Adele helps British artists reach US album sales peak

Image caption, Adele, pictured at the Brit Awards, sold a total of 6.7 million albums in the US last year

Adele has helped British musicians take their highest share of US album sales for more than a decade, according to UK record industry body the BPI.

British artists accounted for 11.7% of all albums sold in the US in 2011, the BPI said, up from 9.8% in 2010.

Adele's second album 21 led the pack, selling 5.8 million copies, followed by Mumford and Sons' Sigh No More, which sold 1.4 million.

A total of 30 albums by UK acts sold more than 100,000 copies in the US.

The Brits' share was the highest since comparable figures were first compiled in 2000, and could be the highest since the 1980s, the BPI said.

The other best-selling British albums in 2011 included Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto, Susan Boyle's Someone to Watch Over Me and the two albums by Florence and the Machine.

Adele's debut 19 sold more than 900,000 copies last year, while Liverpool-born R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius was also among the year's biggest British sellers with her debut solo album Late Nights and Early Mornings.

Meanwhile, Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, Coldplay, Taio Cruz and The Beatles were among the UK acts who joined Adele in selling more than a million single tracks in the US last year.

BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said boybands like One Direction and The Wanted, who are both enjoying chart success across the Atlantic, looked set to continue the trend.

"These results prove that the risks UK labels take investing in British talent... help British artists break internationally and generate important exports that boost the UK economy," he said.