RIAA Certifications

[cm]

Since it feels like we are close to seeing some new certifications, here is the current RIAA information starting with the oldest certifications:

09/08/1993 2.00x MULTI PLATINUM ZOOROPA
05/23/1994 3.00x MULTI PLATINUM UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY
05/23/1994 MULTI PLATINUM WIDE AWAKE IN AMERICA
09/11/1995 4.00x MULTI PLATINUM WAR
09/11/1995 3.00x MULTI PLATINUM THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
09/11/1995 PLATINUM BOY
09/11/1995 PLATINUM OCTOBER
09/11/1995 10.00x MULTI PLATINUM THE JOSHUA TREE
09/11/1995 5.00x MULTI PLATINUM RATTLE AND HUM
05/07/1997 PLATINUM POP
10/24/1997 8.00x MULTI PLATINUM ACHTUNG BABY
12/04/1998 2.00x MULTI PLATINUM BEST OF 1980-1990/THE B SIDES
03/06/2002 2.00x MULTI PLATINUM BEST OF 1980-1990
03/31/2003 PLATINUM BEST OF 1990 - 2000
02/12/2004 4.00x MULTI PLATINUM ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
12/17/2004 3.00x MULTI PLATINUM HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB

WAIA is listed simply as MULTI PLATINUM which I am assuming is 2x.

Based upon catalogue information, does anyone have any good guesses as to which albums may see new certifications if they do re-certify later this year? Obviously NLOTH will be PLATINUM.

 

[macawaca]

18 Singles platinum?

 

[u2search]

The Joshua Tree 11x?

 

[digitize]

The 10x Platinum makes TJT also Diamond. NLOTH and U218 have sold enough by now to be certified Platinum, I believe.

 

[fedeu2]

The 10x Platinum makes TJT also Diamond. NLOTH and U218 have sold enough by now to be certified Platinum, I believe.

You´re right about U2´s latest albums. Both of them have crossed the 1 M mark in the US. JT will definitely be certified 11x Platinum next time RIAA updates U2 certifications.

 

[fitz]

The Best of 80-90 has already sold over 3 million.
Joshua Tree with all the different editions I guess over 12 million.

 

[cm]

The Best of 80-90 has already sold over 3 million.
Joshua Tree with all the different editions I guess over 12 million.

I was wondering how they were going to handle the various JT editions since they treated BEST OF 1980-1990 and BEST OF 1980-1990/THE B-SIDES as 2 separate albums.

 

[Native_Son]

i think multiplatinum = 1 x platinum, as 4 x multi platinum = 4.million. not 4 x 2million - 8million.

some of those certifications are hugely out of date, JT must be 12M!

 

[cm]

i think multiplatinum = 1 x platinum, as 4 x multi platinum = 4.million. not 4 x 2million - 8million.

Except that WAIA already had a platinum certification so the multi platinum must be different. If not, why didn't they use the same format as the other 2x multiplatinum certifications?

One thing I did notice is that WAIA is listed as a SHORTFORMALBUM in the format rather than an ALBUM. Maybe they don't keep track of how many times platinum SHORTFORMALBUMs become?

A couple of other odd things. If you look at the RIAA Artist Tallies chart, they record U2 with 15 albums so WAIA must not be included as an album. If you look at the Top Selling Artists chart they list U2 with 50.5 million but adding the albums up, not counting WAIA, you get 50 million. It would almost make sense if they only counted WAIA for half it's sales and it was certified as platinum.

 

[Native_Son]

Im sure that back in 2004 U2 had 50.5M on the RIAA website. yet since theyve sold 1M U2:18 and 1M NLOTH, not to mention millions of back catalogue sales.
I guess they only add up the certifications.

 

[powerhour24]

Its surprising Pop didn't real get ANY notable sales beyond May of 1997, 2 months after its release, I know it didn't linger in the main stream, but dang.

 

[04072511]

I havent check RIAA in a long time, but it used to always list WAIA as "Multi-Platinum 1.0"

Being a short form album it only needs 0.5 million sales to go platinum. WAIA went Double Platinum for a short form album, thus selling 1.0 million. If WAIA was a normal album it would be listed as just "Platinum".

