From Elton John to Morgan Wallen: The First 200 Diamond-Certified Songs in RIAA History

When the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) unveiled the official diamond award in 1999, it set a new benchmark for commercial success in the music industry. The threshold? A song must sell or stream the equivalent of 10 million units. That’s no small feat. But as streaming reshaped how we consume music, a wave of modern artists—from Drake and Post Malone to Rihanna and The Weeknd—began stacking diamond plaques like wall trophies. In 2023, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” became the 200th song to achieve this milestone, cementing a new chapter in music history.

This isn’t just a list of songs. It’s a timeline of cultural shifts, technological disruption, and the changing economics of the music business. Let’s break down the first 200 diamond-certified songs, highlight the dominant artists, and unpack what this data means for marketers, creators, and strategists who care about audience engagement and platform dynamics.

How the Diamond Certification Works (And Why It Matters)

Before we dive into the milestones, you need to understand the mechanics. The RIAA doesn’t automatically track sales and streams. It’s an opt-in system: record labels or artists must submit an application, pay a fee, and provide verified data. That means some songs that clearly qualify—think “Blinding Lights” or “Shape of You”—aren’t on the list yet because the paperwork hasn’t been filed.

The certification combines:

• Physical and digital sales
• On-demand audio and video streams (converted using a formula: 100 streams = 1 unit)
• Only one version of each song is counted (usually the official audio or the most popular single mix)

This system favors artists who dominate streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. It also explains why older songs, despite their cultural weight, often lag behind in certifications.

The First to Break Through: Elton John’s Historic Achievement

On October 9, 1997, Elton John’s double A-side single “Something About the Way You Look Tonight / Candle in the Wind” became the first-ever song to be certified diamond. This happened two years before the RIAA even created the diamond award. The song’s massive success was driven by the tribute to Princess Diana, released shortly after her death.

Here’s the kicker: It remains the only physical single in music history to achieve diamond status. Every other song on this list reached the mark through a combination of digital downloads and streaming. That’s a testament to the sheer scale of Elton John’s emotional and cultural reach in 1997.

Key Milestones: From “Baby” to “Last Night”

The journey from 1997 to 2023 reveals fascinating patterns. Let’s map the first few years of diamond certifications based on the source data:

Song	Artist	Certification Date
“Something About the Way You Look Tonight / Candle in the Wind”	Elton John	October 9, 1997
“Baby”	Justin Bieber ft. Ludacris	May 9, 2013
“Not Afraid”	Eminem	June 10, 2014
“Bad Romance”	Lady Gaga	May 29, 2015
“Radioactive”	Imagine Dragons	July 6, 2015
“Thrift Shop”	Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz	November 19, 2015
“Poker Face”	Lady Gaga	November 30, 2015
“Call Me Maybe”	Carly Rae Jepsen	September 28, 2016

Notice the gap: from 1997 to 2013, no new songs reached diamond status. Then, in just three years, eight songs crossed the threshold. That’s the streaming effect in real time. YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music made repeated listening frictionless—and the RIAA adjusted its formula to account for that.

The Artists Who Dominate Diamond Certification

Some artists have turned diamond certification into a habit. Here are the heavy hitters based on the source material:

Drake: The Unrivaled King

Drake holds the record for the most diamond-certified songs of any artist. His blend of rap, R&B, and pop, combined with relentless streaming presence on platforms like Spotify (where he’s the most-streamed male artist of all time), makes him a certification machine. Songs like “God’s Plan,” “One Dance,” and “Hotline Bling” all crossed the 10-million threshold.

Post Malone: The Streaming Anomaly

Post Malone comes in second, with multiple diamond plaques including “Rockstar,” “Sunflower,” and “Circles.” His genre-fluid approach—part hip-hop, part rock, part pop—helped him capture audiences across playlists. That cross-platform appeal is a textbook case for GTM teams: when your product serves multiple verticals, your total addressable market multiplies.

