Funny Record Award Incidents: From Dropped Awards To ExcessWinning a Gold or Platinum record is supposed to be a serious honor. After all, it means an artist sold enough albums or singles to earn a permanent place in music history. But behind many of those shiny framed awards are stories that are downright hilarious, bizarre, or completely unexpected. From awards getting dropped to rock stars abusing them in unusual ways, the music industry has produced countless funny tales connected to record awards over the decades. One story involves members of L...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 1This is Part 1 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 2 here. Certain places where people have enjoyed live music have become more than brick and mortar — they become mythology. The most iconic music venues are not just stages; they are proving grounds, cultural crossroads, and sacred spaces where movements are born. From psychedelic ballrooms to gritty punk clubs, these venues helped shape modern music history. Here are some of those places, in no particular order: Fillmore A...
This Week In Music History Feb 23-29The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! FEB 25: Today in 1943, George Harrison was born in Liverpool, England. The English musician, singer, and songwriter is best known as the lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as “the quiet Beatle,” Harrison played a crucial role in shaping the band’s evolving sound, contributing distinctive guitar work and increasingly sophisticated compositions as the 1960s ...
Music People We Lost In 2025While 2025 brought some great legacy moments, one example being the Black Sabbath reunion, it also brought some sad moments including the poignant loss of Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne in July, less than three weeks after the reunion concert. Ozzy Osbourne 1948-2025 Other major music figures lost this past year include Brian Wilson, the legendary co-founder and creative force behind The Beach Boys, R&B songstress Roberta Flack, Ace Frehley, original lead guitarist of KISS, known as “T...
Fantastic Collection Of Artist-Presented RIAA White Matte Awards: Updated 10/1/25Note: This article has been updated to indicate sold items as of 10-1-25 MusicGoldmine recently acquired a stellar collection of rare RIAA "white matte" record awards. For those not familiar, this type of RIAA awards are the rarest and most valuable of all RIAA awards. They were made from 1964 through 1974 in quite limited numbers for each title by only one company, the New York Frame & Picture Co. Also worth noting is that artist-presented awards are always the most valuable*...
Happy 85th Birthday, Ringo: Celebrating a Lifetime of Rhythm, Joy, and PeaceThis past week, on July 7, 2025, the world celebrated a remarkable milestone: the 85th birthday of Ringo Starr. Known across generations as the cheerful, ever-steady drummer of The Beatles, Ringo’s life and career stretch far beyond his Fab Four fame. His journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and an unyielding commitment to spreading peace and love. Early Life: A Hard Road to Stardom Born Richard Starkey in the working-class Dingle neighborhood of Liverpool in 1940, Ringo’s early ...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 2This is Part 2 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 1 here. Live music is as much about place as it is about sound. Certain venues transcend their physical structures, becoming cultural landmarks where history, artistry, and audience energy converge. Around the world, a handful of stages have earned near-mythic status—not just for the artists who’ve performed there, but for the atmosphere, acoustics, and stories embedded in their walls. Here’s a journey through some of the m...
February 1964: Beatlemania Hits America And Births A Cultural RevolutionLooking back 62 years ago this month, in February 1964 The Beatles arrived in the United States and ignited a cultural explosion that would permanently reshape popular music. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on February 7, greeted by an estimated 3,000 screaming fans. Their arrival marked the true beginning of the “British Invasion,” a wave of UK acts who would dominate American charts throughout the deca...
The MTV Era And The Birth of Music VideosWhen MTV launched on August 1, 1981, it did more than introduce music videos to cable television—it permanently transformed how artists were marketed, perceived, and collected. The MTV era marked the moment when sound and image fused into a single commercial force. For memorabilia collectors, it represents the birth of modern music branding: a time when visuals, fashion, logos, and video iconography became as valuable as vinyl records. MTV launched its MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, with t...
Do Artists Really Value Their Own Record Awards?In the music industry, record awards have been a barometer of success and a tangible symbol of achievement since they were introduced in the mid-50s. But do they mean much to the artists themselves? Most artists, even very accomplished ones, express appreciation for awards since they know they are a reflection of their fans buying and enjoying their music. As a result record awards continue to hold powerful meaning. Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum certifications—presented by organizations ...
Vintage Vinyl Is HotIs it about the occasional crackle and pop that lends a nostalgic note to your day? Maybe the liner notes and photos you can actually see? How you can hold it in your hand? Whether it's nostalgia for the records they used to listen to in their youth or the sound and feel, vinyl is big with music buyers and continues to get bigger. The burgeoning return of vinyl record sales has been well-documented in recent years. The RIAA reported in their 2021 year end recap that vinyl record sales g...
RIAA Awards Fans Can Buy: Are They A Good Deal?Official RIAA awards have historically only been made available to those who worked on the recordings in a creative, technical or marketing capacity. According to the RIAA: "Any artist, label or other affiliated party who contributed to an RIAA certified title (riaa.com/gold-platinum/) and would like to obtain a physical plaque, can do so." (Source: riaa.com, underline added). What about RIAA awards made available to fans? A trend that has seen some minor growth in recent years is for...
