Beyoncé: superstar continues to break records as she becomes the most certified female artist in RIAA history

• Beyoncé continued to challenge Taylor Swift as the most successful female artist in modern history.
• With the success of “Cowboy Carter,” the singer is now the most certified female artist in RIAA history
• But how many records do you have to sell to become certified - both in the US and here in the UK?

It’s celebrations for Beyoncé once again as despite being close to the end of 2024, the “Cowboy Carter” singer just had to break one last record before the end of the year.

The singer is now recognised by the Recording Industry Association of America as the most certified female artist in its history, besting the record that was previously held by Taylor Swift. Beyoncé holds the title now after the success of her country album with 103 records that have either gone gold or platinum after their release.

In a statement to the media regarding the accomplishment, the RIAA wrote: ““We are so excited to recognize the incredible talent, hard work, and creative spirit reflected across diverse genres.”

“Beyoncé’s iconic catalogue has earned the achievement of most certified titles for a female artist in RIAA’s history. Congratulations on this crowning milestone, Beyoncé, Parkwood Entertainment, Columbia Records — and we see you, BeyHive, streaming on repeat!”

Beyoncé’s seventh and eighth albums, “Renaissance” and “Cowboy Carter,” have each achieved Platinum status. Tracks like “Texas Hold ‘Em” have earned two-times Platinum certification.

Singles such as “Lemonade,” “Sorry,” “7/11,” and “Best Thing I Never Had” have all reached four-times Platinum, while iconic anthems like “Single Ladies” and “Halo” have both achieved an impressive 11-times Platinum status.

The achievement follows Beyoncé’s impressive 11 nominations at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards, which includes Album of the Year, Best Country Album, and Record of the Year for “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

How many records need to be sold in the US to achieve certification?

In the U.S., the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certifies records based on specific sales thresholds. An album or single is awarded Gold certification after selling 500,000 units, Platinum for 1,000,000 units, and Multi-Platinum for each additional million sold (e.g., 2 million units equals 2x Platinum).

The prestigious Diamond certification is given to records that reach 10,000,000 units sold. These certifications encompass physical and digital sales combined, reflecting the total consumption of the music across all formats.

What about in the United Kingdom?

In the UK, the certification system is similar but with slightly different thresholds. Gold status is awarded after 100,000 units sold, while Platinum requires 300,000 units. For albums and singles, Multi-Platinum is awarded in increments of 300,000 units, with a Diamond certification given to albums that exceed 1,000,000 units sold.

The UK certifications also include streaming equivalents, recognizing the impact of digital consumption on sales figures.

Add the Grammy Awards and the other major music award ceremonies to your 2025 calendar by reading our round up of the dates of 2025’s biggest musical award ceremonies now if this article piqued your interest.