele was 18 and 19 years old during the recording of 19; the album title reflects her age at the time. The sessions took place in 2007, when Adele had recently completed her studies at the BRIT School in Croydon, London. The album was released January 28, 2008, through XL Recordings.
What did Chasing Pavements by Adele peak at on the Billboard Hot 100?
"Chasing Pavements" peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, Adele's first entry on the chart. The song also peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 10 in Australia. Its Grammy nomination for Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 51st Grammy Awards (2009) raised the album's profile significantly in the United States.
Did 19 by Adele win a Grammy Award?
Yes, 19 led to Grammy wins for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Chasing Pavements" at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009. Adele was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Chasing Pavements" at the same ceremony, receiving four nominations in total.
How many copies did 19 by Adele sell worldwide?
19 has sold over 8.5 million copies worldwide as of 2022, an unusually strong figure for a debut album. It is certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA in the United States (4 million units) and 8× Platinum by the BPI in the UK (2.55 million units). Its longevity in the market was extended by Adele's subsequent commercial breakthroughs.
What is the runtime of 19 by Adele?
19 runs 43 minutes and 41 seconds across 12 tracks on the standard edition. Additional bonus tracks appeared on various international editions. It was released January 28, 2008, in the UK and June 10, 2008, in the United States through Columbia Records.
Did Make You Feel My Love by Adele chart on the Billboard Hot 100?
"Make You Feel My Love" (a Bob Dylan cover) was a significant UK hit, reaching number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. Its Billboard Hot 100 performance is not well documented; it is widely associated with Adele in the UK and Europe but did not achieve the same mainstream US chart presence as "Chasing Pavements," her confirmed Hot 100 entry from 19.

Sources