AC/DC is one of the bestselling rock acts of all time all around the world—and that’s especially true when looking specifically at the U.S. The band has the receipts to show just how successful they are–and now they claim one of the most coveted and impressive awards in the music industry, which also highlights their incredible popularity.
The Australian group earns their first diamond-certified single as “Thunderstruck” collects the honor. The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certifies tracks and albums once they hit certain consumption thresholds, and the organization recently named the smash a diamond hit.
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.
