The list, compiled by a panel of industry experts, names those that exert the greatest influence over the UK's music listening habits.
The top ten of the Guardian's Music Power 100 is:
1. Team Adele - Adele, Richard Russell XL Recordings, manager Jonathan Dickins, publisher Paul Connolly, radio plugger Brad Hunner
2. Lucian Grainge, chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group International and David Joseph, chairman & CEO, Universal Music UK
3. Simon Cowell
4. Nigel Harding, music policy executive, Radio 1
5. Person or persons unknown, iTunes UK
6. Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, founders, YouTube
7. George Ergoutadis, head of music, Radio 1 and 1Xtra
8. Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt, Google
9. Simon Moran, managing director, SJM promotions
10. Jeff Bezos, CEO, Amazon
Commenting on Adele's selection, Michael Hann, the panel's chair and the Guardian's Film & Music Editor, said: "Adele – and the team who have helped her – were the unanimous choice of our expert panel as the No 1 in the Guardian's inaugural Music Power 100. All our panelists were insistent that her talent should be recognised, as well as the massive commercial impact she has made on British music this year. Her success is also a vindication of the working methods of her record label, XL, whose mantra is to put the artist in a studio and let them make the album they want."
At only 23, Adele has sold millions of records worldwide. Her second album, 21, has topped the US chart seven times and it has been No 1 in the UK for the last five weeks, having previously been No 1 for 11 weeks. In February she became the first artist since The Beatles to have two top five singles and two top five albums at the same time.
Those on the advisory panel were: Geoff Travis, founder Rough Trade records; Paul Scaife, MD/publisher, Record of the Day; Terri Hall, managing director, Hall or Nothing PR; Cerne Canning, Supervision Management; and Jonathan Morrish, director of corporate comms, PPL.
The Guardian's inaugural Music Power 100 list is published in the Guardian's Film & Music supplement as part of a summer-long season, Music Loves Summer, in the Guardian and Observer.
Visit www.guardian.co.uk/music for the latest news, reviews and offers from Music Loves Summer.
