Whether scribbled in history books for some awesomely good or awesomely bad reasons, 2016 brought with it some of modern music’s most memorable moments.
Now, as the year draws to a close, TGJ is reflecting on 31 moments that rocked – and to some degree maybe even shaped – the Urban and Pop musical landscape as we know it now.
First up? Adele makes history as the 7th woman to earn two diamond certifications over the course of her career…
Reported: September 2016
It’s already well known that her latest album, ’25,’ not only set the record for highest first week sales of any album in history, but is also sitting as the best selling album of 2015 and 2016 (to date). Since then, those mega-sales have combined and gifted the songstress with her latest diamond album.
According to the RIAA, ’25’ has been certified diamond in recognition of 10 million units shifted since its November 2015 debut. It follows the achievement of its predecessor, 2011’s ’21,’ which also shifted over 10 million units.
With the historic accomplishment the Grammy-winning singer said ‘Hello’ to access to an elite group of female artists including powerhouse singers Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey as well as praised pop performers Shania Twain, Madonna, and Britney Spears.
Add to this, as of time reported, Addy is also the only artist to go diamond even once with an album released this decade.
Yassss Congratulations
25 is not as good or interesting as 19 and 21. Love in the dark – is a great song and All I ask is good but missing something — ) She has a great dark emotive voice but her TEAM fails at proper single releases. Her voice and pain is what sold this basic cd.
Well since you seem to know everything about a successful album maybe you should of been apart of her album but yet you live on here being so opinionated and like you are a commentator lol ?
@PAUL DUMMY. Glass house —- stones queen?
Slaydele! congrats
Get it Adele. Such a great Album, can’t wait for her to tear up the Grammys!!
Well deserved! Substance, songwriting, and vocals.
When will Beyonce? I thought she can sell albums?
Is MOORIAH pregnant or is she trill trying loose her baby weight (insert nick cannon joke here) from 10 years ago??
Listen, you internet troll. Mariah Carey is one of the biggest artist in history. While you spend your time spitting hate (typical gay of course), she is on a yacht enjoying the fruits of her 500 million dollar career. Grow up troll.
What YATCHT?? HOPE ITS BIG ENOUGH FOR HER…..I WORRY, WE’VE LOST SO MUCH PEOPLE THIS YEAR, WE CAN’T LOOSE ANOTHER LEGEND AS A RESULT OF SHIP-WRECK.
@Suprise/Truthteller why do you and LOL use caps excessively?☕️
LMAO DOES IT BOTHER YOU LIKE THE BUGS BEING PRESSED OVER BUMYONCE NEVER GETTING A DIAMOND PLAQUE LIKE, EVER? LMAO
You should probably learn the difference between ‘lose’ and ‘loose’. if you’re going to come for someone. ‘Lose’ is the word you were going for….’loose’ describes your hole. Take care.
Yawn, yawn and yawn
Beyoncé is a BLACK R&B Artist. cut it out
Lmao since when?
@SMH Since the beginning of her career hun. I know you have a lot of biased hate for Bey but lets not be delusional…
I will never get who still buy her album right now…like how ?
Yeah, that must feel odd as a Beyoncé fan.
Girl bye
The queen of the music industry, the biggest music artist in the world. Always humble. When will others that call themselves queens?
Congrats Adele… Another Female Diamond album aint happening anytime soon
” People don’t buy album anymore “.
Adele and Beyoncé says “Hello”. Taylor, P!nk, Ed Sheeran and JT says “Hi!”
Adele >>>>>>>>>> those other people who you mentioned
LMAO STAY IN YOUR LANE, BUG, BUMYONCE WILL NEVER BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION LMAO.
Has Joanne outsold ST’s first day sales (453,000)?
LOL HAS KOOLAID OUTSOLD 25’S FIRST HOUR’S SALES YET? LMAO
Has Joanne sold 25’s first SECOND sales? ?
And y’all talking bout y’all faves slayin.lol Please bear this thread in mind next time you even attempt to reference slayage. Thanks, and congrats Adele!!!!
LMAO DAMN ADELE HAS 2 DIAMOND ALBUMS IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS. STRUGGLEYONCE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A 5 MILLION SELLER AFTER OVER 10 YEARS LMAO.
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6828205/beyonce-dangerously-in-love-surpasses-5-million-sold-us
Where is the butch that told us all to bow down?
Where is her diamond certification… Has lemonade sold 3 Million world wide?
Has any Shakira album in the past 6 years?
Not quite yet, but here’s just a few reasons to bow dow:
#1
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7350372/beyonce-earns-sixth-no-1-album-on-billboard-200-chart-with-lemonade
#2 http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/6882943/beyonce-box-office-formation-stadium-tour-queen-of-touring
s/d: end result: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Formation_World_Tour
#3
https://www.grammy.com/artist/beyonce
#4
http://time.com/4470510/vmas-2016-mtv-beyonce-awards/
#5
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6443462/best-artists-of-2010s-so-far
You can dank me later *Nicki voice*
With the exception of Britney (because she’s just not) and Adele (because she’s too young in the game) these women are all legends : Mariah, Shania, Whitney, Madge and Celine…all apart of an unforgettable and legendary era of music. TBH really the last of those type of great eras. and their music actually fits the monumental sales. Slay ladies
Britney and Adele are both legends in the making.
