*UPDATED WITH MISSING ARTISTS*

Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold...ch_section

Interesting. Shaking my head at Britney Spears making this list.

[Edited 12/14/20 21:32pm]

[Edited 12/15/20 12:39pm]

Top 50 artists based on RIAA album certifications.

Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold...ch_section

[Edited 12/14/20 21:33pm]

why isn't Purple Rain diamond?

alandail said:

why isn't Purple Rain diamond?

It should be. 10M is diamond and it sold 13M back in the day and subsequently. There had to be more after his death.

But the record company has to request a certification. It's not automatic. But at this point, NPG Records can request the certification.

rogifan said:

Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold...ch_section

Interesting. Shaking my head at Britney Spears making this list.

[Edited 12/14/20 21:32pm]

More shocking is fucking Garth Brooks with 9 Diamond albums. Who buys that shit?

There are things missing on this list , Prince, Bon Jovi, have one and the Backstreet Boys have two diamond albums, also The Bee Gees are certified diamond for Saturday Night fever and though it's a soundtrack it's certified under their name as artist.

lastdecember said:

There are things missing on this list , Prince, Bon Jovi, have one and the Backstreet Boys have two diamond albums, also The Bee Gees are certified diamond for Saturday Night fever and though it's a soundtrack it's certified under their name as artist.

That's why it says "Load more results" at the bottom. It's there for a reason.

PatrickS77 said:

lastdecember said:

There are things missing on this list , Prince, Bon Jovi, have one and the Backstreet Boys have two diamond albums, also The Bee Gees are certified diamond for Saturday Night fever and though it's a soundtrack it's certified under their name as artist.

That's why it says "Load more results" at the bottom. It's there for a reason.

very true but the list is in diamond order and backstreet should be under the 2 on the list in order

PatrickS77 said:

More shocking is fucking Garth Brooks with 9 Diamond albums. Who buys that shit?

You must not know how popular country music has been in the USA since the 1990s. It first started around the late 1970s with Kenny Rogers & maybe John Denver. John wasn't really considered a country singer by some country fans but he was played on country radio. Both Kenny & John became so popular that they were casted in movies and had TV specials and Kenny had a music TV program when he was still in his band The First Edition. There was also the popularity of country/rural culture TV & movies such as Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw, Dukes Of Hazzard, Smokey & The Bandit, etc. and trucker movies & CB radios. This is also a lot of the audience for NASCAR & rodeos. In the 1990s, even Billy Ray Cyrus had a multi-platinum album. That's why Hannah Montana has a career today. It probably wouldn't have happened without the popularity of her father. The Farm Aid charity concerts have been happening since the 1980s to this day. Farm Aid is generally country artists and heartland rock such as Bob Seger & John Mellencamp.

MickyDolenz said:

PatrickS77 said:

More shocking is fucking Garth Brooks with 9 Diamond albums. Who buys that shit?

You must not know how popular country music has been in the USA since the 1990s. It first started around the late 1970s with Kenny Rogers & maybe John Denver. John wasn't really considered a country singer by some country fans but he was played on country radio. Both Kenny & John became so popular that they were casted in movies and had TV specials and Kenny had a music TV program when he was still in his band The First Edition. There was also the popularity of country/rural culture TV & movies such as Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw, Dukes Of Hazzard, Smokey & The Bandit, etc. and trucker movies & CB radios. This is also a lot of the audience for NASCAR & rodeos. In the 1990s, even Billy Ray Cyrus had a multi-platinum album. That's why Hannah Montana has a career today. It probably wouldn't have happened without the popularity of her father. The Farm Aid charity concerts have been happening since the 1980s to this day. Farm Aid is generally country artists and heartland rock such as Bob Seger & John Mellencamp.

I think what happened and It is still true now, country has the best writers. The 60's-80's easily you had pop and rock and rb with the motown era and lionel richie etc...but since then what gets played on radio are NOT well written songs, especially in the POP world or even RB, Country in the 90's became the POP of the day, Shania, Faith Hill, and of course Garth and others, and that carried on with Carrie Underwood and even Taylor Swift, who though I am not a big fan she can craft well written songs with ease, while others it takes 13 writers to come up with forgettable stuff.

lastdecember said:

I think what happened and It is still true now, country has the best writers. The 60's-80's easily you had pop and rock and rb with the motown era and lionel richie etc...but since then what gets played on radio are NOT well written songs, especially in the POP world or even RB, Country in the 90's became the POP of the day, Shania, Faith Hill, and of course Garth and others, and that carried on with Carrie Underwood and even Taylor Swift, who though I am not a big fan she can craft well written songs with ease, while others it takes 13 writers to come up with forgettable stuff.

