Props to Adele for keeping the album alive.

Every musical artist has at least one killer single inside them, but it takes real talent to pull off a totally killer album.

And everybody wants to own a totally killer album.

Say what you want about Adele, she is at least keeping the album alive in an age of pop music decadence that is streaming us to death.

Is that prog enough for y’all?

Even as $10-a-month streaming services multiply, YouTube’s free offerings proliferate and record sales flag—to 257 million albums in the U.S. last year from 785 million albums at their peak in 2000—Adele’s fans don’t appear to have gotten the memo. They have snapped up 14 million copies of her albums in the U.S., according to Nielsen, and 33 million of her digital singles. Her debut album, “19,” sold 2.7 million copies and her sophomore blockbuster, “21,” sold 11.2 million—the only album ever to be the biggest seller two years in a row.

With such massive sales, the conventional wisdom has been that the singer appeals to all types. But a Nielsen analysis of her fans reveals a distinct profile: They are 62% female, most between 25 and 44 years old, with children.

…

Adele’s full album won’t be available immediately on streaming services, streaming companies say, and they don’t know if or when it might be. Stars such as Beyoncé and Ms. Swift have held albums from streaming to spur sales.

While Adele’s older, female-leaning fan base likely boosts her CD sales, given their music-buying habits, Music Watch managing partner Russ Crupnick said that their deep “emotional engagement”with her sentimental ballads probably matters as much. They think: Adele’s music “is important enough for me that I want to own it. Even though I may be able to stream it or watch it on YouTube, I want to possess it,” Mr. Crupnick said.”

When we were young, we bought albums.