Whitney Houston

RIAA: Whitney Houston Makes History As ‘I Will Always Love You’ Certified Diamond Nearly 30 Years After Its Release

Published: Wednesday 12th Jan 2022 by Rashad

As one of the best-selling artists in the history of recorded music, Whitney Houston was no stranger to seeing her wall lined with plaques from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in her lifetime.

The first Black artist to have 3 Diamond albums to her credit (as we reported here), Houston’s timeless catalog is filled with gargantuan hits – many of which are still collecting accolades nearly 10 years after her untimely death.

Case in point?  ‘I Will Always Love You,’ Houston’s 1992 remake of the classic 1970’s Dolly Parton hit.

On January 12, one-month shy of the 10th anniversary of Whitney’s passing, the RIAA took to press to announce the enduring ‘Bodyguard’ number – which already stood in record books as the best-selling single by a female artist – had met is qualifications for Diamond status. This means it’s sold the equivalence of 10 million copies in the United States alone.

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With the feat comes three historic achievements.

  • The year of its 30th anniversary, ‘I Will Always Love You’ becomes the oldest Diamond-certified song by a solo act.  The only song older to have been certified as high is Queen’s 1975 classic, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
  • The tune is the first female song from a soundtrack to be certified as high.  Pharrell Williams‘Happy’ (‘Despicable Me 2’), Wiz Khalifa‘s ‘See You Again’ (‘Fast & Furious 7’), and Post Malone‘s ‘Sunflower’ (‘Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse’) are the only other Diamond-certified soundtrack singles.
  • Houston becomes the fourth Black female act to own a Diamond single (following Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and Mariah Carey).

Overall, Whitney’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ is only the 70th song in history to be awarded Diamond status.

[source]

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