I don't think female artists are that popular on current mainstream country radio. It's more "bro-country" and some of it has trap beats. Although people who don't really follow country music think has a certain sound, it never really has. In the 1970s there was the R&Bish country of Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Rich, Bobbie Gentry, & Barbara Mandrell.

MickyDolenz said:

lastdecember said:

I think what happened and It is still true now, country has the best writers. The 60's-80's easily you had pop and rock and rb with the motown era and lionel richie etc...but since then what gets played on radio are NOT well written songs, especially in the POP world or even RB, Country in the 90's became the POP of the day, Shania, Faith Hill, and of course Garth and others, and that carried on with Carrie Underwood and even Taylor Swift, who though I am not a big fan she can craft well written songs with ease, while others it takes 13 writers to come up with forgettable stuff.

I don't think female artists are that popular on current mainstream country radio. It's more "bro-country" and some of it has trap beats. Although people who don't really follow country music think has a certain sound, it never really has. In the 1970s there was the R&Bish country of Ronnie Milsap, Charlie Rich, Bobbie Gentry, & Barbara Mandrell.

Yes very true this is a major complaint from country female artists, and country i think is a very broad scope especially now because i feel that everytime an artist records in Nashville people say "youre going country now" I mean that happens constantly but I feel its because of that being the place of musicianship and writers more than anywhere. As far as the Male Female issue in country especially radio it is totally dominated, this is why a lot of indie country females try to really support each other in trying to change that or at least get a spot, so there are top tier like Brandi Carlisle and Maren Morris now but then you have upcomers getting play like Carly Pearce and Margo Price i think is one of the brightest out there but there is tons of indie females doing their thing and people should look into them if they are looking for good artistry.

lastdecember said:

PatrickS77 said:

That's why it says "Load more results" at the bottom. It's there for a reason.

very true but the list is in diamond order and backstreet should be under the 2 on the list in order

The list is alphabetically, initially. If you click on the Diamond tab, they show.

[Edited 12/15/20 8:31am]

MickyDolenz said:

PatrickS77 said:

More shocking is fucking Garth Brooks with 9 Diamond albums. Who buys that shit?

You must not know how popular country music has been in the USA since the 1990s. It first started around the late 1970s with Kenny Rogers & maybe John Denver. John wasn't really considered a country singer by some country fans but he was played on country radio. Both Kenny & John became so popular that they were casted in movies and had TV specials and Kenny had a music TV program when he was still in his band The First Edition. There was also the popularity of country/rural culture TV & movies such as Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw, Dukes Of Hazzard, Smokey & The Bandit, etc. and trucker movies & CB radios. This is also a lot of the audience for NASCAR & rodeos. In the 1990s, even Billy Ray Cyrus had a multi-platinum album. That's why Hannah Montana has a career today. It probably wouldn't have happened without the popularity of her father. The Farm Aid charity concerts have been happening since the 1980s to this day. Farm Aid is generally country artists and heartland rock such as Bob Seger & John Mellencamp.

And? It still is shocking. And my question stands. Who buys that shit? Patriotic, idiotic americans, who tell artists to "shut up and sing or your life will be over" to artists, who dare to call out and criticise idiotic leadership!? And Achy, breaky heart hardly is best songwriting.

[Edited 12/15/20 8:37am]

PatrickS77 said:

MickyDolenz said:

You must not know how popular country music has been in the USA since the 1990s. It first started around the late 1970s with Kenny Rogers & maybe John Denver. John wasn't really considered a country singer by some country fans but he was played on country radio. Both Kenny & John became so popular that they were casted in movies and had TV specials and Kenny had a music TV program when he was still in his band The First Edition. There was also the popularity of country/rural culture TV & movies such as Beverly Hillbillies, Hee Haw, Dukes Of Hazzard, Smokey & The Bandit, etc. and trucker movies & CB radios. This is also a lot of the audience for NASCAR & rodeos. In the 1990s, even Billy Ray Cyrus had a multi-platinum album. That's why Hannah Montana has a career today. It probably wouldn't have happened without the popularity of her father. The Farm Aid charity concerts have been happening since the 1980s to this day. Farm Aid is generally country artists and heartland rock such as Bob Seger & John Mellencamp.

