Guns N' Roses RIAA 10x Multi-Platinum album award for their debut album Appetite For Destruction, which was released on July 21, 1987. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on Mar. 25, 1993 for 10 million copies sold.
This album topped the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and has become the seventh best-selling debut album of all time in the U.S. One could argue that "Welcome To The Jungle" changed music, ushering out "hair metal" and bringing a new, harder-edged strain of rock into the mainstream. The melodic guitar lines of "Sweet Child o' Mine" and anthemic "Paradise City" also helped power the album to RIAA certified sales of over 18 million by 2008. See image above for the RIAA sales certification data of this album*.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Platinum album award with LP and cassette
- In Excellent condition
- Award made in 1993
- Presented to A&R executive who signed GNR (read about all the Mötley Crüe and Guns N' Roses awards presented to him here).
- Reframed with glass front (not plexiglass)
- Award measures approx. 18" x 26"
- Known as a RIAA "R hologram" award, they were made from 1990-97
- Awesome collector's item for any Guns N' Roses fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This is a first presentation RIAA 10x Multi-Platinum award that would have been manufactured after 1993 when this style of RIAA award was made. That makes this award approx. 29 years old. The award is presented to Tom Zutaut, an A&R executive with Elektra and Geffen Records who famously signed Motley Crue, Guns N' Roses, Dokken, Tesla, Edie Brickell, Enya, and others. One of Zutaut's original Elektra Records business cards is included with this item. Read more about Zutaut and the other awards in this collection all presented to him here. Here is Zutaut with Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx in the 80s:
This award is in Excellent condition. It was made by Fitzgerald Hartley but its' original internal components have been reframed and its' plexiglass front has been replaced with real glass, making for clear, scratchless viewing of the award.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards: 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 20 to 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