RIAA Gold LP award for the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was released on June 2, 1967 and just days later on June 15 certified Gold by the RIAA for 500,000 copies sold. Amazingly, by 1975 or so when this award was made, the album remained only at the RIAA Gold level, despite certainly having sold millions of copies in the U.S. by that point. It wasn't until 1992 that the album was finally certified Platinum, and simultaneously 8x Multi-Platinum. This is because the label apparently did not submit to the RIAA the documentation required to prove those sales levels until then.
One of the most famous records in history, Sgt. Pepper established many firsts, from its recording techniques and instrumentation to being the first album to include lyrics printed on its jacket. It spent 27 weeks at #1 in the UK and 15 weeks at #1 in the U.S. and also went to #1 in virtually every other major music market worldwide.
It won four Grammy Awards in 1968 including Album Of The Year, becoming the first rock album to do so. In 2002 it was ranked #1 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. By 1997 it had been certified 11x Multi-Platinum and is estimated to have sold 33 million copies worldwide. See image for all the RIAA sales certifications of this album through the years*.
*Avoid paying auction fees/buyer's premiums by buying our RIAA awards here on our site before they go to auction. We take select RIAA awards to auctions a few times a year.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold LP award with all proper components for the era: Gold frame, gold disc and gold info plate
- In Good condition (see details)
- Second presentation award from sometime in the 1975 time frame
- Presented to Capitol Records, Inc. who distributed Apple releases
- Has been rebacked
- Known as a "floater" award because the components appear to "float" above the matte, they were made from 1975-1981
- RIAA "floater" awards numbered only 25-50 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures approx. 17" x 21"
- Beautiful and rare collectors item for any Beatles fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award must have been made sometime around 1975 given the album's 1968 Gold certification date and the fact that RIAA "floater" awards were made from 1975-81. All components appear correct and this award is presented to Capitol Records, Inc., who distributed releases of the Beatles' Apple label.
This award is approximately 45 years old and is in Good condition with some fairly heavy frame wear (the red primer shows through in numerous spots -- see example in detail image), some fading of the matte and some minor tarnishing of the record. The backing paper was tattered and taped when we received this award so it has been rebacked. However, the original backing paper has been left inside and simply covered over with the new backing paper to preserve originality. See last image which shows the original backing paper, which is still attached to the top rail and present underneath the new backing paper. While the original paper appears original and is appropriately aged, no manufacturer sticker was present. Some holes in the back sides of the frame can also be seen, which were due to side frame clips attached to the back of the award. These kept it straight and attached to the wall as was common in offices in the U.K., which is where this award came from. No holes are present on the front or sides of the frame.
Did you know the Beatles have more collector purchases of RIAA awards in the top 10 highest auction sales than any other artist? See the top 10 in our article here.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com