The 23-year-old star topped the American magazine's list of best artists of the year, followed by Rihanna, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.
Talking about what makes Adele stand out from her competitors, Tye Comer, editor of Billboard.com, said: 'Her success is really inspiring because it shows that there is still room in the music industry for an artist to make it with true, raw talent.
'It's not necessarily always about the outrageous outfits or flashy videos, but an amazing voice coupled with the right song still has the ability to turn the ears of millions of people and keep them interested.'