Britney might not have much talent as a singer but she will forever go down as one of the most iconic performers.
Adele’s music is in synch with Whitney Celine Etc …when I think of quality it doesn’t go farther than rolling in the deep set fire on the rain, hello when we were young.
Naw. Britney is an icon for late 90’s early 2000’s pop. She has pretty much sucked since 25 and at the young age of 34 is no longer slaying. No legend has ever fell off their game at 25 and been so horrible at 34. Most legends are in their peak at the age of 34- Britney is flopping left right and already in vegas where OLDER acts go that can’t necessarily have huge commercial success the traditional way yet there she is young as hell way before she should be, if she were truly legend. Which she isn’t. Adele is good but not even CLOSE to anything Whitney. Not even in the slightest. She’s lucky Amy wine house passed away and left that lane open because she had that spot on lock and was getting all of the big time recognition even while Adele was out. Adele is good but nowhere near Whitney.. you’re super reaching and totally off. Whitneys versatility alone far exceeds anything Adele has done, which is pretty much the same type of music for 3 albums now. You can’t be a legend in the making 5-7 years in ur career. Waaaaay too early.
Girl you stay reaching?
I love Whitney but let’s not act like she wrote any of her classics… Obviously she says Adele vocally….like she has no equal there. But based on content Adele has proven she is a capable song writer with quality contents.
Britney’s last big era was in 2011.She scored multiple hits then with 2 number one songs ..I don’t even like Britney and I will happily drag her talentless ass to the moon and back but let’s not act like she hasn’t had a phenomenal career… Legend is not so much about quality of your stuff but the generation you inspired… Every little white girl from Disney today trying to become a pop singer owes their inspiration to Britney… She ushered in a new movement that has lived on till today and that alone made her legendery.
britney ushered in nothing. her career was built on imitating Janet Jackson.
@shakira again… you’re WRONG. Britney ushered in Janet Jackson watered down knock off with blonde hair. And clearly you don’t know what legendary means because what you said does not mean legendary, that’s more of an icon. A legend solidifies a lands for themselves that nobody can replace. Britney is cool for a 5 year period and then awful and again she was merely a knockoff white Janet/Tiffany/white generic pop star with nothing to offer but Janet’s rejected songs (s**** for you/boys) and her swag which clearly was contrived cause she lost it real quick. And songwriting has nothing to do with Adele and Whitney- they’re SINGERS and Whitney far exceeds Adele in EVERY aspect and has way more classics than Adele has, whether she wrote them or not. At this point Adele is good but is a one trick pony. She needs to now show us she can do something else other than what she’s done the last three albums. They’re all good but it’s getting redundant. Babe ur standards for legends are very low.
Agreed @cough cough, britney isnt a legend or an icon. The fact that she landed in Vegas before she turned 30 proves that.
The hives drag themselves whenever they call that phony queen when her name keeps missing out on every list that matters
She sold out her marriage, used racism and every other thing you could think of still people paid her album dust…
Lmao sis Wb where you been hiding?
Beyoncé is the #1 chick in the game and has NEVER lost her spot and NEVER will. Beyoncé’s impact is like no other who cares if she doesn’t have a diamond album she sold about 12 million records will a full R&B album (DIL) that’s a huge and rare accomplishment in R&B music you gotta give her credit and she’s more consistent than all of her peers
shell never be the #1 chick in anything while other female pop stars keep outselling her.
What female popstars besides Adele and T. Swift are outselling her? You bítches act like Katy, Rih, Gaga, Britney, Ariana etc. are currently selling more than her when they aren’t despite them being at their “commercial peak” (besides britney and gaga)
Matter’s to who? you? F** outta here.
I’m only good at sucking my camel husband. I need to go back to my cheating daddy to manage the remaining flop of my career.
Look at my girl B Spears in that photo seated right alongside some of the all time great female pop stars. Now I understand why TGJ is so pressed on her lol
Her album is amazing & it’s still selling with a new single that’s climbing the charts. She is super impressive. She’s a great artist overall. WOW! GO ADELE!!!!! A REAL ARTIST!!!!!!!!!
Adele is the reason why excuses are not accepted as to why Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and any other artist of this generation don’t have a Diamond certified album, not even one, while Adele has two in less than 7 years. She’s undoubtedly the biggest artist in the world.
“I ran from my house that cannot contain me, from the man that I cannot keep, from my mother who haunts me, even though she’s gone; from my daughter that never sleeps.”
That song is a masterpiece, one of my favorites.
