Which music artist has the most diamond certified albums?
Getting just one album certified diamond by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) is beyond the wildest dreams of most artists. It’s the only certification of its kind that exists in the music industry, representing a colossal ten million units sold. Barely more than a handful of artists have more than one diamond record, including usual suspects like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Eminem and Whitney Houston.
Out of the above artists, The Beatles lead the way with six diamond-certified albums, including Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album and Abbey Road, alongside three compilations. Led Zeppelin follow close behind with five diamond records in the US. Led Zeppelin II, IV, Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffiti and their 1990 Boxed Set compilation make up their collection.
However, neither of these best-selling artists claim the top spot for most diamond-certified albums. Nor do the Eagles, whose 1976 album Hotel California is one of the few ever to have gone double-diamond, with over 26 million copies sold in the US.
The man who is out in front on his own, way ahead of the chase, ropin’ the wind, with no fences to hold him back, has a whopping nine diamond records. Three ahead of The Beatles in second place. He’s American country singer-songwriter Garth Brooks.
Which Garth Brooks records are diamond?
Amazingly, more than a third of Brooks’ 17 studio albums have gone diamond: his self-titled debut, No Fences, Ropin’ the Wind, The Chase, In Pieces and Sevens. Admittedly, the last of these was released way back in 1997. Only one of his four most recent studio efforts has sold a million, the threshold for platinum certification.
On the other hand, Brooks has still been raking in sales through compilation and live albums. Two greatest hits albums released in 1994 and 2007, respectively have reached the diamond mark, as has his 1998 live album Double Live.
This live album was actually the first record since Nielsen Soundscan data collection began to sell over one million copies in the US during its first week of release. While the Backstreet Boys would later take the crown for most first-week album sales in the US (and it’s currently held by Adele for her album 25), no one’s catching Brooks’ diamond albums record anytime soon.
At the same time, the country king of adult radio doesn’t seem to have taken to the age of streaming so well. Although still widely listened to, his monthly listens on Spotify total less than 1million, far behind contemporaries such as Billy Ray Cyrus and Kid Rock. And the new country kid on the block, Morgan Wallen, beats him all ends up with over 26million listens.
Still, with physical sales in such astronomical numbers a thing of the past, fans of Brooks’ nineties albums can dust them off once in a while. Safe in the knowledge that his diamond records record may never be beaten.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Led Zeppelin Newsletter
All the latest stories about Led Zeppelin from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.