Adele's 21 album out of Top 40 for first time

Image source, Reuters

Image caption, The singer gave birth to her first child in October 2012

Adele's album 21 has left the UK Top 40 album chart for the first time since its release in January 2011.

The record has dropped from 34 to 42 in the latest countdown after spending 96 weeks on the chart.

Sales for the album on both sides of the Atlantic have been massive, shifting 4.5m copies in the UK and around 10m in America.

It's also the fifth best-selling album in the UK of all time and the most downloaded.

Critically, the album has also been a success picking up awards such as British album of the year at the Brits and album of the year at the Grammys.

Adele's most recent work was the theme song for James Bond movie Skyfall.

However, following the birth of her first child in October, the 24-year-old's full-time return to music is likely to be a long way off.