For decades now, having your song or album certified Gold, Platinum, or even Diamond by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) has been one of music’s biggest honors. To be certified Gold, a release must rack up 500,000 units (a value combining sales and streaming figures). The threshold for Platinum certification is a million units, while it takes 10 million to reach Diamond status.
The organization has been around for 70 years now, and in all that time, not a ton of songs have reached Diamond certification. Even fewer artists have multiple Diamond songs to their name. That exclusive club has only 14 members as of October 6, 2022, but who is the biggest artist of all time when it comes to Diamond songs? Let’s work our way from the bottom of the list to the top.
The artists with “only” two Diamond songs to their name are:
- Cardi B — “I Like It” Feat. J Balvin and Bad Bunny (10-times Platinum) and “Bodak Yellow” (10-times Platinum)
- Justin Bieber — “Baby” Feat. Ludacris (12-times Platinum) and “Sorry” (10-times Platinum)
- Lady Gaga — “Bad Romance” (11-times Platinum) and “Poker Face” (10-times Platinum)
- Michael Jackson — “Billie Jean” (10-times Platinum) and “Thrilled” (10-times Platinum)
- Post Malone — “Congratulations” Feat. Quavo (11-times Platinum) and “Rockstar” Feat. 21 Savage (10-times Platinum)
- The Chainsmokers — “Closer” Feat. Halsey (14-times Platinum) and “Don’t Let Me Down” Feat. Daya (10-times Platinum)
- Twenty One Pilots — “Stressed Out” (10-times Platinum) and “Heathens” (10-times Platinum)
Even fewer artists have three Diamond songs:
- Ed Sheeran — “Thinking Out Loud” (12-times Platinum), “Shape Of You” (10-times Platinum), and “Perfect” (10-times Platinum)
- Eminem — “Love The Way You Lie” Feat. Rihanna (13-times Platinum), “Lose Yourself” (13-times Platinum), and “Not Afraid” (11-times Platinum)
- Katy Perry — “Firework” (12-times Platinum), “Dark Horse” (11-times Platinum), and “Roar” (10-times Platinum)
- Maroon 5 — “Sugar” (11-times Platinum), “Moves Like Jagger” (10-times Platinum), and “Girls Like You” Feat. Cardi B (10-times Platinum)
- The Weeknd — “The Hills” (11-times Platinum), “Starboy” (11-times Platinum), and “Blinding Lights” (10-times Platinum)
Above all of those big names, though, are the top two artists. Second on the all-time list with four Diamond singles is Imagine Dragons: “Radioactive” (14-times Platinum), “Demons” (10-times Platinum), “Thunder” (10-times Platinum), and “Believer” (10-times Platinum).
The top artist of all time is… Bruno Mars, who has five Diamond songs. His latest Diamond certification came just a few days ago, when “Locked Out Of Heaven” reached the milestone on October 1. His other Diamond hits are “Just The Way You Are” (13-times Platinum), “When I Was Your Man” (11-times Platinum), “That’s What I Like” (10-times Platinum), and “Grenade” (10-times Platinum). Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” which features Mars, is 11-times Platinum, so if you want to count that towards Mars’ total, he has six Diamond songs.
These ranks aren’t set in stone, though: Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga both have songs currently sitting on the edge of Diamond status at 9-times Platinum, for example. So, who knows how this list will change in the coming years.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.