Re:Outcast, Eminem Reach New Multi-Platinum Peaks
OutKast, Eminem Reach New Multi-Platinum Peaks
Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" and OutKast's "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" were each certified in February by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for U.S. shipments of 9 million copies. The sets are fast approaching elite diamond status, which the RIAA bestows on releases that have shipped 10 million copies.
It took Eminem's sophomore Web/Aftermath/Interscope less than three years to reach the nine-times platinum mark, while the OutKast set did it in about six months. While it may seem that the Atlanta hip-hop duo is lapping the Detroit rapper at a rapid pace, it should be noted that the RIAA counts each disc of a multi-disc title towards its awards. While by no means shabby, it means that only 4.5 million two-disc "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" packages have actually reached the shelves of U.S. retailers.
Several other artists earned new multi-platinum awards last month. Reaching the 4 million mark was U2's 2000 set "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (Interscope), Josh Groban's self-titled 2001 Reprise debut and Linkin Park's 2003 album "Meteora" (Reprise).
Beyoncé's debut solo album, "angerously in Love" (Columbia) reached the triple-platinum mark, as did Good Charlotte's "The Young and the Hopeless" (Epic). New to the double-platinum club are Jay-Z's "The Black Album" (Roc-A-Fella), Chingy's "Jackpot" (Capitol), Staind's "ysfunction" (Elektra) and "The Very Best of Sheryl Crow"(A&M).
Albums certified platinum for shipments of 1 million copies in February were Ghostface Killah's "Ironman" (Epic), Sting's "Songs of Love" (Universal Special Markets), Jessica Simpson's "In This Skin" (Columbia), Maroon5's "Songs About Jane" (Octone), Michael McDonald's "Motown" (Motown), Twista's "Kamikaze" (Atlantic), Michael W. Smith's "Go West Young Man" (Reunion), the Frank Sinatracompilation "Classic Sinatra" (Capitol) and the original cast recording of "Mamma Mia!" (Decca).