A Diamond Album signifies 10 million units sold (physical/digital/streams combined) by the RIAA, with its actual monetary worth depending on artist deals, but translates to millions in revenue for labels and substantial sums for artists after advances and splits, far exceeding the platinum (1M) or gold (500k) levels, though exact artist payout varies wildly.
Garth Brooks has received seven Diamond awards for seven individual albums from the RIAA for selling over ten million units each, a feat only he can claim, and is the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history certified by the RIAA with over 138 million album sales.
Garth Brooks is the only artist with nine Diamond-certified albums, a unique achievement for album sales, though other artists like Drake and Post Malone have more total Diamond certifications (singles + albums). Brooks' Diamond albums include No Fences, Ropin' the Wind, The Hits, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses, Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and Man Against Machine.
Reflecting additional growth in music sales, the Diamond award was instituted in 1999 for albums or singles selling ten million units.
George Strait holds the record for the most platinum albums, with 33 certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for selling over one million copies each in the USA, a feat that cements his status as the "King of Country" and leads all artists across genres. He is followed by Elvis Presley and The Beatles in overall platinum awards, but Strait leads the pack specifically for platinum albums.
Its single "Bad Guy" became the first by an artist born in the 21st century to top the US Billboard Hot 100 and be certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Taylor Swift's "1989" has officially become her second diamond album, joining "Fearless."
Who is the most successful artist of all time?
Rappers with the most DIAMOND plaques 💎 • Eminem - 6 • Drake - 6 • Jay Z - 3 • Cardi B - 3.
Sales: Off the Wall has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2025. Billboard Year-End Awards (1980): Jackson was recognized as Top Black Artist and the album as Top Black Album.
Drake's 'Take Care' Album Has Officially been Certified RIAA Diamond after Selling 10 Million Units... becoming his first ever diamond certified album.
The number one selling album worldwide is Michael Jackson's Thriller, released in 1982, with estimated sales exceeding 70 million copies globally, making it the best-selling album of all time. While the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) holds the top spot in the U.S. for album-equivalent units, Thriller remains the undisputed global leader.
Achieving $10,000 Earnings Goal
Start by understanding the base rate Spotify pays per stream, which averages around $0.0032. If you do the simple math, you'll need around 3.1 million streams to make $10,000. However, this number could fluctuate depending on your agreement with your record label and distributors.
For $20,000, you can typically find a high-quality, eye-clean natural diamond around 1.5 to 2.5 carats, depending on the cut, color (like G-H), and clarity (VS1-SI1), with potential for larger stones (3+ carats) if opting for lab-grown diamonds or making bigger sacrifices on the other "Cs" (Cut, Color, Clarity) for a natural stone, according to sources from Brian Gavin Diamonds, Whiteflash, and Grahams Jewellers.
Taylor Swift is the highest-grossing live music artist of all time, collecting $3 billion according to Pollstar. U2, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John also passed two-billion mark in concert revenue.
Michael Jackson has sold over 1 billion records worldwide across all credits. He's the best selling artist in music history.
Garth Brooks is the only artist with nine Diamond-certified albums, a unique achievement for album sales, though other artists like Drake and Post Malone have more total Diamond certifications (singles + albums). Brooks' Diamond albums include No Fences, Ropin' the Wind, The Hits, The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses, Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and Man Against Machine.
While Oasis remains a massive cultural force, especially in the UK, Taylor Swift is currently bigger globally, with her Eras Tour setting new records for attendance and overall fan demand, though Oasis's 2025 reunion tour generated significant economic impact and fan spending, particularly in the UK, with fans spending more per person. Data shows Swift's global search interest and tour attendance numbers exceed Oasis's, but Oasis's UK fan spending per event was higher, highlighting their intense, focused fanbase.
All About Taylor Swift's 10-Carat Engagement Ring, Worth $1 Million.
The only person to refuse a Grammy is Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, who in 1991 declined the award for Best Alternative Music Performance for her album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, protesting the music industry's "false and destructive materialistic values". She chose to boycott the ceremony and the award itself, viewing the Grammys as prioritizing commercialism over genuine artistry, says Far Out Magazine.
Michael Jackson won a record-breaking eight Grammys in one night at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards in 1984 for his iconic album Thriller and its hit singles, a feat later tied by Carlos Santana in 2000, but Jackson remains the solo artist with the most wins in a single night, as noted by the official Grammy website, Billboard, and various news outlets like Reddit.
Billie Eilish has been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS), a neurological disorder causing involuntary movements or sounds (tics) like eyebrow raises, jaw clicks, and shoulder shrugs, which she revealed publicly and has spoken about openly, noting that stress can worsen them but deep focus on music or performing helps reduce them. She also experiences synesthesia, seeing colors with sounds, which aids her creative process.