Several top reggae and dancehall stars have yet to achieve a certified Gold single or album by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Legends like Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Beres Hammond have achieved global acclaim and have their names etched into the history of international music. Yet, none of their albums or singles have surpassed 500,000 sales or streams in the U.S.—the threshold required for an RIAA Gold certification.
The RIAA, established in 1972, is responsible for awarding Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum, and Diamond certifications. These accolades serve as tangible proof of an artist’s impact on listeners and their standing in the market. Mitch Glazier, Chairman and CEO of the RIAA, explains the certification process in an April 2021 Financial Times documentary:
“We collect revenue numbers directly from all of the record companies. To reach Gold, an artist needs to achieve 500,000 sales and streams based on revenue. It is a revenue-based system, not just a number-of-streams-based system. For Platinum, it’s a million, and for Multi-Platinum, it’s up to 10 million, which is Diamond.”
1500 on-demand streams are calculated as one unit of a song while ten single units equal to one album unit.
Prior to the streaming era, Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” (1993), Big Mountain’s “Baby I Love The Way“(1994) were among the first reggae songs to be certified Gold in the US.
In 2024, the height of the streaming era, only two reggae songs earned certifications. Praise Jah in the Moonlight by YG Marley became the sole reggae single to achieve Platinum certification in the U.S. that year. Meanwhile, Eternal Light by Free Nationals featuring Chronixx earned Chronixx his first RIAA Gold certification in September.
While reggae and dancehall have significant fan bases in regions like Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, the RIAA certification process is U.S.-centric. This means global streams and sales don’t contribute directly to RIAA certification unless routed through U.S.-based platforms using location technology like a VPN.
Among Jamaican women, Diana King holds the record for the most solo RIAA certifications (2) and net year will make 30 years since she set that record with her album “Tougher Than Love” and “Shy Guy,” both certified in 1995. She is joined by icons like Patra, Nyla, the Melody Makers, and, more recently, Grace Jones. Shenseea also earned an uncredited Gold certification for her vocals on Kanye West’s Pure Souls in August 2023.
Interestingly, a few songs remain uncertified simply because labels have not applied. For instance, Dawn Penn’s 1994 classic No, No, No and Spice’s 2021 hit Go Down Deh featuring Shaggy and Sean Paul are both eligible for Gold certification, having surpassed 500,000 sales and streams more than a year ago, according to Luminate.
Bob Marley has the most RIAA certified titles including videos and is the only Diamond certified Jamaican artist with his compilation “Legend The Best Of Bob Marley and The Wailers,” certified 18x Platinum. While Sean Paul holds the record of having the most and highest certified singles. Cheap Thrills with Sia at the top surpassing 9x Platinum (9,000,000). Shaggy’s Hot Shot album is the most certified studio album by a Jamaican artist with 6x Platinum as of 2001. The album released in 2000 has sold 8.5 million units in streams as sales as of 2024 making it eligible for 8x Platinum certification.
Within the last five years Charly Black, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Wayne Wonder, Vybz Kartel earned their first Gold certifications in the U.S.
Glazier, who has spent over two decades at the RIAA, highlights the importance of these certifications for artists:
“It’s very difficult to make it, but if you are an artist and you get a Gold record, you never forget that day. That’s the day you know you’re on the path to success.”