Funny Record Award Incidents: From Dropped Awards To Excess
Winning a Gold or Platinum record is supposed to be a serious honor. After all, it means an artist sold enough albums or singles to earn a permanent place in music history. But behind many of those shiny framed awards are stories that are downright hilarious, bizarre, or completely unexpected. From awards getting dropped to rock stars abusing them in unusual ways, the music industry has produced countless funny tales connected to record awards over the decades. One story involves members of L...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 1
This is Part 1 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 2 here. Certain places where people have enjoyed live music have become more than brick and mortar — they become mythology. The most iconic music venues are not just stages; they are proving grounds, cultural crossroads, and sacred spaces where movements are born. From psychedelic ballrooms to gritty punk clubs, these venues helped shape modern music history. Here are some of those places, in no particular order: Fillmore A...
This Week In Music History Feb 23-29
The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! FEB 25: Today in 1943, George Harrison was born in Liverpool, England. The English musician, singer, and songwriter is best known as the lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as “the quiet Beatle,” Harrison played a crucial role in shaping the band’s evolving sound, contributing distinctive guitar work and increasingly sophisticated compositions as the 1960s ...
Music People We Lost In 2025
While 2025 brought some great legacy moments, one example being the Black Sabbath reunion, it also brought some sad moments including the poignant loss of Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne in July, less than three weeks after the reunion concert. Ozzy Osbourne 1948-2025 Other major music figures lost this past year include Brian Wilson, the legendary co-founder and creative force behind The Beach Boys, R&B songstress Roberta Flack, Ace Frehley, original lead guitarist of KISS, known as “T...
Fantastic Collection Of Artist-Presented RIAA White Matte Awards: Updated 10/1/25
Note: This article has been updated to indicate sold items as of 10-1-25 MusicGoldmine recently acquired a stellar collection of rare RIAA "white matte" record awards. For those not familiar, this type of RIAA awards are the rarest and most valuable of all RIAA awards. They were made from 1964 through 1974 in quite limited numbers for each title by only one company, the New York Frame & Picture Co. Also worth noting is that artist-presented awards are always the most valuable*...
Happy 85th Birthday, Ringo: Celebrating a Lifetime of Rhythm, Joy, and Peace
This past week, on July 7, 2025, the world celebrated a remarkable milestone: the 85th birthday of Ringo Starr. Known across generations as the cheerful, ever-steady drummer of The Beatles, Ringo’s life and career stretch far beyond his Fab Four fame. His journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and an unyielding commitment to spreading peace and love. Early Life: A Hard Road to Stardom Born Richard Starkey in the working-class Dingle neighborhood of Liverpool in 1940, Ringo’s early ...
The Most Iconic Live Music Venues: Pt. 2
This is Part 2 in our series on iconic music venues. Check out Part 1 here. Live music is as much about place as it is about sound. Certain venues transcend their physical structures, becoming cultural landmarks where history, artistry, and audience energy converge. Around the world, a handful of stages have earned near-mythic status—not just for the artists who’ve performed there, but for the atmosphere, acoustics, and stories embedded in their walls. Here’s a journey through some of the m...
February 1964: Beatlemania Hits America And Births A Cultural Revolution
Looking back 62 years ago this month, in February 1964 The Beatles arrived in the United States and ignited a cultural explosion that would permanently reshape popular music. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on February 7, greeted by an estimated 3,000 screaming fans. Their arrival marked the true beginning of the “British Invasion,” a wave of UK acts who would dominate American charts throughout the deca...
The MTV Era And The Birth of Music Videos
When MTV launched on August 1, 1981, it did more than introduce music videos to cable television—it permanently transformed how artists were marketed, perceived, and collected. The MTV era marked the moment when sound and image fused into a single commercial force. For memorabilia collectors, it represents the birth of modern music branding: a time when visuals, fashion, logos, and video iconography became as valuable as vinyl records. MTV launched its MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, with t...
Do Artists Really Value Their Own Record Awards?
In the music industry, record awards have been a barometer of success and a tangible symbol of achievement since they were introduced in the mid-50s. But do they mean much to the artists themselves? Most artists, even very accomplished ones, express appreciation for awards since they know they are a reflection of their fans buying and enjoying their music. As a result record awards continue to hold powerful meaning. Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum certifications—presented by organizations ...
Vintage Vinyl Is Hot
Is it about the occasional crackle and pop that lends a nostalgic note to your day? Maybe the liner notes and photos you can actually see? How you can hold it in your hand? Whether it's nostalgia for the records they used to listen to in their youth or the sound and feel, vinyl is big with music buyers and continues to get bigger. The burgeoning return of vinyl record sales has been well-documented in recent years. The RIAA reported in their 2021 year end recap that vinyl record sales g...
RIAA Awards Fans Can Buy: Are They A Good Deal?
Official RIAA awards have historically only been made available to those who worked on the recordings in a creative, technical or marketing capacity. According to the RIAA: "Any artist, label or other affiliated party who contributed to an RIAA certified title (riaa.com/gold-platinum/) and would like to obtain a physical plaque, can do so." (Source: riaa.com, underline added). What about RIAA awards made available to fans? A trend that has seen some minor growth in recent years is for...
