A History of Albums Going Diamond

Every LP to reach the sales feat, from Patsy Cline to Adele.

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Complex Original

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Last Wednesday, November 28, Adele reached a milestone that's increasingly impossible these days because of declining album sales. Her sophomore album, the chart-crushing 21, surpassed 10 million copies sold and officially became certified diamond. This ends a drought for the industry that was approaching nine years in length.

It seems very likely that albums going diamond on a somewhat frequent basis is a trend that will never return. But back in the '80s and '90s? Forget about it. Everyone from boy bands to country groups to deceased rappers were rolling in the deep dough at a level not seen in the past decade.

So as a means of celebrating Adele's ongoing success and highlighting her new triumph, we took a look back at every album that's gone platinum. It's a roundup that reveals, among other things, that Garth Brooks is a very, very rich man. Click below to begin.

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Patsy Cline, Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits

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Release Date: March 13, 1967
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

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The Beatles, The Beatles (The White Album)

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The Beatles, Abbey Road

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Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II

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Elvis Presley, Elvis' Christmas Album

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Release Date: Oct. 15, 1970
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Carole King, Tapestry

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Release Date: Feb. 10, 1971
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV

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The Rolling Stones, Hot Rocks 1964–1971

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Release Date: Dec. 20, 1972
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Simon & Garfunkel, Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

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Release Date: June 14, 1972
Copies Sold: 14x Platinum


Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon

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Release Date: March 1, 1973
Copies Sold: 15x Platinum


Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy

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The Beatles, 1962-1966

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The Beatles, 1967-1970

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Elton John, Elton John's Greatest Hits

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Release Date: Nov. 8, 1974
Copies Sold: 16x Platinum


Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti

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Eagles, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)

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Boston, Boston

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Release Date: July 25, 1976
Copies Sold: 17x Platinum


Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life

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Release Date: Sept. 28, 1976
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


The Doobie Brothers, Best of the Doobie Brothers

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Release Date: November 1976
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


James Taylor, Greatest Hits

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Release Date: Nov. 1, 1976
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Eagles, Hotel California

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Fleetwood Mac, Rumours

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Release Date: Feb. 4, 1977
Copies Sold: 19x Platinum


Billy Joel, The Stranger

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Release Date: Sept. 29, 1977
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Meat Loaf, Bat out of Hell

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Release Date: Oct. 21, 1977
Copies Sold: 14x Platinum


Various Artists, Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Soundtrack

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Release Date: Nov. 15, 1977
Copies Sold: 15x Platinum


Van Halen, Van Halen

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Release Date: Feb. 19, 1978
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Steve Miller Band, Greatest Hits 1974–78

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Pink Floyd, The Wall

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Aerosmith, Greatest Hits

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Release Date: October 1980
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


AC/DC, Back in Black

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Kenny Rogers, Greatest Hits

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Eagles, Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2

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Michael Jackson, Thriller

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Release Date: Nov. 30, 1982
Copies Sold: 29x Platinum


Def Leppard, Pyromania

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ZZ Top, Eliminator

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Release Date: March 23, 1983
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Lionel Richie, Can't Slow Down

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Release Date: Oct. 11, 1983
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Madonna, Like a Virgin

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Release Date: Nov. 12, 1984
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Van Halen, 1984

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Release Date: Jan. 9, 1984
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Bob Marley & the Wailers, Legend

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Release Date: May 8, 1984
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Prince, Purple Rain

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Release Date: June 25, 1984
Copies Sold: 13x Platinum


Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.

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Release Date: June 4, 1984
Copies Sold: 15x Platinum


Phil Collins, No Jacket Required

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Release Date: Jan. 25, 1985
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston

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Release Date: Feb. 14, 1985
Copies Sold: 13x Platinum


The Doors, The Best of the Doors

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Billy Joel, Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II

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Release Date: July 1, 1985
Copies Sold: 23x Platinum


Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet

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Release Date: Aug. 18, 1986
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Bruce Springsteen, Live/1975-85

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Release Date: Nov. 10, 1986
Copies Sold: 13x Platinum


U2, The Joshua Tree

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Release Date: March 9, 1987
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Def Leppard, Hysteria

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Various Artists, Dirty Dancing: Motion Picture Soundtrack

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Release Date: Aug. 21, 1987
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


George Michael, Faith

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Release Date: Oct. 30, 1987
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction

