RIAA certification

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. (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 artists' royalty statement is used), which includes albums sold directly to retailers and one-stops, direct to consumer sales (music clubs & mail order) and other outlets. Shipments that could potentially be returned to the label can not be counted.

Contrary to popular belief, 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.
• of 400,000 units: Multi-Platino album.

Multi-disc albums are counted once for each disc within the album, if the album is 100 minutes or more in total 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; however, each copy of Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics (running time of 78:55) and Pink Floyd's The Wall (running time of 81:20 and was released as one cassette and one 8-track cartridge) will only count once despite its being a double album.

Records

Top selling artists [2]
(updated 17 July, 2007)

Artist	Units (millions)
Beatles, The	170
Presley, Elvis	118.5
Brooks, Garth	116
Led Zeppelin	109.5
Eagles	91
Joel, Billy	79.5
Pink Floyd	73.5
Streisand, Barbra	71
John, Elton	69.5
AC/DC	68
Rolling Stones, The	66
Strait, George	65.5
Aerosmith	65.5
Madonna	63
Springsteen, Bruce	62.5
Carey, Mariah	61.5
Jackson, Michael	60.5
Metallica	57
Van Halen	56.5
Houston, Whitney	54
U2	50.5
Rogers, Kenny	50.5
Dion, Celine	49
Fleetwood Mac	48.5
Kenny G	48
Diamond, Neil	48
Twain, Shania	47
Alabama	46
Journey	45
Santana	43
Clapton, Eric	42
Jackson, Alan	42
Bon Jovi	40
Seger, Bob and the Silver Bullet Band	40
Prince	39.5
Guns N' Roses	38.5
Simon & Garfunkel	38.5
Chicago	38
McEntire, Reba	38
R. Kelly	37
Backstreet Boys	37
Stewart, Rod	37
Dylan, Bob	37
Foreigner	36.5
2 Pac	36.5
Def Leppard	35
Nelson, Willie	35
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony	35
Collins, Phil	33.5
Queen	32.5
Denver, John	32.5
Taylor, James	32.5
Doors, The	32
McGraw, Tim	31
Spears, Britney	31
Boston	31
Matthews, Dave Band	31
Dixie Chicks	30.5
Ronstadt, Linda	30
Pearl Jam	30
Petty, Tom & The Heartbreakers	28.5
Osbourne, Ozzy	28.25
Lynyrd Skynyrd	28
Bolton, Michael	28
'N Sync	28
Mellencamp, John	27.5
Boyz II Men	27
Mannheim Steamroller	27
Eminem	27
Manilow, Barry	27
Brooks & Dunn	26
Creedence Clearwater Revival	26
Bee Gees	26
Enya	26
Jackson, Janet	26
Sinatra, Frank	25.5
Rush	25
Nirvana	25
Hill, Faith	25
Jay-Z	25
ZZ Top	25
Vandross, Luther	24.5
Carpenters, The	24.5
Miller, Steve Band	24.5
Creed	24
Mötley Crüe	23.5
Earth, Wind & Fire	23.5
Cars, The	23.5
Gill, Vince	23.5
Buffett, Jimmy	23
Police, The	22.5
Sade	22.5
Hendrix, Jimi	22
Doobie Brothers	22
Richie, Lionel	22
Keith, Toby	22
Green Day	22
TLC	22
Beastie Boys	22
Outkast	22
REO Speedwagon	22

Gold and Platinum albums [3]
(updated 17 July, 2007)

Artist	Gold	Platinum	Multi-Platinum
AC/DC	19	19	11
Aerosmith	25	18	12
Alabama	22	20	10
Beach Boys, The	20	9	6
Beatles, The	45	39	24
Brooks, Garth	15	15	14
Buffett, Jimmy	17	9	3
Cash, Johnny	18	10	5
Chicago	22	18	8
Clapton, Eric	24	12	8
Denver, John	20	13	7
Diamond, Neil	39	21	11
Doors, The	18	14	5
Dylan, Bob	36	16	5
Grateful Dead	19	6	4
Hendrix, Jimi	17	9	6
Isley Brothers	15	10	3
Jackson, Alan	16	14	8
Jefferson Airplane/Starship	20	5	1
Jethro Tull	15	3	1
Joel, Billy	18	17	12
John, Elton	37	26	12
Kenny G	15	11	8
Kiss	24	10	2
Led Zeppelin	18	17	13
Lynyrd Skynyrd	19	13	7
Madonna	17	17	12
Manilow, Barry	23	13	6
Mannheim Steamroller	17	7	4
Mathis, Johnny	16	6	2
Mc Entire, Reba	24	18	8
Mellencamp, John	15	12	5
Nelson, Willie	22	16	7
Petty, Tom & The Heartbreakers	15	8	5
Pink Floyd	18	15	12
Presley, Elvis	81	45	24
Prince	23	16	7
Queen	18	11	6
Rogers, Kenny	30	19	8
Rolling Stones, The	42	28	11
Ronstadt, Linda	17	13	7
Rush	24	14	3
Santana	20	10	7
Sinatra, Frank	33	10	3
Springsteen, Bruce	19	16	10
Stewart, Rod	26	18	10
Strait, George	35	32	13
Streisand, Barbra	50	30	13
Taylor, James	19	14	5
Temptations, The	19	6	1
U2	15	15	11
Vandross, Luther	18	15	7
Who, The	18	10	5
Williams, Hank, Jr.	22	8	1
Young, Neil	18	7	3

Artists with most Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum singles

Main article: RIAA single certification

Each Platinum or Multi-platinum single has already been certified Gold.

1. Elvis Presley (24G+28P, tops for Platinum, for a total of 52 Gold awards. Presley went Multi-platinum with 7 of them, the most for any artist or group.)
2. Madonna (25G+4P)
3. Mariah Carey (24G+12P)
4. Tommy James & The Shondells (23 Gold singles)
5. Janet Jackson (23 Gold single awards, only female with 26 gold)
6. The Beatles (18G - most for any group+6P)
7. Whitney Houston (14G+6P)
8. Elton John (13G+6P)
9. The Temptations (10G+6P)
10. George Michael (7G+2P)
11. Billy Joel (4G+2P)
12. Aretha Franklin (15G)

Julio Iglesias has more platinum, gold, and the Guiness Diamond album for selling more records in more languages than any other musical artist in history (Spanish, German, Japanese, English, Italian, Portuguese, French, Tagalog...)

See also

• List of best-selling music artists
• List of best-selling albums
• List of best-selling singles
• List of best-selling albums worldwide
• Music recording sales certification
• Recording Industry Association of America

External links

• RIAA Website
• Search RIAA Gold and Platinum Database
• Billboard Magazine - a magazine that publishes weekly music rankings