She's the first black artist to achieve this in America.

News article on Associated Press: https://apnews.com/articl...f33b8a5265

Also her recording of "I will always love you" has been added to the National Registry of the Library of Congress: https://face2faceafrica.c...f-congress

Actual queen of Pop coming through!!!!

alphastreet said:

That’s awesome! I think next will be mj if his work is recertified

Neither will beat Garth Brooks though, who has 7.

The artists that have three or more diamond certified albums are: Garth Brooks, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Shania Twain and the Eagles. Shania is on this list because of the way they count double albums. Those are counted twice and thus certified diamond after 5M copies sold. I think this also is the case with the Beatles White Album.

Does anyone know if it costs the artists $$$ to have their albums recertified? I have often wondered why more veteran acts don't have this done because so many were being under-reported for so long.

Congrats to Whitney! There are very few that can touch her when it comes to the voice. She was awesome.

kitbradley said:

alphastreet said:

MotownSubdivision said:

alphastreet said:

kitbradley said:

Does anyone know if it costs the artists $$$ to have their albums recertified? I have often wondered why more veteran acts don't have this done because so many were being under-reported for so long.

My understanding is, that it is up to the record company, it also doesn't cost to have a record recertified at the same level. So if you have aready been certified as multi-platinum, say at 4 million, it doesn't cost to have it recertiifed to 6 million. But request must be put in, and sales tracking provided. Which is much easier today in the sound scan era. I think that is why many albums and artist from before the soundscan era are not properly certified, because the tracking of sales was more diffiuclt to prove. Probably almost impossible now.

MotownSubdivision said:

alphastreet said:

I wonder if thriller will reach 40 million before the eagles do

Nahhh they'll find some 20 million copies of Greatest Hits that they somehow didn't notice 30 years ago.

What is your problem with The Eagles ? I have noticed you made comments on a few threads, like there was something wrong with their certifications ? It's not a contest, no need to be SOUR. When they were recertified in 2018, they were last updated in 2006. Look at this lastest updated to the Whitney album, timed to perfection, they have know about all year. But decided to update it the week before the RORHOF ceremony. Hell it hasn't been updated since 1995, so it took 25 years for the album to sell another million copies.

[Edited 11/1/20 4:52am]

Tontoman22 said:

I don't think anyone really knows what records have sold. When they used to have the record clubs (12 albums for a penny!), those were not counted as sales. Used record stores generally did not accept those for trade ins. The cutout records/tapes sold for cheap in stores did not count either. I don't think those albums that were sold on TV commercials (The Best Of Slim Whitman, Down Home Blues, Time-Life disc sets) or K-Tel/Pickwick albums were counted. The RIAA does not audit sales, they only go by what the labels tell them. It's not a requirement to report to the RIAA, it's voluntary.

There's also the case of street tapes & bootlegs that people used to sell at flea markets and store parking lots along with velvet Elvis and dogs playing poker paintings. Those used to sell pretty good.

MickyDolenz said:

I don't think anyone really knows what records have sold. When they used to have the record clubs (12 albums for a penny!), those were not counted as sales. Used record stores generally did not accept those for trade ins. The cutout records/tapes sold for cheap in stores did not count either. I don't think those albums that were sold on TV commercials (The Best Of Slim Whitman, Down Home Blues, Time-Life disc sets) or K-Tel/Pickwick albums were counted. The RIAA does not audit sales, they only go by what the labels tell them. It's not a requirement to report to the RIAA, it's voluntary.

There's also the case of street tapes & bootlegs that people used to sell at flea markets and store parking lots along with velvet Elvis and dogs playing poker paintings. Those used to sell pretty good.

RIAA wants prove of sales before certifications are delivered. The Columbia House Record club had distribution deals with the major labels or distributors. So yes, those sales were tracked. Remember when you joined you got 12 or 13 albums for a penny. But the agreement was, to buy 6 albums in a 2 year period at regular club price, which was practically double the price of a regular album. So they recouped their money. Again up to the record companies what is reported and certified. The same would go for any albums sold on the TV advertisments, you called a distrubtion centre to have your album delivered. Those sale were above board, trackable.

