Guns N' Roses RIAA Gold album award for their debut album Appetite For Destruction, which was released on July 21, 1987. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on Feb. 17, 1988 for 500,000 copies sold so this award recognizes the very first success of the album as its' sales just started to take off.
It topped the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and became 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 in 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 Gold album award with LP and cassette
- In VG condition
- Award made in 1988
- Presented to record executive
- All original with manufacturer label
- Award measures approx. 17" x 21"
- Known as a "RIAA flower hologram" award, they were made from 1986-89
- 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 Gold award that would have been manufactured in 1988. That makes it approx. 34 years old. It is presented to the Dave Garbarino who was a promotion executive at Geffen Records at the time of the album's release.
This award is in VG condition with a only a chip out of the bottom left side of the frame (not visible from the front), and otherwise only a mar or two on the frame and plexiglass. It has its' original backing paper with manufacturer's sticker from Fitzgerald Hartley.
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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