Jive Is Tops in 2000 RIAA Certifications

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Dec 21, 2000 Source: Billboard Submitted By: Mayuri Jive Records' trio of pop heavyweights -- 'N Sync, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys - made the indie operation to best-selling label of 2000, according to the Recording Industry Association Of America's year-end certifications wrap-up. 'N Sync led the way with its second RIAA Diamond award for U.S. sales of 10 million copies of its latest album, "No Strings Attached," in just nine months. Spears was up next, having sold 8 million copies of "Oops! ... I Did It Again." Spears also saw her debut album, "... Baby One More Time," sell another 3 million copies in 2000 to put it at the 13-times platinum level. The Backstreet Boys completed the hat trick with the November release of "Black & Blue," which was simultaneously certified gold (500,000 copies), platinum (1 million copies), and eight-times platinum (8 million copies), the highest debut certification of the year. Throw in an additional 1 million copies sold of both the group's self-titled debut and 1999's "Millennium," and their 2000 U.S. sales reach 10 million. All three albums from the Jive artists logged time at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 during 2000. Combined, the three artists sold 31 million albums this year as certified by the RIAA. A total accounting of Jive artists' releases for the year shows that the label sold nearly 40 million albums in the U.S. "What else can you say about the success of Jive?" RIAA president/CEO Hilary Rosen said in a statement. "40 million records in a single year for an independent label is astounding and is a testament to both their marketing savvy and true understanding of their audience." In total, the RIAA certified 340 gold, 179 platinum, and 255 multi-platinum albums in 2000. For a complete list of the year's certifications visit the RIAA's official Web site. Here are other 2000 RIAA statistical highlights: Combining the Beatles' hits collection "1" (5 million), with eight Capitol Records catalog titles, the group was certified for more than 18 million copies sold in 2000, the highest for any artist. Santana's "Supernatural" (Arista) was the No. 2 selling album of 2000 (behind 'N Sync's "No Strings Attached"), with more than 8 million copies moved. "Supernatural" is also the best-selling album by an artist of Latin heritage. The set has been certified for a total of 13 million copies, earning Carlos Santana his first Diamond award. Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" (Web/Aftermath/Interscope) is the third highest certified album of 2000 at 7 million copies, and the best selling hip-hop album. The album's producer, Dr. Dre, had the second-highest certified hip-hop album with "Dr. Dre 2001" (Aftermath/Interscope), with U.S. sales of 6 million copies. Creed's "Human Clay" (Wind-Up) sold an additional 6 million copies in 2000, bringing the total for the 1999 release to 8 million. The band's 1997 debut, "My Own Prison," sold an additional 1 million copies, to move it to five-times platinum. Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill tied for highest certified country album of the year. Hill's "Breathe" (Warner Bros.) and the Dixie Chicks' "Fly" (Monument) each sold 5 million copies in 2000. The Chicks' set is now eight times platinum, while their debut, "Wide Open Spaces," tipped the Diamond mark in 2000 for sales of 10 million copies. The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (Elektra) lost and regained the title of best-selling record of all time in 2000. The set, now certified for sales of 27 million copies, was passed by and then passed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (Epic) for the honor. Garth Brooks' "Double Live" (Capitol) album was certified for sales of 13 million copies in May, making him the first solo artist to sell 100 million albums, the top-selling artist of the 1990's, and the fastest-selling artist in music history. -- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y. Comment on this item. Next Item: Backstreet Boy's Heartfelt Appeal Prev Item: Backstreet Boys to Give Mexico Concert in March