Miranda Lambert’s “The Weight of These Wings” Certified Platinum by the RIAA
Once again the sales record for one of country music’s critically-acclaimed artists is being minted in precious metal due to robust sales and attention from the public, even while country radio struggles to recognize its significant cultural impact. Officially verified on Friday (7-7), Miranda Lambert’s double album The Weight of These Wings has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for shipments of 1 million units. Copies of The Weight of These Wings count double due to the fact that it’s a double album—a format that often concerns industry types when it comes to the sales figures they may accrue due to the bigger commitment from consumers, but appears to have not held Miranda Lambert back in this case.
This is Miranda Lambert’s sixth Platinum album; all of her releases on major labels have resulted in Platinum sales. “The Weight of These Wings” also reached #1 on the Country Albums charts upon its release on November 18th, 2016, as well as #3 on the all genre Billboard 200. Miranda shares the Platinum distinction with a host of highly-regarded songwriters who contributed to the project, including Brent Cobb, Waylon Payne, Adam Hood, Shake Russell (Ricky Skaggs’ “You Got a Lover” and Clint Black’s “Put Yourself in My Shoes”), current Miranda boyfriend Anderson East, Jack Ingram, Ashley Monroe, Mando Saenz, and Jon Randall. The album was primarily produced by Frank Liddell.
Older country artists, more traditional country artists, and independent artists continue to perform well in album sales from the greater likelihood of their fans to purchase physical copies or download records in full to support their favorite performers as opposed to only streaming the latest single. Nonetheless, the RIAA has begun to factor in streaming data into their certifications, evening the playing field for single-based superstars. In February of 2016, the RIAA announced that 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video song streams = 10 track sales = 1 album sale, and still artists such as Miranda Lambert tend to outperform the field.
In mid June, Chris Stapleton’s From A Room: Vol. 1 became the first country album released in 2017 to achieve Gold status for shipping 500,000 units. Yet both Lambert and Stapleton have been struggling with a curious lack of support from country radio. Stapleton’s lead single “Either Way” was pulled from radio after stalling in the 30’s in the radio charts, and Miranda Lambert’s current single “Tin Man” is currently meandering at #36 and struggling to gain traction, despite Miranda performing the song on the ACM Awards where The Weight of These Wings won Album of the Year.
Prof. Farnsworth
July 9, 2017 @ 6:39 pm
Good news, everyone!
Cilla
July 9, 2017 @ 7:06 pm
Just to think back a yr. ago when Miranda decided to do a Double album,some folks were
very skeptical that it would sell as well as her past work. Well as they say “proof is in the song writing”. Miranda Lambert is a Song Writer as well as a good performer. SHE DELIVERS her
work live and people like it. Best work she does is WRITE about what She Knows. Her
Life,her experiences. IT WORKS EVERY TIME.
Mandy
July 9, 2017 @ 7:33 pm
Good for Miranda! Also out of the gate she sold more than 120,000+ physical albums on opening week. Look at other “superstar” acts they pull in maybe 40,000 if lucky. Miranda’s albums have always been some of my favorites & seems that there are many that agree. Buy albums people!!
seak05
July 9, 2017 @ 7:33 pm
Eh, ok…it’s a really good album and I’m happy for Miranda, but it’s sold 360,000 copies. It’s platinum because her label massaged the double album criteria (it doesn’t actually meet the length requirement).
Luckyoldsun
July 10, 2017 @ 1:10 am
There seems to be a lot of “gaming the system” with platinum certifications. Garth Inc. was the most aggressive with that. They’d package 6 of his old CD’s in a box, WalMart would sell the whole thing for $29; and then when the thing shipped 1 million, he’d get certified for 6 million. And they’d say he just passed the Beatles or something.
Bob Loblaw
July 10, 2017 @ 6:35 am
RIAA certifies for shipments, not sales.
Gabe
July 10, 2017 @ 8:34 am
Let’s agree to disagree because whatever criteria you have she will still come up short. Her streaming numbers are abysmal, combined with sales at most she should be around 450k but what would you expect now that Sony has lost their top female seller.
Trigger
July 10, 2017 @ 8:47 am
For the record, when a press release went out about this on Saturday, I reached out to numerous folks in the industry to confirm that “The Weight of These Wings” did in fact meet the criteria to be certified Platinum. When I first received the press release, I though it was wrong because I didn’t see enough sales for the distinction. That is when I was set straight, primarily because it’s a double album, and so each sale counts double. Not saying the system can’t be gamed by promotional deals, etc., but nobody is lying here. Besides, is this really some massive distinction that it’s going to sell her a ton of new records? It’s an interesting footnote for the album.
