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GOLD and PLATINUM RECORD INDEX

Alphebetical index of songs that earned a GOLD RECORD or PLATINUM RECORD

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

DON'T BE CRUEL / HOUND DOGhound dog

For 11 straight weeks (August 18, 1956 through October 27, 1956) on the Best Sellers charts, and for 11 consecutive weeks (September 1, 1956 through November 10, 1956) on the Juke Box charts, the biggest two-sided single in history held down the number #1 spot.

"Hound Dog" debuted the top side with "Don't Be Cruel" listed later as the top side. Their combined total stay at #1 makes it the biggest charted single of the rock era.

Popular bands that achieved GOLD RECORD status (sales of one million units) or PLATINUM RECORD status (sales of two million units) can be an inspiration to all that follow.

Gold record

As of Jan. 1, 1989, the RIAA lowered the certification for gold singles to the sale of 500,000 units and platinum to one million units. Achieving high acceptance among the population makes these bands and their songs the most popular.

Musical taste will differ with each individual, but if the collective good is voting on bands and songs by buying their records and cds, then we can not ignore their popularity, even if we do or did not like their style.

See if your favorite artist from the past got a gold or platinum record during the time vinyl records were the main way we consumed music. Once we review these listings of all that went gold and platinum prior to 1992, it is amazing how many songs we remember or how many songs are still playing today.

Here is a sampling of top selling singles that earned a GOLD Record or PLATINUM Record prior to 1992 when CDs squeezed out Vinyl and a new metric was born - there are many more popular songs that have received substantial airplay, but did not meet the sales figures.

This month we feature through to S's of all of the songs that went Gold and Platinum.

. These timeless favorites serve as a sampling of the elite when records were made of vinyl. Reviewing their song structure and lyrics as well as their pertinence in their time may inspire our creative juices.
Index of Gold and Platinum Artists, Records and Songs:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A-B                                              TOP SELLING LEGACY GOLD AND PLATINUM RECORDS

ARTIST                                        SONG TITLE                                             SHEET MUSIC AVAILABLE     STATUS

Abba Dancing Queen (2 Tracks), Take a Chance On Me  

Popular

Abba

Sheets

Mamma Mia!: The Movie Soundtrack Featuring the Songs of ABBA  
2 gold
Abdul, Paula Straight Up*,Forever Your Girl, Cold Hearted,Opposites Attract, Rush,Rush        4 gold, *1 platinum
Adams, Bryan (Everything I Do) I Do It For You  
  (Everything I Do) I Do It for You SATB a cappella  
1 platinum (1991)
Aerosmith Love in an Elevator   1 gold (1989)
After 7 Ready or Not, Can't Stop   2 gold
Air Supply All Out Of Love, The One That You Love, Making Love Out Of Nothing At All   3 gold
Albert, Morris Feelings   1 gold (1975)
Alpert, Herb/The Tijuana Brass This Guy's in Love With You ('68), Rise('79)   2 gold
America

A Horse with No Name
America's 1972-1983: Comp Greatest Hits

  1 gold (1972)
American Breed Bend Me, Shape Me   1 gold (1967)
Anderson, Lynn Rose Garden   1 gold (1970)
Anka, Paul

(You're) Having My Baby

  1 gold (1974)
Another Bad Creation Iesha   1 gold (1991)
Archies, The Sugar,Sugar ('69), Jingle Jangle (69)
the Archies
  2 gold
Association, The Cherish ('66), Windy ('67), Never My Love('67)   3 gold
Astley, Rick Never Gonna Give You Up   1 gold (1988)
Austin, Patti Baby, Come to Me   1 gold (1982)
Average White Band Pick Up The Pieces (3 Tracks)   1 gold (1974)
Bachman-Turner Overdrive You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet   1 gold (1974)
Bad Company Rock N Roll Fantasy   1 gold (1979)
Bad English When I See You Smile   1 gold (1989)
Badfinger Day After Day   1 gold (1971)
Baez, Joan The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down   1 gold (1971)
Bailey, Philip Easy Lover   1 gold (1984)
Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas   1 gold (1985)
Bangles

Walk Like an Egyptian('86),
Eternal Flame: Best Of The ('89)

  2 gold
Basil Tony Mickey   1 platinum (1982)
Bay City Rollers Saturday Night   1 gold (1975)
Beach Boys

I Get Around ('64),Good Vibrations:

('66),Kokomo (platinum '88)

 
  The Beach Boys: Guitar Chord Songbook (6 inch. x 9 inch.)
2 gold, 1 platinum

Beatles, The

     1962-1966 (Red Alb)
     1967-1970 (Blue Alb)

I Want To Hold Your Hand ('64), Can't Buy Me Love ('64),A Hard Day's Night ('64), I Feel Fine ('64), Eight Days a Week ('65), Help! ('65), Yesterday ('65), Penny Lane ('67), We Can Work It Out ('65), Nowhere Man ('66), Paperback Writer ('66), Yellow Submarine ('66), All You Need is Love ('67), Hello Goodbye ('67), Lady Madonna ('68), Hey Jude ('68), Get Back ('69), The Ballad Of John and Yoko ('69), Come Together ('69), Something ('69), Let It Be ('70)  
  The Beatles: 1962-1966 For guitar and voice. Format: guitar tablature songbook.
See more info...

