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RIAA Recognizes the Hottest Releases - Adele Tops the List!
WASHINGTON–Many of today’s top acts are making musical waves early this summer season, as evidenced by numerous new album and song releases scoring outstanding Gold & Platinum successes in May, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA’s) monthly G&P certifications report.
Rolling in G&P awards, soulful songstress Adele received the highest G&P album certification of any artist in May, taking her sophomore studio record 21 double-Platinum to commemorate sales exceeding two million since its February release. In addition, Adele earned a second double-Platinum award for selling two million digital downloads of her hit song “Rolling In The Deep.”
On the heels of six wins at May’s Billboard Music Awards, talented teen Island act Justin Bieber also brought home two RIAA Platinum awards the same month. The Platinum plaques went to The Bieb’s February album release Never Say Never – The Remixes and its title track “Never Say Never,” which accompanied the release of Justin’s 3D concert film (you guessed it!) Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. The Bieber fever will never fade.
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Also earning high marks in the Platinum album category was May’s CMT Music Awards host Kid Rock for Born Free released in November on Atlantic. This is the sixth Platinum album certification for the Michigan-raised rock star whose career sales total more than 23 million albums.
Alternative rock band Foo Fighters earned a timely Gold album award in May for selling more than 500,000 copies of their heralded first album release in four years, Wasting Light (RCA), in less than one month. Together since 1994, all seven Foo Fighters’ studio albums are RIAA certified Gold or higher.
Golden congratulations are also in order to first-rate country stars Eric Church and Zac Brown Band for bringing their respective albums Carolina (EMI Records Nashville, 2009) and Pass The Jar (Homegrown/Atlantic Records, 2010) Gold in May.
May’s highest digital song download certification – 6x multi-Platinum – went to sizzling Miami rapper Flo Rida’s “Low.” At 6x multi-Platinum, the Atlantic act’s dance floor hit ties Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” as one of the HIGHEST digital song certifications in RIAA G&P program history. Who will be the first artist or band to make it to 7x multi-Platinum, folks?
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Ubiquitous breakup track “Forget You” earned multi-talented rapper and current NBC’s The Voice vocal coach Cee Lo Green his very first double, triple and quadruple-Platinum download awards in May. The 4x multi-Platinum popular hit hails from Cee Lo’s third album The Lady Killer, released in November on Elektra.
Speaking of hot hits, additional 4x multi-Platinum plaques were awarded to Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” (Elektra, 2010), Kevin Rudolf’s “Let It Rock” (Universal Records, 2008) and Jay Sean’s “Down” (Universal Records, 2009), while the Plain White T’s earned their highest download certification yet: a 3x multi-Platinum award for “Hey There Delilah” (Fearless Records, 2005).
Capitol Records London rapper Tinie Tempah and married Stoney Creek Records duo Thompson Square both earned their first RIAA Platinum song awards for selling more than one million downloads of their respective songs “Written In The Stars” (2011) and “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” (2010).
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A variety of certifiably popular female singers upped their G&P ante in May: Rihanna earned her 13th Platinum single award for “What’s My Name” while Carrie Underwood earned her 6th Platinum for “Last Name” and Taylor Swift took her 17th Gold download award for “Mean.” Great job gals!
May was also a solid-selling month for newly minted artists VV Brown and Rick Ross who earned their very first RIAA Gold download awards for their respective 2010 songs “Shark In The Water” (Capitol) and “Aston Martin Music” (Mercury).
In May the RIAA awarded a total of nine album and 38 digital single certifications. All certifications are calculated by Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman. Complete lists of all album, single, mastertone and video awards can also be accessed at www.riaa.com.