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Release Date: July 21, 1987
Copies Sold: 18x Platinum


Journey, Greatest Hits

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Release Date: Nov. 15, 1988
Copies Sold: 15x Platinum


Garth Brooks, Garth Brooks

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MC Hammer, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em

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Release Date: Feb. 12, 1990
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Garth Brooks, No Fences

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Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (Boxed Set)

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Madonna, The Immaculate Collection

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Metallica, Metallica (The Black Album)

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Pearl Jam, Ten

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Release Date: Aug. 27, 1991
Copies Sold: 13x Platinum


Garth Brooks, Ropin' the Wind

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Nirvana, Nevermind

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Release Date: Sept. 24, 1991
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Eric Clapton, Unplugged

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Release Date: Aug. 25, 1992
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Kenny G, Breathless

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Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard

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Release Date: Nov. 17, 1992
Copies Sold: 17x Platinum


Mariah Carey, Music Box

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Release Date: Aug. 31, 1993
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Greatest Hits

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Release Date: Nov. 16, 1993
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Green Day, Dookie

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Release Date: Feb. 1, 1994
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Various Artists, The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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Release Date: May 31, 1994
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Various Artists, Forrest Gump

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Release Date: June 28, 1994
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Hootie and the Blowfish, Cracked Rear View

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Boyz II Men, II

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Release Date: Aug. 30, 1994
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


TLC, CrazySexyCool

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Release Date: Nov. 15, 1994
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Garth Brooks, The Hits

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Shania Twain, The Woman in Me

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Release Date: Feb. 7, 1995
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Jewel, Pieces of You

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Release Date: Feb. 28, 1995
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill

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Release Date: June 13, 1995
Copies Sold: 16x Platinum


Mariah Carey, Daydream

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Release Date: Oct. 3, 1995
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom

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Release Date: Oct. 10, 1995
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


The Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

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Release Date: Oct. 24, 1995
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Celine Dion, Falling Into You

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Release Date: March 8, 1996
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Matchbox Twenty, Yourself or Someone Like You

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Release Date: Oct. 1, 1996
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


The Notorious B.I.G., Life After Death

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Release Date: March 25, 1997
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Backstreet Boys, Backstreet Boys

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Release Date: Aug. 12, 1997
Copies Sold: 14x Platinum


Celine Dion, Let's Talk About Love

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Release Date: Nov. 14, 1997
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Various Artists, Titantic: Music from the Motion Picture

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Release Date: Nov. 18, 1997
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Garth Brooks, Sevens

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Shania Twain, Come on Over

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Release Date: Nov. 4, 1997
Copies Sold: 20x Platinum


Dixie Chicks, Wide Open Spaces

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Release Date: Jan. 27, 1998
Copies Sold: 12x Platinum


NSYNC, NSYNC

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Release Date: March 24, 1998
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Kid Rock, Devil Without a Cause

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Release Date: Aug. 18, 1998
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


2Pac, Greatest Hits

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Release Date: Nov. 24, 1998
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Garth Brooks, Double Live

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Britney Spears, ...Baby One More Time

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Release Date: Jan. 12, 1999
Copies Sold: 14x Platinum


Backstreet Boys, Millenium

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Release Date: May 18, 1999
Copies Sold: 13x Platinum


Santana, Supernatural

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Release Date: June 15, 1999
Copies Sold: 15x Platinum


Dixie Chicks, Fly

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Release Date: Aug. 31, 1999
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Creed, Human Clay

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Release Date: Sept. 28, 1999
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


NSYNC, No Strings Attached

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Release Date: March, 21, 2000
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Britney Spears, Oops!... I Did It Again

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Release Date: May 16, 2000
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP

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Release Date: May 23, 2000
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory

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Release Date: Oct. 24, 2000
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


The Beatles, 1

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Norah Jones, Come Away With Me

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Release Date: Feb. 26, 2002
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Eminem, The Eminem Show

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Release Date: May 28, 2002
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum


Shania Twain, Up!

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Release Date: Nov. 18, 2002
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

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Release Date: Sept. 23, 2003
Copies Sold: 11x Platinum


Usher, Confessions

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Release Date: March 23, 2004
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum



Adele, 21

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Release Date: Jan. 19, 2011
Copies Sold: 10x Platinum



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