Capitol Record's Gold and Platinum Records

The Gold and Platinum records hanging in the lobby and throughout the Tower were awarded to Capitol Records by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in recognition of best-selling recordings.

Capitol Records received its first Gold discs in 1958, the year the RIAA instituted the awards. The label’s first gold single was presented for Laurie London’s “He’s Got The Whole World (In His Hands).” Capitol’s (and the RIAA’s) first Gold album was for the soundtrack to the movie musical OKLAHOMA, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, and hangs behind the guard station, on the right-hand wall, in the lower right corner.

The requirements for a Gold album is a minimum of 500,000 units and $1 million in sales. The RIAA instituted its Platinum award in 1975 (honoring 1 million units sold) and its Multi-Platinum award (multiple millions sold) in 1984. On March 16, 1999, the RIAA launched the Diamond Awards, honoring sales of 10 million copies or more of an album or single.

In total, Capitol Records’ artists have received awards for sales of more than 21 Diamond, 253 Multi-Platinum, 272 Platinum and 587 Gold albums, singles and videos.

The Beatles are the label’s biggest winners, receiving 14 Diamond, 37 Multi-Platinum, 40 Platinum, and 52 Gold certifications for sales of albums and singles. Each former member of the Fab Four also recorded as a solo act for Capitol Records after the band’s break-up, garnering even more “precious metal.”

Among Capitol’s other legendary recording artists, for certification of sales of albums and singles: The Beach Boys’ recordings for Capitol have produced 6 Multi-Platinum, 9 Platinum and 21 Gold awards; Frank Sinatra’s have garnered 2 Multi-Platinum, 5 Platinum and 16 Gold awards; and Nat “King” Cole’s have earned 5 Platinum and 8 Gold awards.

Garth Brooks is the biggest award-winner of Capitol Records’ current artists, with 7 Diamond, 32 Multi-Platinum, 9 Platinum, and 10 Gold awards for sales of albums, singles and videos.