Beginning with her debut album, 19, Adele broke barriers and crossed borders, inviting listeners of all ages to share her gorgeous musical expressions of relationships and events—good and bad—that have happened in her life. Each of her subsequent albums, all named for the age she was when she wrote the songs, play like an infectious diary set to music. Along the way, Adele has collected multiple Grammy awards, platinum plaques, and an Oscar. She is already canonized as one of the greatest vocalists in pop history. A singer doesn’t ascend to such heights without songs that live in people’s hearts, which is why we’re celebrating the stories behind Adele’s most indelible tunes.