Mariah Carey Moves Past Madonna On ‘RIAA Most Certified’ List, Second Only to Streisand Among Women

Published: Wednesday 2nd Oct 2019 by Rashad

Mariah Carey‘s 1994 yuletide album, ‘Merry Christmas,’ continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.

As if its annual domination of charts during the holiday season isn’t enough, its lead single – ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ – makes history almost every year for reaching new peaks over two decades after its premiere.  Now, just days after announcing a tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the set’s release (click here for dates), Carey’s unwrapped news ‘Christmas’ has yielded yet another historic achievement, courtesy of the RIAA.

Details inside:


 

On October 1, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) updated a number of its logs, including the stats of Carey’s ‘Christmas.’  Now 6X Platinum, which denotes sales equivalence of 6 million units in the United States, the album’s new certification gave Mimi just the slight push needed to edge past Queen of Pop Madonna‘s overall numbers.

As of time reported, Madge sits at 64.5 million certified albums sold in the U.S. while Carey’s now at 65 million. Congratulations are due to the ‘Vision of Love’ diva who, thanks to the update, only sees herself behind Barbra Streisand‘s historic 68 million certified albums sold on the “best-selling women of all time” chart (according to the RIAA).

Note:  The RIAA only tracks reported U.S. sales.

[main photo source:  Getty Images/Shutterstock/FilmMagic]

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  1. Stevone l Jackson October 2, 2019

    That’s right ? Mariah

  2. Gworl Bye October 2, 2019

    So Barbara Streisand is still Queen.

  3. Terny October 2, 2019

    Muva! ??????Now let the RIAA update the rest of her impressive, one of a kind catalog and watch the h8ters have meltdowns 3- 4 diamond albums! ??#L4L

    • PussyPop$tress October 2, 2019

      maybe. i wonder if madonna AND mariah both updated their catalogs on the RIAA then who would be on top.

      i have a feeling in the here and now it would be madonna but when it’s all said it done it will be mariah

    • Fitsy October 4, 2019

      Madonnas hasnt been updated since the 90s so dont hold your breath, and this is just US numbers, globally Madonna is huge, beyond huge ????

  4. And I … Oop! October 2, 2019

    Congratulations MiMi Darrrrling!! ?
    ??

  5. Billboard Genius October 2, 2019

    Congrats to MC!!!!!

    Mariah Carey, 18 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s

    “Vision of Love,” four weeks beginning Aug. 4, 1990
    “Love Takes Time,” three, Nov. 10, 1990
    “Someday,” two, March 9, 1991
    “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” two, May 25, 1991
    “Emotions,” three, Oct. 12, 1991
    “I’ll Be There,” two, June 20, 1992
    “Dreamlover,” eight, Sept. 11, 1993
    “Hero,” four, Dec. 25, 1993
    “Fantasy,” eight, Sept. 30, 1995
    “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 16, Dec. 2, 1995
    “Always Be My Baby,” two, May 4, 1996
    “Honey,” three, Sept. 13, 1997
    “My All,” one, May 23, 1998
    “Heartbreaker,” feat. JAY-Z, two, Oct. 9, 1999
    “Thank God I Found You,” feat. Joe & 98 Degrees, one, Feb. 19, 2000
    “We Belong Together,” 14, June 4, 2005
    “Don’t Forget About Us,” two, Dec. 31, 2005
    “Touch My Body,” two, April 12, 2008

    Mariah take out that golden pen and put your songwriting gift to work. One more hit filled RIAA triple platinum plus album and it’s a wrap in the USA. All I Want For Christmas Is You has so far peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 (and that was a recent peak). Something tells me it could be yet another No. … in one future December with the right streaming numbers/sales/radio play (and a little Christmas miracle week). It set a single-day streaming record just last December. I’m ready for the holidays Mariah! haha

    • Billboard Genius October 2, 2019

      *Another No. 1* 🙂

    • china October 2, 2019

      Mariah could have had a Number 1 with: Caution, 8th Grade, Faded, Beautiful, Obessed. Get on these talk shows. Do Acapella performances on IG. Loose the Weight. Beat the odds. She gives up on Singles too easy. If lady gaga can do it, she can too

  6. Joe October 2, 2019

    If they update all of Mariah’s album certifications, she will show that she out sold a lot more men too. They’re being lazy.

  7. Gworl Bye October 2, 2019

    I always wonder how her sales stats would read had she never married the boss of her label back then. And don’t @ me lambs with your delusional essays and novels, her marrying Tommy Mottola had a MAJOR impact on her record sales, and that’s fact.

