Garth Brooks Celebrates 10th Diamond Album With Major RIAA Honor

Although launched back in the late 1990s, Napster teased the future of the music industry. While the platform broke more than a few laws, it presented fans with the ability to listen to music from a wide variety of artists. No longer did music lovers have to travel to their nearest record store to snag a copy. From there, streaming platforms like Spotify were born. But with the surge of streaming, Garth Brooks remains in a category of his own after scoring his 10th diamond-certified album. 

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As most artists hope to break the one billion streams, Brooks continues to dominate the world of physical copies. Throughout his career, the country star has presented fans with more than a few CD box sets. Having released over a dozen box sets, the latest to cross the diamond-certified marker was his Triple Live album. 

For an album to reach diamond status, it has to sell at least 10 million units. And in a world controlled by streaming, Brooks proved that some fans prefer to own their music instead of renting it. Hoping to celebrate his massive achievement, the RIAA announced they were presenting him with the Artist of a Lifetime Award at the RIAA Honors on June 3. 

Discussing his ongoing career in country music and the records he had accumulated over the decades, Brooks insisted his passion had little to do with accolades. “It’s not about numbers, it is about the music. This milestone goes directly to country radio. It introduced me to the world’s biggest, best, and most loyal audience: the country music audience.” 

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Garth Brooks Could Become The Richest Country Singer In The World

The RIAA chairman and CEO, Mitch Glazier, revealed the organization had a problem when it came to Brooks. “At the RIAA headquarters, we have a wall that has every diamond album ever certified, but Garth has 10. The wall won’t fit Garth.” 

While looking to celebrate his career, reports started to circulate that Brooks could be on the verge of selling his music catalog. And the price was nothing short of staggering. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, a deal was in the works to purchase the songwriting and recording music rights from Brooks. The cost – $2 billion. 

If the sale is finalized, it would make Brooks the richest country singer in the world. Right now, that honor goes to Dolly Parton herself, who has an estimated net worth of $675 million.

Although at a steep price, Brooks has sold over 200 million albums in the United States. To give some perspective – that’s more than The Beatles.  

After decades in country music, Brooks continues to redefine what success looks like in the modern era. And he remains one of the most influential artists the genre has ever seen.  

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)