Eminem Breaks Record For Most Gold & Platinum Singles In RIAA History

Hot off his performance in the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Eminem has lost himself in heavy metal. No, the Detroit rapper hasn’t changed genres — he’s the new King of Gold and Platinum Singles.

The RIAA said today that the Shady/Aftermath/Interscope artist has become the No. 1 awarded act for singles in the 64-year history of the Gold & Platinum program. With Tuesday’s reveal of 73.5 million new award units, the Oscar winner’s career haul now sits at 227.5 million: 166 million single certifications and 61.5 million album certifications. Drake had held the record with 163.5 million. Rihanna is third with 151.5 million.

The erstwhile Marshall Mathers also becomes one of only seven artists with three or more Diamond-certified albums for sales of at least 10 million units in the U.S. The others are Garth Brooks (nine), The Beatles (six), Led Zeppelin (five) and Eagles, Shania Twain and Whitney Houston (three each).

“These awards recognize Eminem’s unflinching commitment to his craft and the enduring connection he has forged with fans over the last 20 years,” RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in a statement. “Congratulations to Eminem and his entire label team who have set the bar higher than ever.”

Eminem broke out his 1999 second album The Slim Shady LP, which featured the classic single “My Name Is,” then hit the stratosphere with his 2000 follow-up The Marshall Mathers LP. That disc spawned his pop-breakthrough single “The Real Slim Shady” and the influential track “Stan.” “The former today was certified for 7 million units sold, and the latter hit 4 million.

Marshall Mathers began a run of nine consecutive albums to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The Eminem Show (2002) is his best-selling disc at 12 million units, per RIAA. His other Diamond-certified sets are The Marshall Mathers LP (11 million) and the 2005 compilation Curtain Call: The Hits (10 million).

Eminem also won a Best Original Oscar for “Lose Yourself,” from the 2002 film 8 Mile, in which he also starred. It was the first hip-hop track to win the Academy Award. The RIAA today certified the song as 13 times platinum; that’s tied with his “Love the Way You Lie” (featuring Rihanna) for the most for any of his singles, followed by 2010’s “Not Afraid” (11 million).

Eminem was part of the historic Super Bowl Halftime Show last month that also featured Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.