THE RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (RIAA) has released its year-end tally of 2012 Gold & Platinum Program awards.
In 2012, digital continued to dominate. The RIAA awarded more song download honors than any other year in program history, including a 70% increase during the past two years, a 25% increase year-over-year, and a record breaking 139 digital songs certified Platinum in 2012. In total, 524 digital songs certifications were awarded in 2012, vs. 409 in 2011, and 313 in 2010.
The RIAA also awarded a number of “esteemed album” certifications, including a prestigious Diamond award for ADELE, whose “21″ (XL RECORDINGS/COLUMBIA, 2011) became the first album in a decade to sell more than 10 million units in less than two years.
2012 Releases:
TAYLOR SWIFT earned 2012′s highest G&P album. Her OCTOBER and fourth record release “Red” (BIG MACHINE RECORDS, INC.) sold more than three million U.S. copies in just one month to become the RIAA’s top certified annual album at 3x multi-Platinum.
Two songs tied for the top release of 2012 at 6x multi-Platinum: Canadian starlet CARLY RAE JEPSEN’s widely parodied INTERSCOPE/GEFFEN/A&M debut “Call Me Maybe” and UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC soloist GOTYE’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” GOTYE also earned his very first Gold album award in 2012 for “Making Mirrors,” which includes his hit song.
Four enormously acclaimed acts — JUSTIN BIEBER, MAROON 5, NICKI MINAJ and ONE DIRECTION — tied for the second highest song honor of the year: triple-Platinums for their respective 2012 releases “Boyfriend” (ISLAND/DEF JAM), “Payphone” (A&M/OCTONE), “Starships” (UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC) and “What Makes You Beautiful” (SYCO MUSIC/COLUMBIA RECORDS).
Many of music’s most popular artists earned Platinum album awards for their 2012 releases: JASON ALDEAN’s “Night Train” (BROKEN BOW, his fifth Platinum album), JUSTIN BIEBER’s “Believe” (ISLAND, his fifth), NICKI MINAJ’s “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” (UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC, her second), MUMFORD & SONS’ “Babel” (GLASSNOTE RECORDS, their second), ONE DIRECTION’s “Up All Night” (SYCO MUSIC/COLUMBIA RECORDS, their second), P!NK’s “Truth About Love” (RCA RECORDS, her seventh), LIONEL RICHIE’s “Tuskegee” (MERCURY, his sixth), ROD STEWART’s “Merry Christmas, Baby” (VERVE, his 19th) and CARRIE UNDERWOOD’s “Blown Away” (19 RECORDINGS LIMITED/ARISTA NASHVILLE, her fourth).
Five musicians had huge 2012 debuts as their first albums each sold more than 500,000 copies to certify RIAA Gold: GEORGIA rapper 2 CHAINZ’ “Based on a T.R.U. Story” (DEF JAM), NYC pop band FUN.’s “Some Nights” (FUELED BY RAMEN), Icelandic folk band OF MONSTERS AND MEN’s “My Head Is An Animal” (REPUBLIC RECORDS), THE LUMINEERS’ “The Lumineers” (DUALTONE MUSIC GROUP, INC.) and rapper ABEL TESFAYE’s, a.k.a.THE WEEKND’s, “Trilogy” (REPUBLIC RECORDS).
RIAA awarded three breakout stars first time double-Platinum song awards in 2012: AMERICAN IDOL season 11 winner PHILLIP PHILLIPS for “Home” (INTERSCOPE/GEFFEN/A&M), South Korean YOUTUBE sensation PSY for “Gangnam Style” (UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC) and Cali rapper TYGA for “Rack City” (UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC).
Eight acts earned their very first Gold and Platinum digital song awards for selling more than one million downloads of their respective 2012 songs: Country music duo FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE’s “Cruise” (REPUBLIC NASHVILLE), LAS VEGAS alt-rockers IMAGINE DRAGON’s “It’s Time” (KIDINAKORNER/INTERSCOPE), Pop pair KARMIN’s “Brokenhearted” (EPIC), English singer-rapper CHER LLOYD’s “Want U Back” (EPIC), OF MONSTERS AND MEN’s “Little Talks” (UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC), and DENVER rockers THE LUMINEERS’ “Ho Hey” (DUALTONE MUSIC GROUP, INC.).
In 2012 the RIAA awarded a total of 155 album and 524 digital single certifications. All certifications are calculated by GELFAND, RENNERT & FELDMAN. Complete lists of all album, single, mastertone and video awards can also be accessed at www.riaa.com. [AlLindstrom]