Rihanna and The Weeknd: Streaming Giants

Both artists boast multiple diamond songs. Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” and “Diamonds” all hit the mark. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” “The Hills,” and “Starboy” followed suit. Their longevity is remarkable: Rihanna’s catalog continues to stream strongly years after her last album release, while The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” became the most-streamed song on Spotify history.

Justin Bieber: From Teen Pop to Streaming Titan

Justin Bieber’s “Baby” was only the second song ever certified diamond. Since then, he’s added “Sorry,” “Love Yourself,” and “Despacito (Remix)” to his collection. His journey from a YouTube discovery to a streaming powerhouse mirrors the platform shift itself.

Imagine Dragons: The Band King

Among groups, Imagine Dragons leads the pack with songs like “Radioactive” and “Believer.” Their anthemic, radio-friendly rock translates well to streaming, where precise production and repeated listening hooks are rewarded.

Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Bruno Mars: Pop Royalty

Each of these artists has multiple diamond singles. Lady Gaga was the first artist to have two diamond songs (“Bad Romance” and “Poker Face”). Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and “Just the Way You Are” are streaming behemoths. Katy Perry’s “Roar,” “Dark Horse,” and “Firework” remain playlist staples.

The 200th Diamond Song: Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”

As of the source material, Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” is the 200th song to be certified diamond. It’s a significant cultural marker: country music’s place in the streaming era. Wallen’s album “One Thing at a Time” dominated the Billboard 200 for months, and “Last Night” became a crossover hit that blurred genre lines.

This is a lesson for any content creator or marketer: the long tail matters. “Last Night” wasn’t an instant viral sensation—it grew slowly through radio play, streaming playlists, and word of mouth. The song’s certification reflects cumulative engagement, not just initial spike.

What the Data Tells Us About Market Dynamics

Here’s the strategic takeaway from the diamond certification list:

1. Streaming changes everything. Most diamond songs post-2010 rely on streaming volume. The days of physical singles are over. If you’re building a digital product, focus on recurring engagement metrics (streams, repeat visits) rather than one-time conversions.

2. Cross-genre appeal wins. Artists like Post Malone, Drake, and Lady Gaga succeed because they serve multiple audiences. In B2B terms, this is product-market fit across verticals. Don’t optimize for a single persona; build for adjacent segments.

3. Catalogs compound. Older songs by Rihanna, Eminem, and Imagine Dragons continue to generate revenue years after release. This is the power of evergreen content. If you invest in quality, you’ll earn dividends long after the launch date.

4. Application friction creates lag. The opt-in RIAA process means the list lags behind actual sales. Many songs that should be diamond (like “Blinding Lights” or “Shape of You”) aren’t on the official list yet. In your own reporting, always account for data latency.

How to Use This Insight in Your Own Marketing

If you’re a revenue leader, growth marketer, or product manager, the diamond certification list isn’t just trivia—it’s a case study in compounding engagement. Here’s how to apply these lessons:

• Set clear benchmarks. Like the RIAA’s 10-million-unit threshold, define your own “diamond standard” for customer engagement. Is it 1,000 active users? 10,000 monthly visits? 100 net-new logos? Track it publicly.

• Embrace platform dynamics. Just as artists optimize for Spotify playlists, your content should optimize for the channels your buyers use most: LinkedIn feeds, email inboxes, community forums.

• Build for the long tail. “Call Me Maybe” still streams millions of times per month. Your best-performing blog post or case study can keep generating leads for years if you promote it systematically.

The Future of Diamond Certifications

As streaming continues to grow—with new platforms like TikTok and Amazon Music competing for attention—the pace of diamond certifications will accelerate. We’re already seeing songs reach diamond status faster than ever. And with the rise of international markets (K-pop, Latin music, Afrobeats), the list will diversify.

But the first 200 songs represent a specific era: the transition from physical to digital, from ownership to access. Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” opened the door, and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” closed out the first chapter.

What comes next? More diamonds. More artists. And for marketers, more proof that persistent, high-quality content wins over time.

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Listen to the complete playlist of all 200 diamond-certified songs on Business Insider’s Spotify to hear how music history unfolded—one stream at a time.