As far as the black market & bootleg, there were more than a few label presidents involved in that kind of thing. They were also those who hid sales, funnelling them into other parts of the business (or accounts). Neil Bogart of Casablanca was suspected of both. Polygram forced him out, when Donna Summer sued the label. They found the hidden sales after going through the books. She had sold over 20 millions albums. She also reportedly went by the Casablanca Office on Sunset Bvld, unexpectedly and saw a shipment of her albums being sent out. So yeah the black market was bigger than most thought.

Labels also used to certify albums at the gold level, to get the RIAA round stamp put on the albums in the stores. It would help sell the album with gold status sticker on it, and then, would never bother to have the album updated to platinum.

MotownSubdivision said:

Tontoman22 said:

What is your problem with The Eagles ? I have noticed you made comments on a few threads, like there was something wrong with their certifications ? It's not a contest, no need to be SOUR. When they were recertified in 2018, they were last updated in 2006. Look at this lastest updated to the Whitney album, timed to perfection, they have know about all year. But decided to update it the week before the RORHOF ceremony. Hell it hasn't been updated since 1995, so it took 25 years for the album to sell another million copies.

[Edited 11/1/20 4:52am]

There IS something wrong with their certifications. I'll try to find the article(s) I read up on this but I stand by what I said.

I believe I know what you are referring to, and there is nothing wrong with their certifications. It called EAS = eqivalent albums sales. We are in the digital era, so any 10 singles sold, are counted as an album. So say the single Hotel California, every 10 singles sold digitally are converted into 1 album being sold (whatever the album the single was released from). It's the same for everyone, since 2015, they just hadn't been updated in a while.

Tontoman22 said:

As far as the black market & bootleg, there were more than a few label presidents involved in that kind of thing. They were also those who hid sales, funnelling them into other parts of the business (or accounts). Neil Bogart of Casablanca was suspected of both. Polygram forced him out, when Donna Summer sued the label. They found the hidden sales after going through the books. She had sold over 20 millions albums. She also reportedly went by the Casablanca Office on Sunset Bvld, unexpectedly and saw a shipment of her albums being sent out. So yeah the black market was bigger than most thought.

Yes,Neil Bogart was such a shady person.He did alot of crazy things behind the scenes.In 1979,he went on national TV (The Merv Griffin Show,I think) to present Cher with a special award for selling a million copies of her single "Take Me Home".The problem is,her single didn't actually sell a million copies He inflated the sales figures and then had to buy back a ton of the singles to cover his tracks.If they ever do a movie about Casablanca Records,it will be VERY interesting.....especially if they cover all this stuff.

I wonder how many Whitney would have if she had done a Christmas album in the early 90s. Also if she had done a standards album. Clive Davis had huge success with Rod Stewart doing this. I think Whitney could have shined doing something like that.

rogifan said:

alphastreet said:

rogifan said:

I wonder how many Whitney would have if she had done a Christmas album in the early 90s. Also if she had done a standards album. Clive Davis had huge success with Rod Stewart doing this. I think Whitney could have shined doing something like that.

I think it definitely would have sold more than it did if it was in the 90s, sandwiched between I’m your baby tonight and bodyguard, maybe even like Mariah’s Christmas album

Rod Stewart is a much older artist and had been in the business much longer, than Houston. It makes sense for established artists to do Standards albums. Houston's popularity in the US market had dropped from her first album to her second, and from her second to the 3rd. That drop was considerable. Being that her debut sold 9 million and Whtiney had sold 6 million copies. I'm Your Baby Tonight sold a million a year, until it sold 4 million. Her first video from I'm Your Baby Tonight, was played on MTV. The other 4, from the IYBT album were not. The Bodyguard was right up MTV's alley, they loved to play music from movie soundtracks. The Bodyguard was by far her most successful outing, of that decade and her carrer. After the movie and the soundtrack, she had reached the level of stardom worldwide, that Diana Ross, Donna Summer and Tina Turner had before her, the household name status. She had 3 movie soundtracks in a row. But the Bodyguard helped her gain, new fans, younger fans. The generation (hers) that she were there from the begining, had moved on. So after the Bodygaurd her first 2 albums sold, just like her other albums in the 90s. Precahcers Wife (sold 3 million). My Love is Your Love (sold 4 million). Her debut sold another 4 million, Whitney sold another 3 miilion; after the release of the Bodygaurd.

