Report: Drake Now All-time Leader In RIAA Certified Units

This afternoon, Chart Data, a usually reliable source, Tweeted this:.

.@Drake becomes the first artist in history to surpass 500 million RIAA certified units across albums, singles and features. pic.twitter.com/kk3b4M8wlh

— chart data (@chartdata) April 8, 2025

"@Drake  becomes the first artist in history to surpass 500 million RIAA certified units across albums, singles and features."

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awards certifications like Gold, Platinum, or Diamond based on sales and streaming data.  The certs are typically given after the label submits a request and the RIAA performs an audit. Oddly, there is no indication on the RIAA's website that Drake has any new certifications, and it wouldn't seem likely that UMG would have recently requested audits on Drake's behalf, as he is suing his label.

If that 500 million number is accurate, Drake would be nipping at the heels of The Beatles as the best-selling artist of all time, ahead of such names as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Madonna, and Taylor Swift.