13 artists who don't have a diamond-certified album — but should

• More than 100 albums have been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America.

• The award is one way to measure critical and commercial success, but many iconic artists haven't received it.

• They include Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, and more.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry has four diamond-certified songs, the most of any woman in history. (Lady Gaga has three; Rihanna and Halsey each have two.)

With "Teenage Dream," her third and best album, Perry also became the first woman in history to notch five consecutive No. 1 hits from the same tracklist: "Teenage Dream," "Last Friday Night," "California Gurls," "Firework," and "E.T." She was only the second artist ever to do so, following Michael Jackson (who has two diamond-certified albums).

An album needs to be certified 10-times platinum in order to achieve diamond status. As of April 6, 2022, "Teenage Dream" has been certified nine-times platinum. She's almost there — but still, the fact that isn't diamond yet feels like a mistake. Here's hoping this minor pop injustice is corrected soon.

Rihanna

Rihanna notched her first No. 1 hit in 2006 when she was 18 years old. In just 14 years, she added 13 more to her collection.

Even today, more than seven years after her most recent album, she is a behemoth of pop culture. Although she spent most of her career as a singles-focused artist, her discography is nothing to scoff at: "Loud" was nominated for album of the year at the Grammys, "Unapologetic" topped the Billboard 200, and "Anti" is considered to be one of the defining albums of its decade.

Strangely, according to the RIAA, "Anti" and "Good Girl Gone Bad" have both gone just six-times platinum, her highest certification to date.

Weirder still, none of Rihanna's solo singles have been certified diamond, either. She has two, but only for collaborations: Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" and Calvin Harris' "We Found Love."

Lorde

It's a shame that Lorde is best known for her sole diamond-certified song, "Royals," when she is, first and foremost, an album artist.

Still in her mid-20s, Lorde has already cemented her role in the zeitgeist with a critically acclaimed trilogy. "Melodrama" and "Solar Power" may not have sold as many copies as her debut album, "Pure Heroine," but all three belong in the pantheon of pop classics, each boasting its own concept and sound — but strung together by Lorde's rich lyricism and strong artistic identity.

"The themes are always the same," Lorde reminds us in her Instagram bio. "A return to innocence, the mysteries of the blood, an itch for the transcendental."

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar has one of the most influential and impressive careers in recent memory. Widely regarded as the greatest living rapper, he single-handedly shifted culture with his third album, "To Pimp a Butterfly," and won a Pulitzer Prize for his fourth album, "Damn."

And yet, Lamar doesn't even have a diamond-certified song, let alone an album.

To be clear, Lamar's metrics in the RIAA database may be outdated. An artist's label must submit songs and albums for certifications; Lamar is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and owns a portion of the company, so it's possible that he just doesn't care about platinum or diamond awards. But that doesn't mean he hasn't earned them.

Beyoncé

We're all keenly aware that Beyoncé is that girl, and she has been for more than two decades now. Even before she left Destiny's Child behind, she was a hitmaker with undeniable magnetism.

Starting with her 2003 solo debut "Dangerously in Love," Beyoncé launched an unprecedented run of celebrated albums, nary a flop in sight.

But the arrival of her 2013 self-titled heralded a new era for Beyoncé, unbothered by industry standards and commercial expectations. She withheld both "Beyoncé" and "Lemonade" from streaming services (except Tidal) for several years. She has mostly stuck to surprise releases, minimalistic rollouts, and concept albums.

These tactics may have hindered album sales and, in turn, the potential for multi-platinum certifications. She probably doesn't care — Beyoncé is aiming for a more permanent kind of glory — but it's still weird not to see her name on a list with fellow juggernauts like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Adele.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z is one of the biggest figures in hip-hop with an astounding array of masterpieces, from "Reasonable Doubt" and "The Blueprint" to his latest solo release, 2017's "4:44," which was nominated for eight Grammys.

Indeed, Jay-Z recently became the first Black man with at least 10 multi-platinum albums, so he's certainly on his way to diamond status.

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand long held the record for the most No. 1 albums among women. It was broken just this year by Taylor Swift, whose "Fearless" was certified diamond back in 2017.

In fact, Streisand is ranked at No. 3 on "Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Artists," just behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, both of whom have diamond-certified albums of their own.

Something is wrong here. Streisand is a best-selling singer by nearly any measure, yet her highest RIAA certification is only five-times platinum, which has been bestowed upon four of her albums thus far: "Guilty," "Memories," "A Christmas Album," and "Greatest Hits Volume II."

Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake technically has two diamond-certified albums as a member of *NSYNC: the boy band's self-titled debut and "No Strings Attached."

But surprisingly, Timberlake is empty-handed as a solo artist, which is wild considering his trilogy of hits, from "Justified" to "The 20/20 Experience" — although, of course, "FutureSex/LoveSounds" is most deserving of the RIAA's top award.

Janet Jackson

Janet Jackson has a whopping 10 chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — just as many as Stevie Wonder and slightly fewer than Whitney Houston and Madonna, all of whom have their own diamond-certified albums.

In short, Jackson is a legend with a hugely influential discography. "Control" and "All for You" are just two of her No. 1 albums that deserve a spot on RIAA's list.

Radiohead

Radiohead has not one, but two albums that frequently appear on best-of-all-time lists: "OK Computer" and "Kid A," ranked No. 42 and No. 20 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," respectively.

Both were nominated for album of the year at the Grammys. "OK Computer" has been preserved in the Library of Congress for having a significant cultural, historical, or aesthetic impact on society. "Kid A" was named the No. 1 best album of the 2000s by Pitchfork.

Radiohead's accolades know no bounds — except from the RIAA.

Diana Ross

Despite her success as a solo artist and with The Supremes, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, Diana Ross doesn't have a single diamond award.

The "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" songstress has notched six No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and released 25 solo albums, which have reportedly sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. However, her certifications haven't been updated by the RIAA since 1999.

David Bowie

David Bowie has no shortage of beloved albums: "Ziggy Stardust," "Young Americans," "Heroes," and "Let's Dance," to name just a few. Obviously, the RIAA is not the final arbiter of musical taste and history, but still, Bowie's name belongs on any list of legends.

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's legacy is indisputable. He has collected 10 Grammy Awards, including album of the year for "Time Out Of Mind" in 1998, and is generally regarded as one of the finest songwriters of all time.

And if that's not enough, Timothée Chalamet is starring as Dylan in the upcoming biopic, "A Complete Unknown."

But as of April 13, 2001, "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits" has only been certified five-times platinum by the RIAA, his highest certification to date.

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