Tontoman22 said:

alphastreet said:

rogifan said: I think it definitely would have sold more than it did if it was in the 90s, sandwiched between I’m your baby tonight and bodyguard, maybe even like Mariah’s Christmas album

Rod Stewart is a much older artist and had been in the business much longer, than Houston. It makes sense for established artists to do Standards albums. Houston's popularity in the US market had dropped from her first album to her second, and from her second to the 3rd. That drop was considerable. Being that her debut sold 9 million and Whtiney had sold 6 million copies. I'm Your Baby Tonight sold a million a year, until it sold 4 million. Her first video from I'm Your Baby Tonight, was played on MTV. The other 4, from the IYBT album were not. The Bodyguard was right up MTV's alley, they loved to play music from movie soundtracks. The Bodyguard was by far her most successful outing, of that decade and her carrer. After the movie and the soundtrack, she had reached the level of stardom worldwide, that Diana Ross, Donna Summer and Tina Turner had before her, the household name status. She had 3 movie soundtracks in a row. But the Bodyguard helped her gain, new fans, younger fans. The generation (hers) that she were there from the begining, had moved on. So after the Bodygaurd her first 2 albums sold, just like her other albums in the 90s. Precahcers Wife (sold 3 million). My Love is Your Love (sold 4 million). Her debut sold another 4 million, Whitney sold another 3 miilion; after the release of the Bodygaurd.

I was never really a fan of IYBT or the whole new jack swing era. I do think Whitney was scarred by some in the black community thinking she wasn't black enough which is why she hooked up with loser Bobby Brown. Her vices weren't quite bad enough yet so she was able to have a lot of success in the 90s.

rogifan said:

Her vices weren't quite bad enough yet so she was able to have a lot of success in the 90s.

I guess that's the difference with classic rock music. Drugs were cool and it was praised. It's even in the slogan "sex, drugs, & rock n roll". Drugs never hurt the popularity of Mötley Crüe, Rolling Stones, Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, The Beatles, Elton John, etc. There's entire subgenres where drugs are the influence like psychedelic rock & stoner rock. It's the same in hip hop with blunts & sippin' syrup songs. Paul McCartney had songs called Hi Hi Hi & Let Me Roll It. Reggae music is often about weed. The movies of Cheech & Chong were about weed and so was the sitcom That 70s Show. Even in disco, there was the cocaine parties at clubs like Studio 54.

Tontoman22 said:

alphastreet said:

Tontoman22 said:

Rod Stewart is a much older artist and had been in the business much longer, than Houston. It makes sense for established artists to do Standards albums. Houston's popularity in the US market had dropped from her first album to her second, and from her second to the 3rd. That drop was considerable. Being that her debut sold 9 million and Whtiney had sold 6 million copies. I'm Your Baby Tonight sold a million a year, until it sold 4 million. Her first video from I'm Your Baby Tonight, was played on MTV. The other 4, from the IYBT album were not. The Bodyguard was right up MTV's alley, they loved to play music from movie soundtracks. The Bodyguard was by far her most successful outing, of that decade and her carrer. After the movie and the soundtrack, she had reached the level of stardom worldwide, that Diana Ross, Donna Summer and Tina Turner had before her, the household name status. She had 3 movie soundtracks in a row. But the Bodyguard helped her gain, new fans, younger fans. The generation (hers) that she were there from the begining, had moved on. So after the Bodygaurd her first 2 albums sold, just like her other albums in the 90s. Precahcers Wife (sold 3 million). My Love is Your Love (sold 4 million). Her debut sold another 4 million, Whitney sold another 3 miilion; after the release of the Bodygaurd.

That’s so true, her album sales did dip in the late 80s. The bodyguard may have saved her career. But I find that I wanna dance with somebody is still heavily played on the radio and at parties, even though it’s from her second album

Yes, I agree. I Wanna Dance With Somebody is her second biggest hit, worldwide. How Will I Know is also played on radio stations, (at least where I am) they seem to favour uptempo songs. Which is not surprising, I guess.

Tontoman22 said:

alphastreet said:

MotownSubdivision said: