Justin Bieber dethrones Elton John for RIAA highest certified single

iamstrongiamstrong Posts: 867
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Bieber's song "Baby" featuring Ludacris becomes the highest-certified single in history now that the RIAA incorporates on-demand streaming numbers into its Gold and Platinum certifications for digital singles. Elton John's double-sided hit "Candle in the Wind"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" was previously the top song in history with a certification of 11-times platinum all the way back in 1997. Bieber's "Baby," which has 3.9 million track sales and over 857 million views on Vevo, is now 12-times platinum.

A gold or platinum certification that incorporates activity on streaming services is an accurate representation of the world consumers live in today. On-demand streaming services have become such a popular way to experience music that YouTube is often called "the new radio." For track certifications the RIAA counts streams only from services that compensate record labels. Among them are video services YouTube and Vevo and audio services Spotify, Muve Music, Rhapsody, MOG, Xbox Music and Slacker.

The digital-era songs with the highest certifications are some of the most popular videos. "Baby" is the second-most-watched video on YouTube. Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna, now 11-times platinum, is fourth all-time at YouTube with over 560 million streams globally (for certification purposes, only streams originated in the U.S. are counted). Now 10-times platinum, Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" is eighth with nearly 519 million streams. Two spots below "Bad Romance" is Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," which rose to nine-times platinum.

The addition of streaming data meant there are 11 Gold, 18 Platinum and 27-multi-Platinum new Digital Single Awards. Eleven of those songs received their first Digital Single Awards. Lana Del Rey's "Video Games" and The Weeknd's "Wicked Games" were among the six new Gold certifications. The new platinum certifications included Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and Andy Grammer's "Keep Your Head Up." Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" rose to double-Platinum.

Adding streaming numbers to certifications was "easy to decide as a matter of principle" but much more complicated from a procedural standpoint, says RIAA Chairman and CEO Cary Sherman. The organization gathered a group of label marketing, business and data-analysis executives for a yearlong effort to decide exactly how streaming numbers should be integrated into certifications.

Sherman explains that the Gold and Platinum certification program has always been based on "the consumer saying he or she wants a particular piece of music." For decades that demand was represented by purchases, but today can vote with both their pocketbooks and their clicks. But the RIAA decided to count streams only from "pull" services like subscription service Spotify because the intent behind them is similar to a purchase. Streams from "push" services, or non-interactive Internet radio services like Pandora, are excluded because they don't reflect the same consumer intent

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/1562681/justin-biebers-baby-with-new-streaming-data-beats-out?utm_source=twitter

12x platinum from streaming? That's messed up :mad:

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 34
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    I just died a little reading this....
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 123
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    I'm still a teenager and would choose Elton John over the Biebs any day, although I wouldn't go as far as conjuring up ideas for how to kill him like some people on this forum do...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,304
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    Not surprised, this is the Billboards new policy... youtube hits come into it. How they can justify it as no one on youtube is actually purchasing anything is beyond me. Kind of a slap in the face to those who worked their backsides off all those years ago.

    But the Billboard is irrelevant now anyway. If Tom Waits doesn't give a crap about it, then neither do I:p:cool:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,058
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    Not surprised, this is the Billboards new policy... youtube hits come into it. How they can justify it as no one on youtube is actually purchasing anything is beyond me. Kind of a slap in the face to those who worked their backsides off all those years ago.

    But the Billboard is irrelevant now anyway. If Tom Waits doesn't give a crap about it, then neither do I:p:cool:
    I think they did that because streaming revenue is going to surpass sales revenue by 2014. Also, according to the labels themselves, 100 views/ streams get them the same earnings as 1 download, so I guess it's not that unfair.

    Bieber's certification is all kinds of fishy though. The RIAA is supposed to only take in consideration the views and streams that come from the USA and I refuse to believe that 'Baby' got 850 million views from the US alone.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 181
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    Well shouldn't it be PSY who gets this record? Gangnam Style has sold much more and has twice as many streams #confused
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,280
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    Can someone clarify why streaming is considered for RIAA certifications? Doesn't make sense to me. Also, if streaming can be part of the certifications, how come airplay never had their part? Doesn't the single's "peak audience" of 175-200m deserve some kind of award?
  • Sick n SexifiedSick n Sexified Posts: 1,132
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    It doesn't count. It's hardly worth a thread really!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,280
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    O.Michel wrote: »
    Also, according to the labels themselves, 100 views/ streams get them the same earnings as 1 download

    Really? I'm intrigued!!!! Nothing about Billboard surprises me anymore now.
  • StratusSphereStratusSphere Posts: 2,813
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    This is stupid. Candle in the Wind will still hold the title for biggest SELLING song. And you're right Hutchy258, PSY should get the record if streams are counted, or JLO's On The Floor or Party Rock Anthem - those were both #1 for ages and MUST have sold more over time than Baby Baby Baby Oh. >.<
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