What's Going On sold four million albums in the U.S.!

[midnightman]

So why has it been under certified all this time?

I was just on UK Mix checking the chart analysis thread. Apparently WGO is on a list of the most under-certified albums of all time in the U.S.:

1. THE SOUND OF MUSIC [[soundtrack) : gold [[should be 11x platinum)
2. GREASE [[soundtrack) : 8x platinum [[should be 18xp)
3. PINK FLOYD - The Dark Side Of The Moon : 15x platinum [[should be 21xp)
4. HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS - Whipped Cream & Other Delights : gold [[should be 6xp)
5. JAMES TAYLOR - Greatest Hits : 11x platinum [[should be 15xp)
6. BEE GEES - Spirits Having Flown : platinum [[should be 5x platinum)
7. HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS - Going Places : gold [[should be 4xp)
7. HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS - What Now My Love : gold [[should be 4xp)
7. MARVIN GAYE - What's Going On : gold [[should be 4xp)
7. KISS - Alive : gold [[should be 4xp)

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This doesn't make sense at all. I think Let's Get It On did, what, three million? And Motown hasn't certified that either. What's the hold up? Really?!

[marv2]

So why has it been under certified all this time?

I was just on UK Mix checking the chart analysis thread. Apparently WGO is on a list of the most under-certified albums of all time in the U.S.:

1. THE SOUND OF MUSIC [[soundtrack) : gold [[should be 11x platinum)
2. GREASE [[soundtrack) : 8x platinum [[should be 18xp)
3. PINK FLOYD - The Dark Side Of The Moon : 15x platinum [[should be 21xp)
4. HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS - Whipped Cream & Other Delights : gold [[should be 6xp)
5. JAMES TAYLOR - Greatest Hits : 11x platinum [[should be 15xp)
6. BEE GEES - Spirits Having Flown : platinum [[should be 5x platinum)
7. HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS - Going Places : gold [[should be 4xp)
7. HERB ALPERT & THE TIJUANA BRASS - What Now My Love : gold [[should be 4xp)
7. MARVIN GAYE - What's Going On : gold [[should be 4xp)
7. KISS - Alive : gold [[should be 4xp)

----
This doesn't make sense at all. I think Let's Get It On did, what, three million? And Motown hasn't certified that either. What's the hold up? Really?!

Is it to the benefit of the artist or the record company to have such huge sales certified?

[soulster]

Perhaps it's politics, like everything else.

[midnightman]

Is it to the benefit of the artist or the record company to have such huge sales certified?

I would think in this scenario, it would be the artist... the label already made money off the album without certifying it rightfully.

[marymary]

Doesn't getting a record certified require sharing internal records and sales data with the RIAA to validate it? I know I've read in various places that Motown had a serious aversion to doing that, and that's why they created their infamous company gold record program to supplant it.

[jobeterob]

I'm not sure the RIAA matters much any more. There certifications were based on sales and there were many examples of inflated shipments being returned en masses in the Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston era.

There are likely no Motown Records from the heyday to go through to support the certification and if there are, why would Berry give them up? I'm sure Universal doesn't have them vaulted.

Who knows if these quoted records are accurate.

Soundscan matters now.

The artists still get royalties on the sales no matter what unless the artist gave them up.

[florence]

Motown was not a member of the RIAA [[Recording Industry Association of America) the body whom you applied to for these awards until around 1979 so none of their output before then was certified.

Looking at Marvin's awards his product on Motown released after this was certified where appropriate.

This explains Let's Get It On.

However What's Going On is listed in the RIAA database as being released on 17 April 1984 so it looks to me as if it was maybe re-released then and sold the required amount to be certified Gold but the bulk of its sales had been before 1979 and Motown did not want to go into its vaults?

There are all sorts of rumours flying around too that much of their documentation was incomplete -either lost or destroyed.

After taking over Motown, in the mid-90s Universal did begin to make claims for product issued before 1979.

Interestingly, the standards had been lowered and even if a claim was made for a record before then it only had to satisfy the lower requirement.

A lot of awards went to The Temptations but amazingly - and it could be proof that their records were woefully incomplete, if going by the certifications claimed we believe that the only Supremes' [[with Diana) singles [[excluding Temptations' duet) which sold over 500k [[the new level for a Gold Disc rather than 1m) were Baby Love, Stop! In The Name Of Love and Someday We'll Be Together [[which was also certified Platinum for 1m sales).

It would be extremely hard to believe that at least several of their other releases would not have gone past 500k especially Love Child [[which is generally reckoned to be their second biggest selling single in the US and its chart history on Cashbox would support this) or You Can't Hurry Love.

Obviously , there were major difficulties involved in getting record for old product or Universal did not think it was cost-worthy for they abandoned making any further claims around 1999 without getting round to Diana Ross [[solo) - you would think some of her singles especially Touch Me In The Morning or Mountain had to have done 500k let alone 1m - or Marvin.

So I don't think there's any chance of either the What's Going On or Let's Get It On albums receiving certifications unless of course they would sell the required amount after Soundscan began.

[jobeterob]

Informative post Florence; I believe you are totally right.

[midnightman]

Motown was not a member of the RIAA [[Recording Industry Association of America) the body whom you applied to for these awards until around 1979 so none of their output before then was certified.

Looking at Marvin's awards his product on Motown released after this was certified where appropriate.

This explains Let's Get It On.

However What's Going On is listed in the RIAA database as being released on 17 April 1984 so it looks to me as if it was maybe re-released then and sold the required amount to be certified Gold but the bulk of its sales had been before 1979 and Motown did not want to go into its vaults?

There are all sorts of rumours flying around too that much of their documentation was incomplete -either lost or destroyed.

After taking over Motown, in the mid-90s Universal did begin to make claims for product issued before 1979.

Interestingly, the standards had been lowered and even if a claim was made for a record before then it only had to satisfy the lower requirement.

A lot of awards went to The Temptations but amazingly - and it could be proof that their records were woefully incomplete, if going by the certifications claimed we believe that the only Supremes' [[with Diana) singles [[excluding Temptations' duet) which sold over 500k [[the new level for a Gold Disc rather than 1m) were Baby Love, Stop! In The Name Of Love and Someday We'll Be Together [[which was also certified Platinum for 1m sales).

It would be extremely hard to believe that at least several of their other releases would not have gone past 500k especially Love Child [[which is generally reckoned to be their second biggest selling single in the US and its chart history on Cashbox would support this) or You Can't Hurry Love.

Obviously , there were major difficulties involved in getting record for old product or Universal did not think it was cost-worthy for they abandoned making any further claims around 1999 without getting round to Diana Ross [[solo) - you would think some of her singles especially Touch Me In The Morning or Mountain had to have done 500k let alone 1m - or Marvin.

So I don't think there's any chance of either the What's Going On or Let's Get It On albums receiving certifications unless of course they would sell the required amount after Soundscan began.

Interesting. I see your point.