WASHINGTON, DC (Top40 Charts/ RIAA) -
Seven artists joined the Recording
Industry Association of America's celebrated ringers' circle in April upon receiving their first Master Ringtone certifications, according to the group's monthly Gold & Platinum count. The RIAA launched its Master Ringtone award in 2006, an expansion of the organization's historic Gold and Platinum Program designed to recognize the popularity of fans enjoying music through their mobile phones.
Leading the pack was Florida rapper 2 Pistols' 'She Got It' and New Orleans bred Birdman's 'Pop Bottles' (Universal Motown), both certifying Gold and Platinum to mark more than one million mobile downloads of the hip hop hits.
Columbia country trio the Dixie Chicks and Arista Nashville duo Brooks & Dunn each saw their first Gold mastertone nods for 'Not Ready to Make Nice' and 'Hillbilly Deluxe' respectively. The Gold mastertone certification of 'Not Ready to Make Nice' joins its currently certified Platinum status as a single while 'Hillbilly Deluxe' hails from B&D's Platinum album by the same name.
Three more first Gold master-certs went to Boston pop-rock quartet Boys Like Girls' 'The Great Escape' (Columbia), Texas pop princess Paula DeAnda featuring The Dey's 'Walk Away (Remember Me)' (J Records) and hip hop DJ/producer Webstar's 'Chicken Noodle Soup' (Universal Motown).
The RIAA saw a tie for April's highest-certified album award. The soundtrack to vampire fantasy film Twilight (Chop Shop/Atlantic) and Canadian rock band Nickelback's Dark Horse (Roadrunner) each sold more than two million copies to go 2x multi-Platinum since their November releases.
If you have a case of the Twilight fever, the soundtrack - with songs from artists such as Paramore, Muse, Linkin Park and Rob Pattinson - was recently re-released in a deluxe CD/DVD edition featuring additional bonus material such as new songs, music videos and interviews.
Nickelback is no stranger to the G&P program: with its most recent hit album Dark Horse, the band welcomes its 19th career Platinum album award. The group is currently on the European leg of its worldwide 'Dark Horse Tour,' scheduled to return to the U.S. for summer shows in July. Additional kudos to Nickelback's labelmates and Vancouver neighbors Theory of a Deadman for earning its first Gold album award for Scars & Souvenirs.
What a month for two groups who earned not only their first RIAA certifications but also Academy of Country Music Awards in April. The certs went to Top New Vocal Group Zac Brown Band for 'Chicken Fried' (Platinum single) and The Foundation (Gold and Platinum album, Atlantic) plus Song of the Year winner Jamey Johnson's hit album That Lonesome Song (Gold, Mercury Nashville).
The highest digital single awards in April - each 2x Platinum - went to Las Vegas rockers The Killers' 'Mr. Brightside' (Island Records), British-born fashion designer and artist M.I.A.'s 'Paper Planes' (Interscope) and singer/songwriter/producer Kevin Rudolf's debut single 'Let it Rock' featuring labelmate Lil Wayne (Universal Records).
Teen sister act Alyson Renae 'Aly' Michalka and Amanda Joy 'AJ' Michalka (aka Aly & AJ) earned their first Gold and Platinum digital awards for 'Potential Break Up Song,' co-penned by the sisters for their second studio album Insomniatic on Hollywood Records. Colorado electronica duo 3Oh!3 earned a first Platinum digital cert for 'Don't Trust Me.' The Photofinish/Atlantic artists' name is a spin off of their Boulder, CO area code.
The Offspring - whose first album debuted 20 years ago - earned a Gold single award for 'You're Gonna Go Far, Kid' (Columbia). 'You're Gonna Go Far, Kid' is from The Offspring's 2008 album Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. Currently the band's highest cert stands at 6x multi-Platinum for Smash, released in 1994 on Epitaph.
In April, the RIAA awarded a total 32 digital singles, 10 albums and 13 mastertones. 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.
