RIAA Gold 45 award for Elvis Presley's legendary hit "Jailhouse Rock", which was released on Sept. 1, 1957. The 45 rpm single quickly sold extremely well but interestingly Presley's label (RCA) did not file the appropriate sales proof required by the RIAA to get a Gold single until March 27, 1992.
In fact, the single was certified Gold for 500,000 copies sold, Platinum and 2x Multi-Platinum the same day in '92 once all the documentation had been filed. All this makes this somewhat more modern RIAA Gold record award actually the first award issued for this classic Elvis track.
Presley recorded the Lieber/Stoller-penned song while the film of the same name was being produced. It went to #1 in the U.S. and U.K. and today appears on many "best" lists, including Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" and in 2016 the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold 45 "flower hologram" award with gold frame, gold disc and gold info plate
- In Excellent condition with only a few minor scratches on frame and slight fading of the matte
- First presentation award estimated to have been made from sometime in the 1990s
- Presented to record executive
- Unopened back with manufacturer's sticker
- Award measures 13" x 17"
- Rare and beautiful collector's item for any Elvis fan
- FREE insured shipping to continental U.S.
- International shipping available
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold award is in excellent condition with only a very few minor scratches on the frame. It features an unopened back with original Creative Glassics manufacturer's sticker. It is presented to British record executive, radio personality and producer Don Wardell, who worked at U.K. and London Records and later in the USA on projects from artists including Elvis, Frank Sinatra, 10cc and many others.
This award is estimated to have been manufactured sometime in the 1990s, since, as mentioned, while the song was released in 1957 it was not certified Gold by the RIAA until 1992. This makes the age of the award approximately 28 years old.
Interested in knowing more about RIAA awards and what makes them great to add to your collection? Read our article here.
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