While we were all focusing on whether or not Taylor Swift would be the first/only person to have a platinum album in 2014, a few more artists seem to have snuck under the radar. Country singer Jason Aldean has done it, Ariana Grande, and soon Sam Smith will as well – according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) who reports on albums made and distributed to retail outfits. (Taylor Swift’s 1989 still hold the reign for the only platinum record through Neilsen Soundscan – records actually sold to the end consumer.)
Aldean is one of only three artists to achieve RIAA platinum sales certification on an album released this year. His Old Boots, New Dirt LP, which debuted at the top of Billboard’s all-genre Top 200 chart in October, has now shipped more than one million units.
Interestingly, Aldean also isn’t currently available on Spotify, but he was initially:
“Old Boots, New Dirt had more than three million Spotify streams during its first week, setting the record for the biggest country album debut on the music streaming service. (He later yanked the project from Spotify, explaining, ‘I want everyone who is involved in making my music to be paid fairly.’) Additionally, the album had the fourth biggest debut week in all genres this year, selling more than 278,000 copies in its premiere week. Its first single, Burnin’ It Down, was Aldean’s first tune to ever top the all-genre Digital Songs chart.”
There’s more at Rolling Stone.
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