Adele has helped the UK recorded music industry to reach its one billionth downloaded single. The multi-million singer – who has carried the UK music industry on her back so much recently, that when she eventually retires there’ll be one of those Atlas-type statues made of her, except she’ll be holding a giant musical note instead of the globe – has the most downloaded track of all time in the new data released; ‘Someone Like You’ top of the pile of the instead of Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera and ‘Moves Like Jagger’.

Digital track sales were the highest ever in 2012, with 188.6 million shifted. That doesn’t include the total for whole albums sold, though does include album tracks downloaded individually. According to The Independent, Chief executive of the BPI Geoff Taylor said: "The digital music revolution has made it easy to buy any song you like, instantly, for half the price of a coffee. As fans increasingly download music on the move, tablets, smartphones and connected cars will drive another phase in digital music's expansion."

Official Charts Company managing director Martin Talbot added: "The explosion in download sales over the past nine years means we are genuinely now living in the digital music age - with Adele as our queen. Over the nine years of legitimate digital music, more than 16 new tracks have sold one million copies, which emphasises just how popular digital music is in the modern age." It was revealed earlier in the year that the UK music industry as a whole had also arrested a 15 year slump to record a minimal growth.

Adele
Adele has been a saviour to the UK music industry