And? It still is shocking. And my question stands. Who buys that shit? Patriotic, idiotic americans, who tell artists to "shut up and sing or your life will be over" to artists, who dare to call out and criticise idiotic leadership!? And Achy, breaky heart hardly is best songwriting.

[Edited 12/15/20 8:37am]

That is a blanket statement for a whole wide ranging genre that actually stretches into other genres. I stand by the fact that best writing is coming from that genre, is that billy ray cyrus NO but did he stick around? NO, if it wasnt for his daughter who'd care about him anymore. He was the Vanilla Ice of Country. Now to say that country or what is called country, I mean people call Richard Marx and Don Henley country now please, it almost seems if you play an acoustic guitar people say "oh thats country". But that would be saying that Rap music is all chain wearing and gun waving and nothing artistic in there and that would be said because of alot of what sold, the argument is that its the music of the streets and identified with those buying it, but maybe that was what sold a lot of that country music in that time, but oddly Garth sold alot but he sold alot not just to the heartland, that actually wasnt even his base he was big all across, so looking at how a lot of "white suburbian" kids bought those "from the streets" rap and what did they know about streets?

PatrickS77 said:
And? It still is shocking. And my question stands. Who buys that shit? Patriotic, idiotic americans, who tell artists to "shut up and sing or your life will be over" to artists, who dare to call out and criticise idiotic leadership!? And Achy, breaky heart hardly is best songwriting.

You have an avatar of Michael Jackson. The Jackson brothers have said they sang country songs back in Gary Indiana because that is what their mother listened to. Jackson songs like Destiny & Time Waits For No One have country elements in them and so does some Commodores/Lionel Richie songs. We Are The World has Kenny Rogers & Willie Nelson on it. Ray Charles has released country records too and Tina Turner put one out in the 1970s. A lot of R&B/soul singers have remade country songs & vice-versa. Artists like The Beatles & Rolling Stones have done country style songs as well.

lastdecember said:

is that billy ray cyrus NO but did he stick around? NO, if it wasnt for his daughter who'd care about him anymore.

Lil' Nas X fans

MickyDolenz said:

PatrickS77 said:
And? It still is shocking. And my question stands. Who buys that shit? Patriotic, idiotic americans, who tell artists to "shut up and sing or your life will be over" to artists, who dare to call out and criticise idiotic leadership!? And Achy, breaky heart hardly is best songwriting.

You have an avatar of Michael Jackson. The Jackson brothers have said they sang country songs back in Gary Indiana because that is what their mother listened to. Jackson songs like Destiny & Time Waits For No One have country elements in them and so does some Commodores/Lionel Richie songs. We Are The World has Kenny Rogers & Willie Nelson on it. Ray Charles has released country records too and Tina Turner put one out in the 1970s. A lot of R&B/soul singers have remade country songs & vice-versa. Artists like The Beatles & Rolling Stones have done country style songs as well.

And?? Once more I ask what the hell does that have to do with anything? Fucking Garth Brooks selling 160 mio albums (3 times as much as Kenny Rogers, 5 times as much as Willie Nelson...), having 9 diamond albums is fucking shocking.

PatrickS77 said:

And?? Once more I ask what the hell does that have to do with anything? Fucking Garth Brooks selling 160 mio albums (3 times as much as Kenny Rogers, 5 times as much as Willie Nelson...), having 9 diamond albums is fucking shocking.

