Over the Recording Industry Association of America’s 70-year history only 43 acts can boast having earned 30 or more Gold records for singles. The certification threshold denotes sales equivalence of 500,000 in the United States.

On that exclusive list less than one-fifth are women – a tally that was upped by three entrants thanks to the most recent certifications of chart-topping divas SZA, Summer Walker, and Ariana Grande.

Details inside.

In mid-August, Grande – while celebrating the 10th anniversary of her debut album ‘Yours Truly‘ – quietly welcomed a slew of new certifications from the RIAA. Here’s the full list.

6x Platinum

• ‘No Tears Left to Cry’ (Single)

4x Platinum

• ‘God is a Woman’ (Single)

3x Platinum

• ‘Breathin’ (Single)

2x Platinum

• ‘Sweetener’ (Album)

1x Platinum (for sales equivalence of 1 million in the United States)

• ‘Everytime’ (Single)
• ‘Sweetener’ (Single)

Welcoming three new Gold records in the process, Ariana’s total list of singles certified at such stature now equals 30.

Collectively, the upgrades boost her cumulative digital single sales in the U.S. to 73.5 million. At writing, the only female acts to have sold more digital singles in the same territory are Lady Gaga (82.5 million), Katy Perry (112 million), Beyonce (114.5 million), Taylor Swift (137.5 million), and Rihanna (166.5 million).

Ahead of Grande’s impressive assortment of certifications, SZA (born Solana Rowe) – still riding high on the success of her blockbuster sophomore album ‘SOS‘ – boasted her own sweet collection.

See the full list below.

5x Platinum

• ‘Broken Clocks’ (Single)
• ‘Kill Bill’ (Single)

3x Platinum

• ‘SOS’ (Album)

2x Platinum

• ‘Drew Barrymore’ (Single)
• ‘Shirt’ (Single)
• ‘Snooze’ (Single)

1x Platinum

• ‘Love Language’ (Single)
• ‘Blind’ (Single)

Gold

• ‘Smokin My Ex Pack’ (Single)
• ‘SOS’ (Single)
• ‘Notice Me’ (Single)
• ‘F2F’ (Single)
• ‘Gone Girl’ (Single)

With the certifications above in tow, SZA slides to 35 cumulative Gold records and the 55.5 million mark for overall digital single sales in the U.S.

Before Rowe and Grande, the feat (among women) was last accomplished by GRAMMY-nominated R&B diva Summer Walker who scored a whopping 30 new certifications. See that full list below.

Gold

• ‘Still Over It’ (Album)
• ‘Like It’ (Single)
• ‘White Tee’ (Single)
• ‘Nobody Else'(Single)
• ‘Toxic’ (Single)
• ‘Potential’ (Single)
• ‘Off Of You’ (Single)
• ‘Over It’ (Single)
• ‘Unloyal’ (Single)
• ‘Ex for a Reason’ (Single)
• ‘Constant Bullsh-t’ (Single)
• ‘Anna Mae’ (Single)
• ‘Drunk Dialing…LODT’ (Single)
• ‘My Affection’ (Single)
• ‘Last Day of Summer’ (Single)
• ‘Me’ (Single)

1x Platinum

• ‘Tonight’ (Single)
• ‘Karma’ (Single)
• ‘Deep’ (Single)
• ‘Just Might’ (Single)
• ‘Body’ (Single)
• ‘No Love’ (Single)
• ‘CPR’ (Single)
• ‘Session 32’ (Single)

2x Platinum

• ‘I’ll Kill You’ (Single)
• ‘Over It’ (Album)
• ‘Come Thru’ (Single)

4x Platinum

• ‘Playing Games’ (Single)

5x Platinum

• ‘Girls Need Love’ (Single)

The collective additions run Walker’s cumulative Gold record count up to 30 and her overall digital single sales to 30.5 million in the United States.

*****

Among all acts, the only female singers to boast as many or more Gold-certified singles than Summer and Ariana are Carrie Underwood (32), SZA (35),  Mariah Carey (35), Rihanna (57), Beyonce (61), and Swift (70).

[source]

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