21 gold records

Bee Gees Lonely Days ('70), How Can You Men a Broken Heart ('71), Jive Talkin' ('75), You Should Be Dancing ('76), Lov So Right ('76), How Deep Is Your Love ('77), Staying Alive (plat.'77), Night Fever (plat. '78), Too Much Heaven (plat. '78), Tragedy (plat '79), Love You Inside Out ('79)  
  Best of the Bee GeesEasy Piano. 56 pages.
See more info...

7 gold, 4 platinum

 

Bell, Archie/The Drells Tighten Up   1 gold (1968)
Bell, William Tryin To Love Two   1 gold (1977)
Bell&James Livin' It Up (Friday Night)   1 gold (1979)
Benatar, Pat Hit Me With Your Best Shot ('80), Love Is A Battlefield ('83)    Very Best Of   2 gold
Benton, Brook Rainy Night In Georgia   1 gold (1970)
Berry, Chuck My Ding A Ling   1 gold (1972)
B-52's, The Love Shack ('89), Roam ('90)   2 gold
Bilk, Mr. Acker Stranger on the Shore   1 gold (1962)
Bishop, Elvin Fooled Around and Fell In Love   1 gold (1976)
Biz, Markie Just A Friend   1 platinum (1990)
Blondie Heart of Glass ('79), Call Me ('80), The Tide is High ('80), Rapture ('81)      Blondie   4 gold
Bloodstone Natural High   1 gold (1973)
Blood, Sweat and Tears You've Made Me So Very Happy ('69), Spinning Wheel ('69), And When I Die ('69) 
Greatest Hits (Remastered) (W/)
  3 gold
Blue Magic Sideshow   1 gold (1974)
Blues Image Ride Captain Ride   1 gold (1970)
Blue Swede Hooked On a Feeling   1 gold (1974)
Bon Jovi Blaze Of Glory   1 platinum (1990)
Booker T. & the MGs Green Onions   1 gold (1962)
Boone, Debby You Light Up My Life:   1 platinum(1977)
Bowie, David Fame ('75), Lets Dance ('83)   2 gold
Box Tops, The The Letter ('67), Cry Like a Baby ('68)   2 gold
Branigan, Laura Gloria   
  1 gold (1982)
Bread Make It With You ('70), Baby I M A Want You'71  
  Songs Made Famous by Bread Performed by Bread. Tune 1000 (General MIDI software). Floppy disk only. Published by Tune 1000. (631089)
See more info...
2 gold
Brighter Side of Darkness Love Jones   1 gold (1973)
Brooklyn Bridge Worst That Could Happen   1 gold (1969)
Brooklyn Dreams Heaven Knows   1 gold (1979)
Brothers Johnson, The I'll Be Good To You(76), Strawberry Letter23(77)   2 gold
Brown, Arthur, The Crazy Wrld of Fire   1 gold (1968)
Brown, Bobby Dont Be Cruel ('88),M Prerogative (88),Every Little Step ('89), On Our Own (plat.'89),Rock Wit'cha ('89), She Ain't Worth It ('90)   5 gold, 1 platinum
Brown, Chuck/Soul Searchers Bustin'Loose Part I   1 gold (1979)
Brown, James Get On The Good Foot P1, The Payback P1
20 All Time Greatest Hits!
  2 gold
Brownsville Station Smokin' In The Boy's Room   1 gold (1973)
B.T. Express Do It (Till Your Satisfied)('74), Express ('75)   2 gold
Buckner&Garcia Pac-Man Fever   1 gold (1982)
Burdon, Eric/WAR Spill The Wine   1 gold (1970)
Butler, Jerry Only The Strong Survive ('69), Ain't Understanding Mellow ('72)          2 gold
QUICKLY LEARN TO PLAY THE MOST POPULAR COUNTRY SONGS Country Music Shop Country Sheet Music here.  
  The Ultimate Country Fake Book - 4th Edition Fake Book (Includes melody line and chords). Size 9x12 inches. 568 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (240049)
See more info...
 
QUICKLY LEARN TO PLAY THE MOST POPULAR POP/ROCK SONGS Pop Music Shop Pop Sheet Music   
  The Ultimate Pop/Rock Fake Book - 4th Edition Fake Book (Includes melody line and chords). Size 9x12 inches. 584 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (240099)
See more info...
 
QUICKLY LEARN TO PLAY THE MOST POPULAR SONGS Sheet Music for quickly playing many popular tunes is available.  
  The Best Fake Book Ever - 3rd Edition C Edition. Fake Book (Includes melody line and chords). Size 9x12 inches. 864 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (290239)
See more info...
 

Although the beginning of rock and roll cannot be attributed to any single artist or song, Elvis Presley is perceived as the King of the genre. From the moment he stepped onto the world stage in 1956, Elvis combined blues, country and gospel into a rebellious musical form that teens picked up on and parents felt threatened. With other 50's pioneers such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley and the Comets, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Little Richard defining the era, the foundation for what was to follow became legendary.

When the Beatles arrived in 1964, the British invasion had begun. Hollies, Animals, Rolling Stones, Who, Kinks, Yardbirds and Zombies quickly followed. Rock branched out into many forms from surf music as defined by the Beach Boys to Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan to name a few. Woodstock in 1969 then defined the peak of the hippie movement.