Why does anybody buy anything? Because they like it. That is all I don't see anything shocking about it. Country fans tend to be more loyal than fans of other genres. That's how George Strait has more Top 10 hits on the country chart than anyone else has on ony other chart. There's also the case that Garth Brooks albums were sold in places like Walmart, which is in a lot of small town areas that might not have anyplace else that sells music. Walmart does not sell stickered albums, and Garth doesn't any parental advisory stickers. Country wasn't really mainstream in Willie Nelson's day. There were country songs that crossoved over to the Top 40 pop charts before him, but Kenny Rogers was really the first who crossed over himself and sold a lot of albums. Before Kenny got the mainstream audience, the biggest selling country artist was Charley Pride. It wasn't Dolly Parton, George Jones, Johnny Cash, or Hank Williams. Garth had more of a show than any country artist before him, closer to a KISS concert than Waylon Jennings. That is probably why he and Shania Twain were blockbuster sellers. Garth released albums more regularly than Shania or Dixie Chicks.

alphastreet said:

Never thought of the song destiny having a country vibe, but you’re right. Country sales have always been high in the US so Garth sales don’t surprise me though I don’t exactly think he was a crossover artist

An artist does not have to crossover the the mainstream to sell a lot if they have a certain audience such as Vicente Hernandez, Julio Iglesias, George Strait, & Selena. Garth did crossover to some extent, he had TV specials on network TV. Eddie Murphy got Garth to sing on his album and he was on a KISS tribute album.

PatrickS77 said:

rogifan said:

Source: https://www.riaa.com/gold...ch_section

Interesting. Shaking my head at Britney Spears making this list.

[Edited 12/14/20 21:32pm]

More shocking is fucking Garth Brooks with 9 Diamond albums. Who buys that shit?

Not me. Country music = yuck.

lastdecember said:

There are things missing on this list , Prince, Bon Jovi, have one and the Backstreet Boys have two diamond albums, also The Bee Gees are certified diamond for Saturday Night fever and though it's a soundtrack it's certified under their name as artist.

Oops I missed a couple. Will update my original post.

[Edited 12/15/20 12:39pm]

TrivialPursuit said:

alandail said:

why isn't Purple Rain diamond?

It should be. 10M is diamond and it sold 13M back in the day and subsequently. There had to be more after his death.

But the record company has to request a certification. It's not automatic. But at this point, NPG Records can request the certification.

I updated my list. I missed PR because it was listed under Prince & The Revolution (separate from Prince).

MickyDolenz said:

PatrickS77 said:

And?? Once more I ask what the hell does that have to do with anything? Fucking Garth Brooks selling 160 mio albums (3 times as much as Kenny Rogers, 5 times as much as Willie Nelson...), having 9 diamond albums is fucking shocking.

Why does anybody buy anything? Because they like it. That is all I don't see anything shocking about it. Country fans tend to be more loyal than fans of other genres. That's how George Strait has more Top 10 hits on the country chart than anyone else has on ony other chart. There's also the case that Garth Brooks albums were sold in places like Walmart, which is in a lot of small town areas that might not have anyplace else that sells music. Walmart does not sell stickered albums, and Garth doesn't any parental advisory stickers. Country wasn't really mainstream in Willie Nelson's day. There were country songs that crossoved over to the Top 40 pop charts before him, but Kenny Rogers was really the first who crossed over himself and sold a lot of albums. Before Kenny got the mainstream audience, the biggest selling country artist was Charley Pride. It wasn't Dolly Parton, George Jones, Johnny Cash, or Hank Williams. Garth had more of a show than any country artist before him, closer to a KISS concert than Waylon Jennings. That is probably why he and Shania Twain were blockbuster sellers. Garth released albums more regularly than Shania or Dixie Chicks.

On the country charts. But how many real hits and #1s does he have? That's why I say, it is shocking.

And I question why they do buy shit? I mean, fucking Garth Brooks. Out of all the country artists. Come on.

[Edited 12/15/20 13:25pm]

MickyDolenz said:

PatrickS77 said:

On the country charts. But how many real hits and #1s does he have? That's why I say, it is shocking.

And I question why they do buy shit? I mean, fucking Garth Brooks. Out of all the country artists. Come on.

Because the average person does not go by whether music is considered "cool" by the music press or hipsters. It's the same reason Kenny G was selling way more records than any other jazz artist in the 1980s. Garth was not just on the country chart. Here's 3 album charts. On the 3rd chart Garth has 3 albums in the Top 20 & 2 of them are in the Top 5

SantanaMaitreya said:

For a lot of Europeans, when they think of country music, they think of banjos and cowboy hats and that just isn't cool.

The banjo originated in Africa though. The main reason it reached the US is because of the slaves that were brought over.