RIAA Gold 45 award for Chic's hit "Le Freak", which was released on Sept. 21, 1978. The 45 rpm single was certified Gold® by the RIAA on Nov. 15, 1978 for 500,000 copies sold.
The track became the group's first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also reached the top spot on the R&B and Dance charts. It also hit #7 in the U.K. Billboard ranked it the #3 song for the year 1979 and in 2018 it was installed in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold 45 award with all proper components for the era: Gold frame, gold disc and gold info plate
- In Good to VG condition with typical scratches and some discoloration on frame (see image) and some fading of the matte
- First presentation award from sometime in the 1978-81 time frame
- Presented to Chic founder Nile Rodgers' aunt
- Has original backing paper with original manufacturer sticker
- 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 13" x 17"
- 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 sometime from 1978-81 since this "floater" style award was produced from 1975-81 and the recording was certified Gold in 1978. That makes this award approximately 40 years old. The award is presented to "Aunt Mabel," who was Chic founder Nile Rodgers' beloved actual aunt. She passed away in 2014.
Finally, this award is in Good to VG condition considering its age and has its original backing paper with New York Frame & Picture Co. sticker. It has some typical scratches on the frame and some frame discoloring. Other than that the matte is somewhat faded but otherwise the award is in great shape.
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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 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