Some musicians go to bed dreaming about the day they earn their first gold or platinum record.
Most probably can’t even fathom the prospect of earning a diamond album.
The RIAA awards diamond certifications to albums that have sold 10 million copies in the United States. It’s the highest certification available, signifying that an artist has reached the uppermost echelon of stardom. Consider all the rock stars who don’t have one: the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Kiss, Motley Crue — all superstars in their own right, but none have ever reached that exclusive 10-million threshold.
As for the artists who do earn diamond albums? It can be the beginning of a long, fruitful career or a portent of doom.
Some rockers get it right the first time. Van Halen, Boston and Guns N’ Roses all soared to diamond status with their debut albums and would release several more multiplatinum albums in short order. Meat Loaf, on the other hand, earned a diamond certification for his debut album Bat Out of Hell, then watched his career crumble over the next decade and a half, only to recover when he issued a sequel to his debut.
Other artists — such as AC/DC, Eagles and Pink Floyd — spent years climbing the ladder of stardom before they reached their diamond-selling peaks. And others, still, managed to capture lightning in a bottle more than once, releasing multiple diamond albums over the course of their careers.
See how these various artists fared in our list of How 20 Rockers Followed Up Diamond-Selling Albums.
How 20 Rockers Followed Up Diamond Albums
It’s an incredible milestone — and a daunting bar to clear again.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
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