    • King z October 2, 2019

      Preach. Not hating, just facts

      U cannot take away from Mariah talent, but it’s not a secret she was the queen of discounting singles to get to #1 and also using payola to dominate radio

      • Andy tan October 2, 2019

        Yada yada yada. U all are just bitter & sad ur faves can’t rven reach her status. Her 2 singles that were deeply discounted were ‘Thank God I found You’ & ‘Loverboy’. If u discount those, she still has 17 no 1s which is way more than anyone.

        The strange thing is EVERYONE manipulated the charts back then & even now. Just look at ariann, lil nas. Or the song that prevented ‘Loverboy’ from going no 1 – destiny child’s ‘Bootylicious’. U don’t hear anyone criticizing them for doing so.

        Yes Mariah had huge help from tommy back in day cause he spend so much promoting her music but all her songs were legitimate hits. Once she divorced mottola, she no longer had the label support or anything. But she was able to bounce back in 2005 with her biggest hit ‘We belong Together’. NO ONE can deny her success from that for sure!

        So all of u can shut up now.

    • Meteorite October 2, 2019

      I don’t discredit that Tommy definitely helped launch her career into the stratosphere. Being married to a CEO of a major labor label has its perks; he definitely gave her seniority and Mariah having the talent and song writing capabilities worthy of such perks made her unstoppable. However, he caught off her seniority during the Butterfly era when they divorced in favor of JLO but by then she was already a cemented as a certified hit maker. I think had she never married Tommy her success would have mirrored that of Whitney and Celine. Still successful without a shadow of a doubt just not as many numbers ones and what not.

  8. Dee October 2, 2019

    Common Mariah. I want you to over take Barbara.

    • PussyPop$tress October 2, 2019

      she will. she has age on her side.

  9. Rashad October 2, 2019

    Anyone know when did this tracking start? The 90s or before? Bc if this don’t include Madonna’s 80s monster hits then numbers aren’t really accurate since MC came out in 90.

    • CrystalLite October 2, 2019

      this does include all of madonna’s 80’s albums, but keep in mind that madonna hasn’t had alot of her sales updated with the RIAA since the 90’s. also, keep in mind madonna is a bigger seller WORLDWIDE. madge is way more popular is europe than mimi is

      • Fitsy October 4, 2019

        Madonna was last certified in 1991 after the IC. Its missing out stellar albums such as Bedtime Stories, Erotica, Evita, Ray of Light, Music, Confessions plus 3 other hit compilations and her 3 albums from the 10s

  10. DT October 2, 2019

    Meems better stay on the meds. she cray. madonna is and always will be the Queen ??

  11. Ernest Whitaker October 2, 2019

    I’m so proud of my “skinny diva”!!!Well deserved,now,TSWHOF needs to quit snubbing her!They know she’s a great songwriter with haunting lyrics!!!

  12. Robert October 3, 2019

    Ms thing is the queen. Long live MIMI !!!!

  13. Kevin M October 3, 2019

    Remember this is ONLY USA RIAA Certifications and unfortunately all of Madonna’s Warner Brothers albums from her first album in 1983 all the way through Hard Candy in 2008 (which is about 20 albums including compilations and/or soundtracks) are in the process of all being updated by the RIAA, Warner Brothers dragged their feet after she left them for Interscope. The same goes for Barbara Streisand who has been with Columbia since the beginning of her career has about 50 albums that need to be re certified. It costs the record company money to certify them which is why they take forever. Let’s see once everyone has updated numbers before celebrating.

  14. Fitsy October 4, 2019

    Well theres Billboards bias again! Madonna has been on 64.5 million since the early 90s and Carey on her number too, so update Madonnas stats too. Its simple

  15. Njelic October 4, 2019

    I love Mariah, how i wish she could share some more musics.

  16. sandro October 5, 2019

    yes mariah so happy for you love your music

  17. Eduardo Marinho October 6, 2019

    Madonna
    Hasn’t updated her
    Catalog since mid of 90’s

  18. Scott Williams February 18, 2020

    Keep in mind this is just USA stats
    Over seas Madonna probably has more sales then Barbra and Mariah combined
    She is a much more international star then both of them , I think her net worth is also more than the two combined

  19. joe February 27, 2020

    This is a joke! Her christmas album didnt recently sell 500,000 copies to surpass Madonna such FAKE NEWS! Madonna’s camp needs to do the same with her,,She will be much higher!

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