# List of highest-certified digital singles in the United States

The list of highest-certified digital singles in the United States compiles the songs with the largest [Recording Industry Association of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/recording-industry-association-of-america) (RIAA) Digital Single Award certifications, all of which have reached Diamond status, meaning 10 million or more certification units from permanent downloads and on-demand streams within the United States.<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Award tiers | Gold 500,000 units; Platinum 1,000,000 units (increments of 1,000,000 thereafter); Diamond 10,000,000 units<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup> |
| Unit definition | Each permanent digital download counts as 1 unit; 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams count as 1 unit<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup> |
| Latin program | Oro 30,000 units; Platino 60,000 units (increments of 60,000 thereafter); Diamante 600,000 units<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup> |
| Geographic scope | All certifications are based on permanent downloads and on-demand streams distributed within the United States<sup>[2](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf)</sup> |
| Program history | Digital Single Award introduced in 2004; on-demand streams added on May 9, 2013<sup>[3](https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum60/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://musicrow.com/2013/05/riaa-adds-digital-streams-to-gold-and-platinum-awards/)</sup>  |
| Artist record | Drake, 244 million certified units as of 17 April 2024<sup>[5](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/118853-biggest-selling-digital-artist-us)</sup> |

## How a digital single is certified

The RIAA, the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and commercial vitality of music labels in the United States, certifies Gold, Platinum, Multi-Platinum, and Diamond sales and streaming awards through its Gold & Platinum Program.<sup>[6](https://www.riaa.com/about-riaa/)</sup> For the Digital Single Award, units combine two components: each permanent digital download counts as one unit, and 150 on-demand audio or video streams count as one unit.<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup> Only downloads distributed by, or licensed from, a record label through a legitimate Digital Service Provider qualify, and the download price must reflect current market rate compensation to the label; promotional downloads of a free single do not count toward certification.<sup>[2](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf)</sup> On-demand streams from services reported to the labels count whether the listener pays by subscription or uses a free ad-supported service.<sup>[2](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf)</sup>

Multiple versions of a track can be combined for certification. The guidelines allow combining tracks defined as "radio mix" or "album version," edited and explicit versions, and remixes, provided a remix is not more than 90 seconds longer than the original version.<sup>[2](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf)</sup> A certification request must supply the record company, label, artist, title, configuration, award level, selection or catalog number, release date, and genre, and the program is open to member and non-member music companies. An audit verifies the requisite sales and streaming levels and issues a formal certification report.<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup>

**Applications and audits.** Certifications are not automatic: they must be applied for and go through a third-party audit, so published lists reflect only what has been formally certified rather than everything that qualifies.<sup>[7](https://apnews.com/article/1c3ae1afad6247d975f7e853e56f9709)</sup>

## History of the award

The RIAA introduced the Digital Single Award in 2004 to recognize sales achievements in the emerging digital download market, following the launch of Apple's iTunes store.<sup>[3](https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum60/)</sup> In May 2013, the RIAA added on-demand audio and video streams to the Digital Single Award, awarding 11 Gold, 18 Platinum, and 27 multi-Platinum "combined" Digital Single Awards counting both downloads and streams.<sup>[4](https://musicrow.com/2013/05/riaa-adds-digital-streams-to-gold-and-platinum-awards/)</sup> At that change the stream rate was 100 audio or video plays per certification unit, and only official label or company videos counted, not user-generated uploads.<sup>[8](https://doras.dcu.ie/31099/1/Rogers%282014%29-%27TheMoreThingsChangeTheMoreThingsStayTheSame%27%28inCivilizations%29.pdf)</sup> The current requirement is 150 on-demand streams per unit.<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup>

Several milestones mark the list's history. In 2014, Eminem became the first artist to earn two Digital Diamond Awards, for "Not Afraid" and "Love The Way You Lie."<sup>[3](https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum60/)</sup> In 2021, "Despacito" by [Luis Fonsi](https://www.edgepedia.org/luis-fonsi) and [Daddy Yankee](https://www.edgepedia.org/daddy-yankee) received 13 times Platinum certification, which at the time made it the highest-certified single of all time in the United States and the first Latin song to receive RIAA Diamond certification.<sup>[9](https://godigitalmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GDMGNov2021.pdf)</sup>

