Double Diamond Albums: RIAA Full List
- 23): The Eagles got a double dose of good news on Jan.
- 2025): Metallica celebrated a major career milestone in May, when their 1991 album Metallica was certified Double Diamond by the recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
- Double Diamond albums were unthinkable when the RIAA launched its gold awards program in 1958.Only one album was certified gold that year (signifying $1 million in manufacturer's dollar...
UPDATE (Jan. 23): The Eagles got a double dose of good news on Jan. 22, when the Recording Industry Association of America re-certified their 1976 compilation Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, at the 40 million level and their subsequent studio album Hotel California at the 28 million level.The greatest-hits album was already No. 1 on our list of albums that have been certified Double Diamond or better by the RIAA. The latest upgrade allowed Hotel California to move up from No.4 to No.3 on the list.
PREVIOUSLY (Dec. 5. 2025): Metallica celebrated a major career milestone in May, when their 1991 album Metallica was certified Double Diamond by the recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was just the 14th album to reach that plateau, which signifies shipments of 20 million albums (or streaming equivalent units) in the U.S.
Double Diamond albums were unthinkable when the RIAA launched its gold awards program in 1958.Only one album was certified gold that year (signifying $1 million in manufacturer’s dollar volume; the criteria later changed) – the soundtrack to the film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein‘s stage musical Oklahoma!, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.
Album sales grew through the 1960s and 1970s, thanks to such blockbusters as The Beatles‘ Abbey Road and Carole King
Green Day,Dookie (20 million)
Table of Contents
Release Date: Feb. 1, 1994
Label: Reprise
Producers: rob Cavallo, Green Day
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Certification History: Gold: June 14, 1994; Platinum: Aug. 17, 1994; Diamond: Feb. 8, 1999; Double Diamond: Sept. 16, 2024
Top 10 Singles: “When I Come Around” (No. 6) (Hot 100 Airplay peak, was not eligible for Hot 100)
Notes: This was the band’s third studio album; its first for a major label. The album won a Grammy for best alternative music performance.
Metallica, Metallica (20 million)
Release Date: Aug.12, 1991
Label: Elektra
Producers: James Hetfield, Bob Rock, Lars Ulrich
Billboard 200 peak: No.1 (four weeks)
Certification History: Gold & Platinum: Oct. 31, 1991; Diamond: Nov. 3, 1997; Double Diamond: May 28, 2025
Top 10 Singles: None.
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (31 weeks)
Certification History: Gold: Feb. 15, 1977; Platinum: March 9, 1977; Diamond: Oct. 22, 1984; Double Diamond: Oct. 3, 2014
Top 10 Singles: “Go your Own Way” (No.10), “Dreams” (No. 1), “Don’t Stop” (No. 3), “You make loving Fun” (No. 9)
Notes: This was the 11th studio album by the group; the second by the line-up that made it world-famous. The album topped the Billboard 200 for 31 weeks, which is, to this day, longer than any other album by a group or duo.And it was the first album in history to spawn four top 10 hits on the Hot 100. Fleetwood Mac won two Grammys for album of the year for this album – as both artists and as co-producers. (Grammy rules allowed such double wins for 15 years, but no longer do.)
Release Date: July 5, 1994
Label: Atlantic (now Rhino)
Producer: Don Gehman
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Certification History: Gold: Nov. 10, 1994; Platinum: Jan. 25, 1995; Diamond: Oct. 19, 1995; Double Diamond: May 21, 2018
Top 10 Singles: “Hold My Hand” (No. 10), “Let Her Cry” (No. 9), “Only Wanna Be With You” (No. 6)
Billy Joel, Greatest Hits – Volume I & II (23 million)
Release Date: Nov. 17, 1985
label: Columbia
Producer: Various
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks)
Certification history: Gold, platinum & Diamond: Dec. 20, 1985; 11x Platinum: Feb. 1, 1994; 12x Platinum: Oct. 13, 1997; 13x Platinum: Feb. 2, 2000; 14x Platinum: Oct. 18, 2000
Top 10 Singles: “Piano Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” “My Life,” ”Big Shot,” “You May Be Right,” “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “Tell Her About It,” “pressure,” ”Allentown,” “The Longest Time”
Notes: This is the third highest-certified album of all time. Joel’s highest-certified single-disc album is The Stranger, which is certified at 12 million. This is the second highest-certified greatest hits album.
Garth Brooks, Double Live (23 million)
Release Date: Nov. 17, 1998
Label: Capitol Nashville
Producer: Allen Reynolds
billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (two weeks)
Certification history: Gold, Platinum & Diamond: Dec. 17, 1998; Double Diamond: Jan. 26, 2006
Top 10 Singles: None.
Notes: This is the highest-certified country album. Double albums are double-counted. Brooks’ highest-certified single-disk album was No Fences (18 million).
Led Zeppelin, Led zeppelin IV (24 million)
Release Date: Nov. 8, 1971
Label: Atlantic
Billboard 200 peak: No. 2
Producer: Jimmy Page
Certification history: Gold: Nov. 16,1971; Platinum & Diamond: Dec. 11, 1990; Double Diamond: May 3, 1999
Top 10 Singles: none.
Notes: This was the band’s fourth album. The lead single, “Black Dog,” peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100. The album also housed ”Stairway to Heaven,” one of the most endlessly played non-single album tracks of all time.
The Beatles, The beatles (24 million)
Release Date: Nov. 22, 1968
Label: Apple
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Producer: George Martin
Certification history: Gold: Dec. 6, 1968; Platinum: Dec. 26, 1991; Diamond: March 13, 1997; Double Diamond: Feb. 21, 2019
Top 10 Singles: none.
Notes: This was the band’s ninth studio album in the U.S. and their only double album. While no singles were released from the album, many of the songs are widely-known, including “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Blackbird” and ”Helter Skelter.” Double albums are double-counted. The Beatles’ highest-certified single-disk album was Abbey Road (12 million).
Release date: Dec. 8, 1976
Label: Asylum (now rhino)
Producer: Bill Szymczyk
Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 (eight weeks)
Certification history: Gold: Dec. 13, 1976; Platinum: Dec. 15, 1976; Diamond: Aug. 12, 1994; Double diamond: Aug. 20, 2018
Top 10 Singles: “New Kid in Town” (No. 1), “Hotel California (No. 1)
Notes: This was the band’s fifth studio album. The title track was the first rock record to win the Grammy for record of the year.The band won a second Grammy that year, best arrangement for voices for the tender “New Kid in Town.” Both of these singles topped the Hot 100, making Hotel California the only Eagles studio album to spawn multiple No. 1 hits.
Taylor swift surprised fans with the declaration of a new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” set to release on April 19.The singer revealed the title and release date during the final show of her Eras Tour in Singapore on Saturday, March 2nd.
Swift shared the news via an Instagram post,featuring the album cover and a caption simply stating the album’s name and release date. The announcement promptly sent swifties into a frenzy, with the hashtag #TheTorturedPoetsDepartment trending worldwide on social media.
This album follows “The Eras Tour,” which has been a massive success, and “Midnights,” released in October 2022. “Midnights” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and broke several streaming records.
Details about the album’s themes and sound remain scarce, but the title itself has sparked much speculation among fans. Some believe the album will explore themes of heartbreak and artistic expression, while others anticipate a more experimental sound.
Swift has been known to drop hints and clues about her upcoming projects, and fans are already dissecting every detail of the album announcement for potential Easter eggs.
Pre-orders for “The Tortured Poets Department” are expected to become available soon. Fans can stay updated on official announcements through Taylor Swift’s website and social media channels.