Surely the JT should be 12x Platinum, and AB should be 9x Platinum by now? And Best of 1980-1990 is way out of date.

 

[Yahweh]

Maybe by the time U2 retire which Im hoping wont be for awhile but I think there is a possibility of it sometime soon that they will be one of the top 10 selling acts in the US, which would be a good achievement for a non US based act

 

[vaz02]

The way the industry is going, I doubt it.

 

[fedeu2]

Maybe by the time U2 retire which Im hoping wont be for awhile but I think there is a possibility of it sometime soon that they will be one of the top 10 selling acts in the US, which would be a good achievement for a non US based act

Selling act as in bands or single artists? I don´t think so. But they certainly have a shot if only bands are considered.

 

[mirrorballman12]

Does anyone have the worldwide sales for each album?

 

[fedeu2]

Does anyone have the worldwide sales for each album?

Off the top of my head:

Boy - 3M
October - 3M
War - 8 M
UABRS - 8 M
UF - 7 M
WAIA - 3 M
JT - 27 M
R&H - 13 M
AB - 17 M
Zooropa - 7 M
Pop - 7 M
Best of 80-90 - 14 M
ATYCLB - 12 M
Best of 90-00 - 6 M
HTDAAB - 10 M
U218 - 5 M
NLOTH - 4 M

Total: 154 M

I´m sure Maoil or doctorwho can provide more accurate figures.

 

[04072511]

Off the top of my head:

Boy - 3M
October - 3M
War - 8 M
UABRS - 8 M
UF - 7 M
WAIA - 3 M
JT - 27 M
R&H - 13 M
AB - 17 M
Zooropa - 7 M
Pop - 7 M
Best of 80-90 - 14 M
ATYCLB - 12 M
Best of 90-00 - 6 M
HTDAAB - 10 M
U218 - 5 M
NLOTH - 4 M

Total: 154 M

I´m sure Maoil or doctorwho can provide more accurate figures.

I'd put 1980-90 at 16million

 

[mirrorballman12]

Does anyone think u2 will hit 200 million anytime soon

 

[nielsgov]

Does anyone think u2 will hit 200 million anytime soon

I don't think they'll ever reach 200 milion. Album sales are much lower now. If album sales were as high as in the 80's then it could be possible but I don't see them selling another 45 milion albums from now on.

 

[fedeu2]

I don't think they'll ever reach 200 milion. Album sales are much lower now. If album sales were as high as in the 80's then it could be possible but I don't see them selling another 45 milion albums from now on.

Yes, I agree. Unless ..... hmmm, I´m not going to say what everyone is figuring.
God forbid!

 

[genesis199125]

Yes, I agree. Unless ..... hmmm, I´m not going to say what everyone is figuring.
God forbid!

yes....well, let's try not to think about that. And even then, 45 million is a stretch, even if the worst is taken into consideration.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

U2 will NEVER die! They'll rock on the heaven and hell, playing for all eternity!

 

[cm]

I didn't even notice this update until now, but the RIAA site has two new U2 album certifications:

11/02/2009 GOLD NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
11/02/2009 PLATINUM NO LINE ON THE HORIZON

These are the first U2 certifications since 11/29/2006 when the Zoo TV - Live in Sydney video was certified Platinum. In addition, the Top Selling Artists list now has them at 51.5 million (they were at 50.5).

The Artist Tallies list has them listed with 16 Gold, 16 Platinum & 11 Multi-Platinum albums.

I was hoping to see other albums re-certified but I guess we will have to wait for the new album for more certifications.

 

[robbrecon72]

I think by the time they retire and if all albums were accurately recertified I bet they will hit 200 million. I bet they still have at least 15 years left in them as a band.

 

[Tallarico]

u218 sold more than1 milion in Usa since the release...
it is 1 x platinum unofficially...Universal doesn't pay for the certification and for an update of the old certifications...

 

[allbecauseofu2]

becasue of the internet and the way it has affected sales, all the album sales after 1999 need a * by it. casue its not giving a clear indication of popular the album was. Their has to be a new way to judge the modern era of success. Its almost like the steriod era in baseball. except they have a better chance of controlling steriods then this.The internet is never "going away" and forcing people to regress to buying albums again. some would argue the internet was a regressing.