Music History Events: Certifications
August 7, 1996 ZZ Top's album Eliminator is certified Diamond for sales of 10 million copies in America.
January 11, 1996 Kenny G's Breathless becomes the first album of mostly instrumental tracks certified Diamond for sales of 10 million in America.
May 2, 1995 Pink Floyd's album The Wall goes Diamond, with sales of over 10 million in the US. It later eclipses (oh wait, wrong album) that total with sales of well over 20 million.
August 4, 1992 Thanks to controversy generated from the song "Cop Killer," the self-titled album by Ice-T's hardcore metal group Body Count is certified Gold for sales of 500,000 in the US.
April 15, 1991 MC Hammer's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em becomes the first rap album to go Diamond, for sales of 10 million copies in America.
December 11, 1990 Led Zeppelin IV is certified Diamond, with sales of 10 million in America.
October 23, 1990 AC/DC's Back In Black album is certified Diamond for US sales of 10 million.
February 8, 1989 Anthrax earn their first Gold album when their fourth album, State of Euphoria, is certified for sales of 500,000 copies.
August 11, 1987 LL Cool J's second album, Bigger And Deffer, goes Platinum, making him the first rap solo act to hit that mark.
February 10, 1987 Randy Travis' Storms Of Life becomes the first debut country album certified for selling a million copies within its first year of release.
November 21, 1986 Switched-On Bach, an album of Moog synthesizer interpretations of classical compositions, becomes just the second classical album certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album was released in 1969 by Walter Carlos, who in the late '70s switched gender, becoming Wendy Carlos.
April 14, 1986 LL Cool J becomes the first solo rapper with a Gold album when his debut, Radio, is certified for sales of 500,000 in America. He becomes the first Platinum solo rapper a year later when his second album, Bigger And Deffer, sells a million.
October 10, 1985 Luciano Pavarotti's 1976 Christmas album 0 Holy Night becomes the first classical album certified Platinum, with sales of over a million copies in America.
January 30, 1979 Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand's duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" becomes the first 12-inch single certified Gold by the RIAA.
April 13, 1970 Loretta Lynn becomes the first female country artist with a gold album when Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind), featuring the chart-topping title song, is certified by the RIAA.
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