The Recording Industry Association of America, better known as RIAA, has released a list of the decade’s highest Gold and Platinum overall achievements. Mitch Bainwol, Chairman and CEO, spoke about these achievements.
“We’ve seen a decade of major music milestones and extraordinary artist achievements as part of our historic Gold and Platinum program,” Bainwol noted. “The names, songs and albums on our list are the decade’s best and are etched in our music DNA.”
Bainawol also spoke on the significance of changes in the music industry, most notably ringtone and digital sales.
“As the way fans access and enjoy music continues to evolve, so has and will the G&P program in recognizing the highest commercial and artistic success. As a community, we’ve endured our share of challenges, but the new decade brings reasons for hope and optimism. The appetite for music is stronger than ever and the breadth of innovation is amazing. In this ever-evolving landscape, we’re grateful that the RIAA’s Gold and Platinum program continues to be the music industry’s recognized brand for success.”
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RIAA released the list below, showcasing the achievements, which includes many notable appearances from Rap and R&B stars. Beyonce led the way in most total certifications with 64, beating Michael Jackson and The Eagles. Kanye West was second to Taylor Swift in the digital sales category. T.I. and Beyonce had the most master ringtone certifications. D4L, Beyonce and Lil Wayne had the highest certified master ringtones.
Most total certifications (includes cumulative album, digital song, master ringtone, and music video certifications):
Group: The Eagles – 48 (Warner)
Male solo artist: Michael Jackson – 44 (Sony/Epic)
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Female solo artist: Beyonce – 64 (Sony/Columbia)
Most album certifications:
Group: Nickelback – 25 (Roadrunner)
Male solo artist: George Strait – 29 (UMG/MCA Nashville)
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Female solo artist: Britney Spears – 23 (Sony/Jive)
Most digital song certifications:
Group: Linkin Park – 13 (Warner)
Male solo artist: Kanye West – 19 (UMG/Def Jam)
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Female solo artist: Taylor Swift – 25 (Big Machine)
Most master ringtone certifications:
Male solo artist: T.I. – 15 (WMG/Atlantic/Grand Hustle)
Female solo artist: Beyonce – 19 (Sony/Columbia)
HIGHEST CERTIFIED RELEASES
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*Format is: (record label/year released)
Highest certified album:
Group: *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached (Sony/Jive, 2000), – 11x Platinum
OutKast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – 11x Platinum (LaFace/Jive, 2003)
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Male solo artist: Usher’s Confessions – 10x Platinum (LaFace/Jive, 2004)
Female solo artist: Shania Twain’s Up! – 11x Platinum (UMG/Mercury Nashville, 2002)
Highest certified digital song:
Group: Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” – 3x multi-Platinum (EMI/Capitol, 2008) and The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” – 3x multi-Platinum (Sony/Epic, 2006)
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Male solo artist: Flo Rida’s “Low” – 5x multi-Platinum (Warner/Atlantic, 2008)
Female solo artist: Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” – 4x multi-Platinum (UMG/Interscope, 2008) and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” – 4x multi-Platinum (Big Machine, 2008)
Highest certified master ringtone:
Group: D4L’s “Laffy Taffy” – 3x multi-Platinum (Atlantic, 2006), Hinder’s “Lips of an Angel” – 3x multi-Platinum (Universal Records, 2006), and Shop Boyz’ “Party Like a Rockstar” –3x multi-Platinum (Universal, 2007)
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Male solo artist: Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” – 5x multi-Platinum (Universal/Cash Money, 2008)
Female solo artist: Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” – 3x multi-Platinum (Sony/Columbia, 2006)