## The highest-certified singles

| Song | Artist | Release year | Times Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | 2010 | 21× |
| "Tennessee Whiskey" | Chris Stapleton | 2015 | 20× |
| "Sunflower" | Post Malone and Swae Lee | 2018 | 20× |
| "Thinking Out Loud" | Ed Sheeran | 2014 | 18× |
| "Don't Stop Believin'" | Journey | 1981 | 18× |
| "All I Want for Christmas Is You" | Mariah Carey | 1994 | 18× |
| "Radioactive" | Imagine Dragons | 2012 | 17× |
| "Old Town Road" | Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus | 2018 | 17× |
| "Goosebumps" | Travis Scott featuring Kendrick Lamar | 2016 | 17× |
| "Grenade" | Bruno Mars | 2010 | 16× |
| "God's Plan" | Drake | 2018 | 16× |

The list spans five decades of music, because streaming credits accrue to catalog songs as listeners keep streaming them; the 1981, 1994, and 2010 through 2018 release years above all appear side by side. Certified units also drive artist-level records: [Guinness World Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/guinness-world-records) lists Drake as the biggest-selling digital singles artist in the United States, with 244 million certified units confirmed by the RIAA as of 17 April 2024.<sup>[5](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/118853-biggest-selling-digital-artist-us)</sup>

## What the numbers measure

A multiple of Platinum on this list is a unit count, not a count of purchases. Because 150 streams equal one unit, a song certified at 20 times Platinum represents up to 3 billion on-demand streams, or fewer streams combined with permanent downloads. This unit structure is why songs released before the digital era can appear on a "digital singles" list: every play on a streaming service adds fractionally to the tally, so long-lived catalog hits keep accruing units years after release. The RIAA's Diamond threshold of 10 million units applies to singles.<sup>[1](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)</sup>

The list changes as labels request re-certification. Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life," certified three-times Platinum in 2019, reached 11 times Platinum in 2026, surpassing Diamond status after continued streaming; the 2003 single from the album *[Fallen](https://www.edgepedia.org/fallen-evanescence-album)* has more than a billion Spotify streams, and its music video has more than a billion views on YouTube.<sup>[10](https://www.loudersound.com/news/evanescence-bring-me-to-life-goes-diamond-us-2026)</sup> Songs that qualify but have not been re-audited do not appear at their true rank, which is a structural feature of the list rather than a measure of popularity alone.

## References

1. [RIAA and GR&F Certification Audit Requirements: RIAA Digital Single Award (2023)](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS96.pdf)
2. [RIAA Certification Requirements: Digital Single Award (2016)](https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf)
3. [Gold & Platinum Turns 60!, RIAA](https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum60/)
4. [RIAA Adds Digital Streams To Gold and Platinum Awards, MusicRow (May 9, 2013)](https://musicrow.com/2013/05/riaa-adds-digital-streams-to-gold-and-platinum-awards/)
5. [Biggest-selling digital singles artist (USA), Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/118853-biggest-selling-digital-artist-us)
6. [About RIAA](https://www.riaa.com/about-riaa/)
7. [The Eagles' 'Greatest Hits' is the first album in US history to sell over 40M units, Associated Press (2026)](https://apnews.com/article/1c3ae1afad6247d975f7e853e56f9709)
8. [The More Things Change... The More Things Stay the Same, in Civilisations (Rogers, 2014)](https://doras.dcu.ie/31099/1/Rogers%282014%29-%27TheMoreThingsChangeTheMoreThingsStayTheSame%27%28inCivilizations%29.pdf)
9. [Daddy Yankee achievements, Go Digital MG (2021)](https://godigitalmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GDMGNov2021.pdf)
10. [Evanescence's Bring Me To Life has been certified Diamond in the United States, Louder (June 30, 2026)](https://www.loudersound.com/news/evanescence-bring-me-to-life-goes-diamond-us-2026)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Thematic song lists, charts, and media-franchise catalogs › Chart record and certification lists › Certification lists by awarding body*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license