21 (Adele album) music inflections. Instruments such as the saxophone, harp, banjo and the accordion contributed to its exploration of blues and soul. The singer drew from the music of Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Elbow, Mos Def, Alanis Morissette, Tom Waits, and Sinéad O'Connor in the cultivation of the album's sound, and credited Yvonne Fair, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, and The Steel Drivers with its musical direction. Adele's style on "21" is generally characterised by critics as soul, although some suggest that the album eschews any distinct stylistic epithet. John Murphy of musicOMH characterises the album as British soul. Jon Caramanica of
21 (Adele album) achieved separate consecutive number-one spells during its 2011 chart run on the UK Albums Chart, claiming the top spot for 11 straight weeks between February and April 2011, then for five consecutive weeks between April and June, and then for another two weeks in July 2011. It amassed 23 weeks at number one to date. Midway through 2012, "21" was the best-selling album of the year despite being released in early 2011. In December 2012, "21" overtook Oasis' "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" to become the fourth best-selling album of all time in the UK. By December 2012, "21" had