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Rihanna’s commercial power is well-documented. Along with Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, and Mariah Carey, she’s a member of an elite club of artists with more No. 1’s than you can count on two hands. But she crossed an impressive new threshold today when the Recording Industry Association of America announced that she “has surpassed more than 100 million Gold & Platinum song certifications.” (The digital certifications align with the old physical standards, so Gold = 500,000 downloads; Platinum = 1,000,000.) Say goodbye to Mariah, MJ, the King, and the Fab Four—Rihanna’s the only person to ever do that. With that kind of influence, it’s not surprising that the singer also dominated last Sunday’s BET Awards without ever leaving her seat.
