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 ...
Live Aid Turns 40: Revisiting the Day Rock & Pop Tried to Save the WorldCan you believe it’s been 40 years since Live Aid? On July 13, 1985, the world witnessed a global jukebox like no other. Broadcast to nearly two billion people across 150 countries, this monumental charity concert didn’t just change music history — it tried to change the world. Now, four decades later, we’re still recalling with awe Queen’s electrifying set and marveling at how rock stars briefly became superheroes. The Day The World Tuned In Back in the mid-80s, famine ravaged Ethiopia. BBC...
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*...
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...
This Week In Music History Jan 27-Feb 9The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! JAN 30: Sadly, Marianne Faithfull passed away today at age 78. The English singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned over six decades rose to fame in the 1960s with the hit As Tears Go By, written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Andrew Loog Oldham. Known for her relationship with Jagger and her involvement in London’s rock scene, Faithfull became a symbol...
Top 10 Best Selling Soundtrack AlbumsEveryone has had the experience of loving a film soundtrack. Sometimes the music in a scene literally makes the movie. And some movie soundtracks have become epically successful, selling millions of copies. Here's a look at the top selling soundtrack albums of all time ranked by U.S. sales. Notably, other than a few massive-selling Bollywood soundtracks, this top 10 pretty much mirrors the world rankings as well. _________________________________________________________________________...
What Makes A RIAA Award More Valuable (Or Less)?People ask us all the time which awards have the most value to collectors, and what attributes make them most valuable. It first needs to be said, to mince a popular cliché, that value is in the eye of the beholder or, in this case, collector. And despite our main article photo depicting rising stacks of gold, collectors cannot depend on any collectible increasing in value. With that disclaimer out of the way, we'll take a stab at some advice given what we have seen in our own extensive n...
Those We Lost In 2023Some great musical talents left us in 2023 and it's worth taking a minute to remember them and the musical gifts they left us with. Many are missing here for sure and this is not meant to be an exhaustive list but here are many of the most notable deaths from last year in chronological order (name, known for, age, date of death, location if known, cause of death if known): Fred White, Earth, Wind & Fire 67, January 1, 2023 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Undisclosed causes Sebastian Mar...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2021 InducteesThe 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this fall in Cleveland, Ohio and today the organization announced their 2021 Inductees who are, (drum roll please...): Clarence Avant, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Carole King, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, Charlie Patton, Billy Preston, Randy Rhoads, Todd Rundgren, Gil Scott-Heron and Tina Turner. The Hall says to be eligible, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to induction. Foo ...
Looking Back: Artists We Lost In 2021After losing music luminaries in 2020 ranging from Charlie Daniels, Little Richard and Neil Peart to John Prine, Kenny Rogers and Eddie Van Halen, 2021 was also not a kind one for many. This past year many beloved music artists, instrumentalists, songwriters and arrangers, producers and engineers were also lost. Here’s a look at some of the notable music talents that left us in 2021, along with the date they passed (where known) and a brief description. Compiled with the help of website bestc...
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2021 NomineesAfter announcing that the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this fall in Cleveland, Ohio, the organization today announced their nominees for 2021 Induction who are Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, JAY-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, and Dionne Warwick. According to the Hall: "To be eligible for nomination, an individual a...
The Week In Music History: Dec 30, '18-Jan 5, '19The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com DEC 30 On Dec. 30, 1999 George Harrison and his wife Olivia were attacked in their home. An intruder broke in and stabbed Harrison in the chest resulting in a collapsed lung and minor wounds. Olivia had tried to ward off the attacker with a poker and a heavy lamp. The obsessed fan was later arrested.😲 Happy birthday to Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary (81), Mike Nesmith of The Monkees (76), Patti Smith (72), Jeff Lynne of ELO...
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 ...
Live Aid Turns 40: Revisiting the Day Rock & Pop Tried to Save the World
Can you believe it’s been 40 years since Live Aid? On July 13, 1985, the world witnessed a global jukebox like no other. Broadcast to nearly two billion people across 150 countries, this monumental charity concert didn’t just change music history — it tried to change the world. Now, four decades later, we’re still recalling with awe Queen’s electrifying set and marveling at how rock stars briefly became superheroes. The Day The World Tuned In Back in the mid-80s, famine ravaged Ethiopia. BBC...
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*...
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...
This Week In Music History Jan 27-Feb 9
The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com. Just a couple of highlights from this week in music history! JAN 30: Sadly, Marianne Faithfull passed away today at age 78. The English singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned over six decades rose to fame in the 1960s with the hit As Tears Go By, written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Andrew Loog Oldham. Known for her relationship with Jagger and her involvement in London’s rock scene, Faithfull became a symbol...
Top 10 Best Selling Soundtrack Albums
Everyone has had the experience of loving a film soundtrack. Sometimes the music in a scene literally makes the movie. And some movie soundtracks have become epically successful, selling millions of copies. Here's a look at the top selling soundtrack albums of all time ranked by U.S. sales. Notably, other than a few massive-selling Bollywood soundtracks, this top 10 pretty much mirrors the world rankings as well. _________________________________________________________________________...
What Makes A RIAA Award More Valuable (Or Less)?
People ask us all the time which awards have the most value to collectors, and what attributes make them most valuable. It first needs to be said, to mince a popular cliché, that value is in the eye of the beholder or, in this case, collector. And despite our main article photo depicting rising stacks of gold, collectors cannot depend on any collectible increasing in value. With that disclaimer out of the way, we'll take a stab at some advice given what we have seen in our own extensive n...
Those We Lost In 2023
Some great musical talents left us in 2023 and it's worth taking a minute to remember them and the musical gifts they left us with. Many are missing here for sure and this is not meant to be an exhaustive list but here are many of the most notable deaths from last year in chronological order (name, known for, age, date of death, location if known, cause of death if known): Fred White, Earth, Wind & Fire 67, January 1, 2023 Los Angeles, California, U.S. Undisclosed causes Sebastian Mar...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2021 Inductees
The 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this fall in Cleveland, Ohio and today the organization announced their 2021 Inductees who are, (drum roll please...): Clarence Avant, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Carole King, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, Charlie Patton, Billy Preston, Randy Rhoads, Todd Rundgren, Gil Scott-Heron and Tina Turner. The Hall says to be eligible, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to induction. Foo ...
Looking Back: Artists We Lost In 2021
After losing music luminaries in 2020 ranging from Charlie Daniels, Little Richard and Neil Peart to John Prine, Kenny Rogers and Eddie Van Halen, 2021 was also not a kind one for many. This past year many beloved music artists, instrumentalists, songwriters and arrangers, producers and engineers were also lost. Here’s a look at some of the notable music talents that left us in 2021, along with the date they passed (where known) and a brief description. Compiled with the help of website bestc...
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Announces 2021 Nominees
After announcing that the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this fall in Cleveland, Ohio, the organization today announced their nominees for 2021 Induction who are Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, JAY-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Rage Against the Machine, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, and Dionne Warwick. According to the Hall: "To be eligible for nomination, an individual a...
The Week In Music History: Dec 30, '18-Jan 5, '19
The week in music history brought to you by MusicGoldmine.com DEC 30 On Dec. 30, 1999 George Harrison and his wife Olivia were attacked in their home. An intruder broke in and stabbed Harrison in the chest resulting in a collapsed lung and minor wounds. Olivia had tried to ward off the attacker with a poker and a heavy lamp. The obsessed fan was later arrested.😲 Happy birthday to Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary (81), Mike Nesmith of The Monkees (76), Patti Smith (72), Jeff Lynne of ELO...