S******
You always in the posts that are worth it 🙂
Do you mind telling me which Madonna albums are certified diamond? I really don´t know which ones are. Oh and btw, as time goes by, I´m more and more convinced that Like a Prayer is Madonna´s biggest classic (the song). Like no doubt. It´s definitely the one Madonna song that keeps getting the more airplay and exposure with time. It´s also one of my favorites from her. If not my absolute favorite (although you know albums wise I appreciate the 4 albums from 1998 to 2005 the most).
Like a Virgin and The Immaculate Collection, True Blue has sold 25 million copies ww but is not diamond certified in the USA. About her biggest classic, I think it changes from country to country, in Italy I notice that her most revered song is Vogue, while in Sweden it seems to be Like a Virgin, it’s actually hard to know her biggest classic since she has too much.
Beyoncé & Rihanna’s music don’t appeal to everybody. Especially Beyoncé who is more of an R&B/ Urban Pop artist. How many black female entertainers have diamond albums ? I’ll wait
Right, no excuses! Now that Adele’s earned her 2nd diamond album, she probably one of what makes up a whopping 2% of musical acts in the entire industry that’s achieved this goal in the past 10+ years! It’s common AF! Obtaining diamond is so easy with streaming services and music piracy affecting sales!
Umm…Toni and Janet also have two diamond albums. I’m tired of them being snubbed and ignored.
Well… sounds like you understand how the industry works sometimes!
Adele is indeed the biggest artist in the world right now. NOT BEYONCE. She has no integrity. Everything is manipulated, calculated, and exaggerated.
Now this is a post that is worth it! The real deal. No excuses. It´s hilarious to see all those posts about supposed record-breaking invented achievements. They are just not. Now this is huge. Real album sales in this scale. Adele is so above everybody it is not even funny.
It´s nice to be reminded my 3 absolute favorite females ever are on this list 🙂 and that I also love in some shape or form all the other ladies (except Britney, who is an exception).
One more thing: Adele´s achievement is incredible cause in this age albums don´t sell as much. But I also have to wonder if she would have had this much success twice in a row if she had released in the 80s and 90s with these other ladies. Cause their voices sure were way more impressive than Adele´s, and their material was equaly classic (or more).
But I also have to wonder if she would have had this much success twice in a row if she had released in the 80s and 90s with these other ladies. Cause their voices sure were way more impressive than Adele´s, and their material was equaly classic (or more).
^ Agreed! Nothing against Adele, but she’s so over hyped! I absolutely loved ‘Hello'(and I haven’t appreciated a song from her that much since ‘Chasing Pavements’), but I was totally disappointed that everything else on ’25’ paled in comparison!
LOL Beyonce hasn’t got Diamond anything.
Who cares tho. Most people with diamond albums become irrelevant in a few years time. Prime example: Britney Spears
It sure took a long time for Brit’s ‘relevancy’ to fade considering her last platinum No.1 single/album was in 2011.. nearly 13 years after BOMT. Y’all stay trying to discredit her. She’s on this list and your faves are not. ???
Neither has Rihanna.. Beyoncé is way closer to getting a diamond album than frih.
Beyonce hasn’t got a Diamond album and with streaming factoring in, never will. Rihanna’s love the way you lie is Diamond certified, and soon we found love will be, also something Beyonce will never have.
I got mad love for Adele but if you put Adele on stage with Beyonce, Bey would run Adele off the stage like she did the Dixie Chicks!!!! Adele is not half the artist Bey is. You gotta be able to perform live as well. Record sells are great but Britney and Taylor sold a lot of records does that make them good artist? Hell to the no!!!!!
Exactly. Beyoncé is one of the most TALENTED & VERSATILE vocalist of this generation as well as dancing her ass of at the same damn time. These girls don’t come close and they all know this including Adele. But I like Adele she is very talented & she is a queen in her Len right but it’s levels to this
Maybe a rachet performance of a woman screaming and tossing her hair in letord is your ideal for a classic performance, but some of us still like that old fashioned performance the one that the 1990’s Mariah, Whitney gave… Where performers let their talent speak and not so much of gimmicks to distract from the lacklustre offering.
Yeah, and if you put her albums on store 20 million people will buy Adele’s, and 2 million Beyoncé’s. Wait.. that already happened.
I love Bey but she sounded a hot mess on the country awards. Her runs were terrible, fast and very uncontrolled. Very old school Beyoncé pre-solo. It was a cute moment but the vocals were nowhere near a slay. But I agree, Beyoncé would sing Adele under the table- point blank period. I just think that was a bad example.
for all you gross haters, here is the real tea on how dumb yall sound:
“Jay Z’s wife, Beyoncé (No. 17, $54 million), could end up near the top of next year’s list: her Formation World Tour grossed nearly $5 million per city, but most of its dates fell outside of our scoring period and will be counted next time around.”
Kudos to Madge and Ms. Spears for (somehow) making it on a list comprised of some of the best vocalists ever.
When you achieve the same thing as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Madonna AND Mariah Carey have done TWICE, there is nothing left to achieve.
Congratulations to them all’s
So Whitney is the only black female who has diamond albums in history!!. Although Mariah is half black, she can pass as white.