Washington D.C., DC (Top40 Charts/ RIAA) As the Grammys prepares to hand out music's most coveted awards on Sunday (CBS, 8PM ET/PT), a chorus of artists were recognized for scoring early Gold & Platinum honors in the new year, according to the Recording
Industry Association of
America (RIAA's) January G&P certifications report.
Kudos to Capitol Records queen
Katy Perry for holding the top spot for most multi-Platinum digital certifications thus far in 2011: with January song certifications representing more than eight million digital downloads sold, Perry brought "California Gurls" (featuring Snoop Dogg) 4x multi-Platinum and "
Teenage Dream" 2x multi-Platinum, while her latest single "
Firework" boomed Gold, Platinum and double-Platinum. Each song hails from Perry's August album release Teenage Dream, an Album of the Year contender at this Sunday's Grammy showdown.
American music fans enjoyed an eclectic mix of country, pop, rock and rap hits early in 2011, as evidenced by four distinctly different but certifiably popular November album releases going Platinum in only two months. Platinum congratulations are in order to country crooner
Jason Aldean for My Kinda Party (Broken Bow), polished pianist Josh Groban's Illuminations (143/Reprise), R&B pop star Rihanna's Loud (Def Jam) and rap mogul Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella). Sugarland's widely acclaimed October album release The Incredible Machine (Mercury) also hit Platinum, bringing the dashing country duo to more than nine million in total career U.S. album sales.
Several superb fourth-quarter album releases took timely Gold plaques in January for shipping more than 500,000 albums. The golden tally includes: Bon Jovi's
Bon Jovi Greatest Hits - The Ultimate Collection (Island), Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas II You (Island), Glee Cast's Glee: The Music, Volume 4 (Columbia), Bruno Mars' Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Elektra), Tim McGraw's Number One Hits, T.I.'s
No Mercy (Curb)and Keith Urban's Get Closer (Liberty).
Bruno Mars also earned a triple-Platinum for "Just the Way You Are" and Gold for "
Grenade" to boot, turning this Hawaiian-born smooth singer and seven-time Grammy nominee into a certifiable hit machine.
Ohio blues-rock duo The
Black Keys took a premiere Gold award for Brothers released on label Nonesuch Records/Warner in May. Together since 1991, the
Black Keys received quite the 10-year anniversary gift: four 2011 Grammy nominations including Brothers for Best Alternative
Music Album and the album's hit track "
Tighten Up" for Best Rock Song.
Powerful pop-soul artist
Christina Perri will no doubt remember 2010. Her ubiquitous break-up track "Jar of Hearts" gained popularity in June when it was featured on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance which led to her major label deal with Atlantic Records in July. Five months later "Jar of Hearts" has struck Gold to earn Perri her very first RIAA G&P award. Currently recording her debut album, we can't wait to hear more music from this talented up-and-comer.
Speaking of smash hits, Warner Bros. Records' R&B singer Jason Derulo's jam "
Ridin' Solo" (2010) went double-Platinum in January. Solo he may be, but with plenty of G&P plaques to keep him company as popular download "
In My Head" (2009) has certified Gold, Platinum and double-Platinum and big seller "
Whatcha Say" (2009) has earned Gold, Platinum and triple-Platinum status!
Country music aficionados were down with digital downloads in January, securing Lady Antebellum,
Miranda Lambert,
Taylor Swift and
Carrie Underwood Platinum digital certs for their respective tracks "American Honey," "The House That Built Me," "Mine" and "Undo It." Additionally, time-honored country legend
Kenny Chesney and Broken Bow's beloved
Jason Aldean earned Gold awards for their songs "Somewhere with You" and "My Kinda Party."
Two-time 2010 Grammy winners and 2011 nominees
Kings of Leon earned their very first multi-Platinum award in January. Having already released three albums on RCA, fans warmly welcomed their fourth, Only By The Night (Sony/RCA, 2008), which gained double-Platinum status for selling more than 2,000,000 copies. Only by the Night is KoL's bestselling album to date and two of its singles - "Sex on Fire" and "
Use Somebody" - are currently RIAA Platinum.
2010 American Country Awards "Artist of the Year"
Carrie Underwood has scored some serious brass since releasing her first album six years ago. Her latest album Play On (Arista Nashville, 2009) went double-Platinum in January while all three Underwood albums have certified double-Platinum or higher. Some Hearts (2005) is currently 7x multi-Platinum and Carnival Ride (2007) stands at 3x multi-Platinum. The five-time Grammy award winner is up for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" for her Gold track "
Temporary Home" this weekend.
The RIAA extends our best wishes to all the terrific performers, presenters and nominees at this weekend's 53rd annual Grammy awards. To learn more about the show and see a list of all the 2011 nominees, visit www.grammy.com.
In January the RIAA awarded a total of 29 album and 24 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.
