Metallica RIAA Certifications: Did They Cheat? Gold & Platinum Albums + Hardwired, Black Album, Master

Posted by admin On April 18, 2017 0 Comment

(L-R) James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett

Metallica RIAA Certifications: Did They Cheat? + List of Gold & Platinum Albums

Did Metallica just come up with a blueprint for manipulating RIAA certifications? On April 12, 2017, Metallica’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct was not only certified gold (sales of 500,000 copies) but was also certified platinum (sales of 1,000,000 copies). Shortly after the news broke, countless articles acknowledging and praising Metallica’s accomplishment began to surface online, but I couldn’t help thinking that it all seemed a bit misleading.

Blueprint #1

Release a video for every song

RIAA certifications are no longer solely based on traditional album sales, but now include individual digital song sales and audio / video streams (Metallica released a video for every song on Hardwired).

Blueprint #2

Release a double…or triple album, even if it isn’t one

Traditionally, the RIAA counts double albums as two sales, so if a double album sells 500,000 copies, the RIAA actually counts it as 1,000,000 copies sold. Hardwired…To Self-Destruct could have fit onto one cd, but Metallica released it as a double cd. The album was also released as a 3 cd set featuring over 100 minutes of music and counting as three sales per purchase.

Blueprint #3

Bundle the album with concert tickets

The most recent gain in sales can be attributed to Metallica bundling the album with a concert ticket. In short, Metallica boosted sales with a promotion ‘buy a concert ticket, get an album’, with each album redeemed counting as a traditional sale.

The music industry can be quite fickle, so we get it; you’re still relevant, but something’s rotten in Denmark, my friends.

L-R: Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett (1997)

Metallica RIAA Album Certifications – Gold & Platinum Albums

List by fullinbloom.com

Garage Inc – Released DECEMBER 7, 1998
5x Multi-Platinum | January 27, 2000
4x Multi-Platinum | February 19, 1999
Platinum | February 19, 1999
Gold | February 19, 1999

Kill em All – Released JANUARY 11, 1983
3x Multi-Platinum | March 9, 1999
2x Multi-Platinum | June 5, 1995
Platinum | February 26, 1991
Gold | May 16, 1989

Reload – Released OCTOBER 15, 1997
3x Multi-Platinum | November 18, 1998
2x Multi-Platinum | December 12, 1997
Platinum | December 12, 1997
Gold | December 12, 1997

Death Magnetic – Released SEPTEMBER 12, 2008
2x Multi-Platinum | June 28, 2010
Gold | October 24, 2008

St. Anger – Released JUNE 5, 2003
2x Multi-Platinum | July 8, 2003
Platinum | July 8, 2003
Gold | July 8, 2003

Garage Days Re-visted – Released AUGUST 17, 1987
Platinum | July 23, 1990
Gold | December 8, 1987

List by fullinbloom.com