Washington, DC (Top40 Charts/ RIAA) - Country trio Lady Antebellum's latest album Need You Now quickly certified Platinum in just one month this winter, according to the Recording
Industry Association of America's (RIAA) January and February G&P reports.
Music fans promptly purchased more than one million copies of the record to earn the Capitol Nashville artists their second RIAA Platinum album award while the title album track 'Need You Now' additionally went 2x multi-Platinum. Needing a little
Lady Antebellum now?
Catch the band's tour this spring featuring Curb Records country star Tim McGraw.
Congrats to Big Machine musical icon Taylor Swift who scored the highest Gold & Platinum album certification of any artist in January and February. Swift earned the top spot when her newly crowned Grammy 2010 Album of the Year Fearless (2008) certified 6x multi-Platinum in February. Additionally, her latest track 'Today Was A Fairytale' (2010) reached Gold rank in less than a month, totaling more than 500,000 downloads sold since its January release.
Close behind was Scottish vocalist Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream (2009) earning a 4x multi-Platinum award in January. What a run for Boyle who initially gained fame last April as a contestant on Britain's Got Talent. She then released her dreamy record on Columbia in November only to sell more than three million copies by December to top off her amazing year with a triple-Platinum album award - the RIAA's highest of all 2009 album releases. The jury's verdict is in - Susan Boyle has absolutely got talent!
Arista Nashville country superstar Carrie Underwood sure racked up the winter accolades. Bravo to the Oklahoma born 'All-American Girl' who not only scored a 3x multi-Platinum album award for Carnival Ride (2007) but also Gold and Platinum album awards for her latest record Play On (2009). With Play On Underwood continues her Platinum reign as all three of her albums have certified Platinum or higher.
Several popular 2009 albums took Platinum plaques in January and February. Top-selling congratulations are in order to jazzy performer and pianist Norah Jones for The Fall (Blue Note), NYC- bred singer and fashionista Lady Gaga for her second release The Fame Monster (Interscope), North Carolina rockers Daughtry for Leave This Town (RCA Records), R&B rock star Rihanna for Rated R (Def Jam), soulful New York songstress Alicia Keys for The Element of Freedom (J Records) and My World by talented teen Island artist Justin Bieber.
In a sure sign he's still having fun, county music veteran Alan Jackson earned his 15th career Platinum award for Good Time (Arista, 2008) in February. The album is testament to fans' loyalty to Alan Jackson, whose career album sales have reached 43 million since releasing his debut Here in the Real World in 1990.
The top digital single certification in February - 5x multi-Platinum - went to Atlantic singer Jason Mraz for 'I'm Yours' (2008). 'I'm Yours' is off Mraz' Platinum album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Not far behind at 4x multi-Platinum is Flo Rida's 'Right Round,' which also earned the distinction of being the RIAA's highest certified digital download released in 2009. Originally released last February, it turned 2x multi-Platinum by March, then 3x multi-Platinum in May, and now quadruple-Platinum one year after its unveiling.
February bestowed double-Platinum honors upon French house DJ and Astralwerks artist David Guetta's single 'Sexy Bitch,' Roc Nation/Atlantic hip hop power duo Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' 'Empire State Of Mind' and Reprise artist Iyaz' 'Replay'.
In January, Lady Gaga took the highest song certification when her mum mum mum mah song 'Poker Face' (Interscope, 2008) gained double, triple and quadruple Platinum rank. Following closely was Walt Disney megastar Miley Cyrus' head-nodding hit 'Party in The U.S.A.' bringing in double and triple Platinum plaques.
Newly minted Atlantic artist Trey Songz earned his very first RIAA-certified Gold album and single awards in February for his debut album Ready (Atlantic, 2009) and song 'Say Ahh' featuring Fabolous. Additional first Gold song awards went to 2009 releases 'Do I' by Capitol Nashville country singer-songwriter Luke Bryan, 'Hey, Soul Sister' by Columbia rockers Train, 'I'm On A Boat' by the funny Universal Records group The Lonely Island and 'One Time' by Island's Justin Bieber.
Hit ringtone 'Thunderstruck' released from AC/DC on Columbia 2003 rang Platinum this winter, and Columbia Nashville country classics 'Ring of Fire' by Johnny Cash and 'Hello Darlin'' by Conway Twitty took Gold mastertone awards. Yee-haw!
In January and February, the RIAA awarded a total 64 digital singles, 33 albums and 4 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.
