In the U.S., both albums and individual tunes can be certified diamond after shifting 10 million equivalent units. That number now includes both pure sales and streaming activity.
“Thunderstruck” is AC/DC’s first diamond-certified single in America. Amazingly, the tune had not earned a single certification before it went diamond. The RIAA awarded it gold (for half a million), then platinum (for one million), and then diamond, all at once.
At the same time that “Thunderstruck” went diamond, several other singles by AC/DC collected either their first certifications or earned new ones. Five other cuts from the band, including “T.N.T.,” “Hells Bells,” and “Highway to Hell,” among others, all snagged new awards from the RIAA.
“Thunderstruck” easily stands out as AC/DC’s highest-certified single in the United States, although others are catching close as it approaches diamond status. “Back In Black” is presently the band’s second-highest-certified song, having gone platinum seven times. Four of AC/DC’s most successful albums received new certifications from the organization as their singles evolved. Back In Black, their best-selling album, has been certified 26 times platinum, tying it with one of the Eagles’ projects for one of the best-performing titles in US history.
