Adele Starts 2012 Topping Billboard Albums Chart Once Again

New year, same story: Adele's unstoppable 21 sold more than 144,000 copies to claim the top spot on the first Billboard albums chart of 2012, easily outpacing Drake's Take Care, which landed at #2 with sales of nearly 72,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As it approaches the one-year anniversary of its release, 21 — which was 2011's biggest seller by a huge margin — shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, with this week's numbers, it has now sold some 5.8 million copies in the U.S., making it the best-selling album since Usher's massive Confessions, which moved 7.9 million copies in 2004.

Young Jeezy's TM 103: Hustlerz Ambition holds strong at #3 on this week's chart, selling more than 67,000 copies in its second week. Lady Antebellum's Own The Night is up next at #4 with sales of nearly 54,000 copies. And buoyed by the chart-topping success of single "Sexy and I Know It," LMFAO's Sorry For Party Rocking, leaps from #16 all the way up to #5.

Florence and the Machine's Ceremonials (sales of more than 47,000 copies), the Black Keys' El Camino (more than 45,000), Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto (more than 44,000), Rihanna's Talk That Talk (more than 42,000) and the 40th installment of the ubiquitous Now collection (more than 41,000) round out the top 10.

The week's biggest debut belongs to Skrillex, whose new Bangarang EP opens at #19, with sales of nearly 24,000 copies. The Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross Girl With The Dragon Tattoo soundtrack makes its chart debut at #44, selling more than 14,000 copies. And, in a true sign that the holidays are officially over, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé's Christmas — which had topped the Billboard charts for the past two weeks — drops all the way down to #24, selling some 20,000 copies. 'Tis the season no longer.

Adele's 21 was also the top seller on iTunes, followed by Own the Night and Ceremonials. "Sexy and I Know It" was the best-selling song, beating out #2 "We Found Love" by Rihanna and Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain."