Jive Is Tops In 2000 RIAA Certifications
Source: http://www.billboard.com/daily/2000/1219_06.asp
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.
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