At writing, there are only 87 songs in the history of recorded music to boast a Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
A measure that denotes the sales equivalence of 10 million units in the United States, the once-nearly unreachable status saw an explosion in the number of achievers once the organization began including streaming figures in its tabulation. Nevertheless, the vied plaque still eludes even some of music’s biggest names as evidenced by the list of hits that currently line the RIAA’s ‘best-selling singles ever’ tally.
And while only a few are lucky enough to nab one Diamond certification over their entire careers, an impressive group can boast having lifted two songs from the same album to reach the sales threshold.
In the wake of Cardi B recently becoming the first female act in history to have two singles from one album certified 11x Platinum or higher (as we reported here), That Grape Juice thought it apt to toast the entire exclusive club of hitmakers she joins by accomplishing the feat.
Thanks to Lady Gaga‘s hits ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Bad Romance,’ found aboard her debut album, ‘The Fame,’ and its reissue, ‘The Fame: Monster,’ respectively, she became the first artist to ever launch two Diamond-certified singles from one album/era in 2015.
When ‘Love the Way You Lie’ was certified Diamond in 2018 it made Eminem the first male artist/first rapper to ever nab two certifications of that stature from one album (2010’s ‘Recovery’). The LP’s ‘Not Afraid’ is its other Diamond holder.
Eminem is uniquely the first artist overall in American music history to have multiple Diamond singles and albums.
Katy Perry rode ‘Dark Horse’ right into RIAA history books when it galloped past the organization’s threshold for Diamond certification. She not only became the first female act to own three Diamond singles overall, but the second lady (after Lady Gaga) to lift two singles to that measure from one album (2013’s ‘Prism‘).
‘Roar‘ is the LP’s other Diamond holder.
An early Christmas present indeed, December 20, 2019, brought with it news that Ed Sheeran‘s ‘Divide’ single, ‘Perfect,’ had been certified Diamond.
The feat made him the first male singer to own three Diamond singles overall, two of which came from the ‘Divide’ album. ‘Shape of You’ is the LP’s other Diamond holder.
Bruno Mars sits in RIAA record books as the artist with the most Diamond singles overall (6).
He is not only the first American male singer to own two Diamond singles from one album, but he is the first solo artist overall to do it twice.
From his debut album, ‘Doo-Wops & Hooligans,’ the tunes ‘Just the Way You Are’ and ‘Grenade‘ sit at Diamond or higher. Its follow-up, ‘Unorthodox Jukebox,’ cranked out two Diamond hits as well: ‘When I Was Your Man’ and ‘Locked Out of Heaven.’
In summer 2021, Imagine Dragons – the most Diamond-decorated group in RIAA history – earned its second of four Diamond singles for the song ‘Demons.’ The tune, found aboard their 2012 debut studio album, ‘Night Visions,’ shares space on the LP’s tracklist with the 14x Platinum hit, ‘Radioactive.’ At writing, ‘Radioactive’ is the best-selling song by a group in the history of American music.
Dragons’ tertiary album, ‘Evolve,’ also birthed two Diamond singles: ‘Thunder’ and ‘Believer.’ The feat makes them the only group in history to have delivered two Diamond singles from a single album twice.
December 2021 brought with it news that Cardi, thanks to the Diamond certification of her Hot 100 #1 single, ‘I Like It,’ had become the first female rapper to have two Diamond singles.
What’s more, ‘Like’ – and the previously Diamond-certified ‘Bodak Yellow’ – are both from her debut album, ‘Invasion of Privacy’ (which stands as the only LP in music history to have every one of its tracks certified Gold or higher).
On what would’ve been his 64th birthday, the late King of Pop Michael Jackson saw two of his most iconic singles – ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Thriller’ – respectively crowned Diamond, breaking multiple RIAA records in the process.
First, 1983’s ‘Billie Jean’ now beats Whitney Houston‘s signature classic ‘I Will Always Love You’ as the oldest Diamond-certified song in history by a solo act. The only single older to have been certified as high is Queen’s 1975 classic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
Second, ‘Billie’ and ‘Thriller’ are the first songs from the 80s to be certified Diamond. Next, the updates make MJ the first artist whose prime predates the Soundscan era to have multiple Diamond singles in the digital era.
Finally, the triumph made Jackson the first singer in American history to own multiple Diamond singles and albums. Before ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Thriller’ (the song) crossed the sales threshold, their parent album and its 1987 follow-up, ‘Bad,’ beat them to the punch.
The Chainsmokers‘ hit collaboration with Halsey, ‘Closer,’ and their Daya-assisted hit, ‘Don’t Let Me Down,’ are both Diamond and both found on their 2016 EP, ‘Collage.’
Though not an album in the traditional sense, ‘Collage’ – still a body of work – made history by making the group the first act ever to see two singles from an EP certified as a 10 million-seller.