In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets.[1] (Some other countries have similar schemes. See Music recording sales certification.) Certification is not automatic; for an award to be made, the record label must pay a fee to have the sales of the recording audited. The audit is conducted against unit shipments (most often an artist's royalty statement is used), which includes albums sold directly to retailers and one-stops, direct to consumer sales (music clubs and mail order) and other outlets. Shipments that could potentially be returned to the label can not be counted.
Traditionally, an American RIAA-certified gold record was a single or album that sold 500,000 units (records, tapes, and/or CDs). A platinum record was one that sold 1,000,000 units. However, the RIAA has changed these terms several times over the last five decades, so the criteria for certification depends on different factors, particularly in recent years.
Nielsen SoundScan figures are not used in RIAA certification; the RIAA system predates Nielsen SoundScan and includes sales outlets Nielsen misses. Prior to Nielsen SoundScan, RIAA certification was the only audited and verifiable system for tracking music sales in the U.S.; it is still the only system capable of tracking 100% of sales (albeit as shipments less potential returns, not actual sales like Nielsen SoundScan).
List of certifications
Currently, the normal RIAA certifications for albums are:
- 500,000 units: Gold album.
- 1,000,000 units: Platinum album.
- 2,000,000+ units: Multi-Platinum album.
- 10,000,000 units: Diamond album.
The following certifications are given only to recordings of which over 50% of the content is in the Spanish language [1]:
- 100,000 units: Oro album.
- 200,000 units: Platino album.
- 400,000 units: Multi-Platino album.
Multi-disc albums are counted once for each disc within the album if it is over 100 minutes in length. For example, each copy of OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (running time of 134:56), and Shania Twain's Up! (145:44), both double albums, were counted twice, meaning each album was certified diamond after only 5 million copies were shipped.
Records
|
|
Gold and Platinum albums [3]
(updated August 14, 2008)
| Artist |
Gold |
Platinum |
Multi-Platinum |
| AC/DC |
19 |
19 |
11[2] |
| Aerosmith |
25 |
18 |
12[3] |
| Alabama |
22 |
20 |
10[4] |
| Beach Boys, The |
20 |
9 |
6[5] |
| Beatles, The |
45 |
39 |
24[6] |
| Bee Gees, The |
13 |
9 |
2[7] |
| Bon Jovi |
13 |
11 |
7[8] |
| Brooks, Garth |
16 |
16 |
15[9] |
| Buffett, Jimmy |
17 |
9 |
3[10] |
| Carey, Mariah |
14 |
14 |
10[11] |
| Carpenters, The |
13 |
8 |
6[12] |
| Cash, Johnny |
18 |
10 |
5[13] |
| Chesney, Kenny |
12 |
9 |
5[14] |
| Chicago |
22 |
18 |
8[15] |
| Clapton, Eric |
25 |
12 |
8[16] |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival |
13 |
9 |
6[17] |
| Denver, John |
20 |
13 |
7[18] |
| Diamond, Neil |
40 |
21 |
11[19] |
| Dion, Celine |
13 |
11 |
8[20] |
| Doors, The |
18 |
14 |
5[21] |
| Dylan, Bob |
36 |
16 |
5[22] |
| Eagles, The |
13 |
13 |
11[23] |
| Earth, Wind & Fire |
18 |
10 |
6[24] |
| Fleetwood Mac |
14 |
9 |
8[25] |
| Franklin, Aretha |
14 |
4 |
1[26] |
| Gill, Vince |
13 |
11 |
6[27] |
| Grand Funk Railroad |
12 |
6 |
2[28] |
| Grant, Amy |
13 |
7 |
3[29] |
| Grateful Dead |
18 |
6 |
4[30] |
| Heart |
13 |
8 |
6[31] |
| Hendrix, Jimi |
17 |
10 |
6[32] |
| Isley Brothers |
15 |
10 |
3[33] |
| Jackson, Alan |
17 |
14 |
8[34] |
| Jay-Z |
13 |
13 |
8[35] |
| Jefferson Airplane/Starship |
20 |
5 |
1[36] |
| Jethro Tull |
15 |
3 |
1[37] |
| Joel, Billy |
18 |
16 |
12[38] |
| John, Elton |
37 |
26 |
12[39] |
| Journey |
12 |
10 |
8[40] |
| Keith, Toby |
14 |
12 |
6[41] |
| Kelly, R. |
12 |
12 |
6[42] |
| Kenny G |
15 |
11 |
8[43] |
| Kiss |
24 |
10 |
2[44] |
| Led Zeppelin |
19 |
18 |
14[45] |
| Lynyrd Skynyrd |
19 |
13 |
7[46] |
| Madonna |
18 |
17 |
12[47] |
| Manilow, Barry |
24 |
13 |
6[48] |
| Mannheim Steamroller |
18 |
8 |
4[49] |
| Mathis, Johnny |
16 |
6 |
2[50] |
| Matthews, Dave |
16 |
14 |
8[51] |
| McCartney, Paul |
15 |
8 |
4[52] |
| McEntire, Reba |
26 |
19 |
9[53] |
| Mellencamp, John |
15 |
12 |
5[54] |
| Metallica |
11 |
11 |
10[55] |
| Murray, Anne |
15 |
6 |
2[56] |
| Nelson, Willie |
24 |
17 |
8[57] |
| Osbourne, Ozzy |
16 |
12 |
9[58] |
| Petty, Tom & The Heartbreakers |
15 |
8 |
5[59] |
| Pink Floyd |
18 |
15 |
12[60] |
| Presley, Elvis |
97 |
55 |
27[61] |
| Prince |
23 |
16 |
7[62] |
| Queen |
18 |
11 |
6[63] |
| REO Speedwagon |
12 |
8 |
4[64] |
| Rogers, Kenny |
32 |
20 |
8[65] |
| Rolling Stones, The |
42 |
27 |
11[66] |
| Ronstadt, Linda |
17 |
13 |
7[67] |
| Rush |
24 |
14 |
3[68] |
| Santana |
22 |
11 |
7[69] |
| Seger, Bob and the Silver Bullet Band |
13 |
11 |
7[70] |
| Shakur, Tupac |
12 |
11 |
7[71][72] |
| Sinatra, Frank |
33 |
10 |
3[73] |
| Springsteen, Bruce |
20 |
17 |
10[74] |
| Stewart, Rod |
26 |
18 |
10[75] |
| Strait, George |
39 |
34 |
13[76] |
| Streisand, Barbra |
50 |
30 |
13[77] |
| Taylor, James |
20 |
14 |
5[78] |
| Temptations, The |
19 |
6 |
1[79] |
| Travis, Randy |
12 |
8 |
4[80] |
| U2 |
16 |
16 |
11[81] |
| Vandross, Luther |
18 |
15 |
7[82] |
| Van Halen |
14 |
13 |
12[83] |
| Who, The |
18 |
12 |
5[84] |
| Williams, Hank, Jr. |
23 |
8 |
1[85] |
| Young, Neil |
18 |
7 |
3[86] |
|
Diamond sales
|
Diamond (10+ Million) Certified[87]
|
|
|
Artists with the most Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum singles
- Elvis Presley (54G+27P+8MP)[88]
- Mariah Carey (23G+10P+2MP)[89]
- The Beatles (24G+6P+4MP)[90]
- Madonna (26G+5P+1MP)[91]
- Janet Jackson (21G+5P)[92]
- Whitney Houston (18G+7P+1MP)[93]
- Michael Jackson (16+9P)[94]
- Elton John (17G+6P+1MP)[95]
- The Temptations (17G+6P)[96]
- Aretha Franklin (15G)[97]
- Creedence Clearwater Revival (10G+5P)[98]
- Prince (12G+2P)[99]
- Barbra Streisand (9G+5P)[100]
- TLC (9G+4P)[101]
- Britney Spears (7G+4P)
- Christina Aguilera (9G+2P)[103]
- The Carpenters (10G)
- Destiny's Child (7G+3P)[105]
- George Michael (8G+1P)[106]
- Billy Joel (7G+2P)[107]
See also
References
External links
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