CountryCharm
July 10, 2017 @ 9:02 am
Can you find out for us if the 100 minute album lenght criteria is still a thing or did they do away with it?
Thanks.
seak05
July 10, 2017 @ 8:51 pm
It clearly went platinum bc it’s a double album & sales count as double (although country charm is right about the 100 minute length criteria). Yes, this is the same method that Garth uses to rack up his sales figures. I’ve got no problem with the album being certified platinum…but it’s still only sold 360,000 unites (and shipped prob slightly more). So I sort of think that’s important in how we analyze the sales (note sales are still good, without double album distinction it would still be gold).
seak05
July 10, 2017 @ 8:53 pm
(basically doing a double album is a risk in terms of actual sales…it’s not a risk for certification, for certification it’s almost always a boon).
CountryCharm
July 11, 2017 @ 8:35 am
So it seems there is a clause that If you put your album on vinyl it negates the length criteria which is what her label did. Just what I read not 100% sure of the source.
Trigger
July 11, 2017 @ 9:34 am
I’m not seeing any verification of a 100-minute length requirement for a double album. And frankly, I would see that as a bit excessive. Most of the albums I listen to come in below 50 minutes. Most labels want you to be over 30 minutes, but under 45. 50 minutes is a lot of music, and if you you look at all the old iconic albums regardless of genre, the vast majority are below 50 minutes.
Seak05
July 11, 2017 @ 8:31 pm
Trigger the 100 min requirement is listed here: under multi-disc & then requirements https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/about-awards/
Trigger
July 12, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
I’m looking into this…
seak05
July 12, 2017 @ 6:06 pm
I sort of assume that Sony knows the rules better than I/we do, and if the 100 min thing was actually going to be a hang-up for RIAA they’d have added a song, or something, to make up the 5 minutes (bc as we see for ease of certification, it makes it a lot easier to hit the RIAA benchmarks). It’s just interesting/not a great look since the 100 min thing is listed on the RIAA website.
Ivette
July 9, 2017 @ 10:00 pm
I am so happy for Miranda Lambert. She is an amazing singer/songwriter. If only the radio stations would play her music from The Weight of These Wings. There are some great songs on this album.
jessie with the long hair
July 9, 2017 @ 10:30 pm
I don’t really care. She’s good but not great. She’s don great work or near great work at certain points on a few songs but overall I just can’t seem to care. Not sure why. Sometimes it just be’s that way.
JohnS
July 10, 2017 @ 4:08 am
It was very much a rock album instrumentally–so I feel. I’m not a big fan of her either. Although I like a lot of her older work. I’m sure a lot of us feel that way or similar.
Francis M.Bitting
July 9, 2017 @ 11:51 pm
That is so,so good for you.You have bin through alot.Good luck with The Weight of this wings Album.
BroCountry Satan
July 10, 2017 @ 6:08 am
I’m happy she’s having success after her personal life had been previously exposed by that ass hat Blake Shelton. I hope he simultaneously gets fire ants in his crotch and both arms amputated.
Marky mark
July 10, 2017 @ 7:48 am
H, but there is a flaw in your logic. If he is flexible he could still kill the fire ants with his feet. Let’s hope for a full on quadraprlegiac situation so that the fire ants can do their work unmolested!!!!
Narcissie K. Menefee
July 10, 2017 @ 5:09 pm
Oh you are so funny I am lmao right now and that’s hard for me.
CountryCharm
July 10, 2017 @ 6:23 am
Her album went from not even gold to platinum overnight even though it doesn’t meet the 100 minute long criteria that makes it eligible as a double album?
Congrats I guess but this is like getting a medal for participating. Combined with her winning awards in years she doesn’t even do anything I’m sticking by my opinion that Miranda is a good artist manufactured to seem like a great artist.
Jennifer Lewis
July 10, 2017 @ 6:34 am
So proud and excited of you Miranda Lambert. Girl you have come along way and just this past year you have kicked Butt?. Just keep it going and DON’T let nobody stand in your way. Love you girl??
Vivian
July 10, 2017 @ 7:40 am
Still one of the best albums that came out in 2016. Congrats to Miranda!
Ann Dennis
July 10, 2017 @ 8:22 am
I am happy for Miranda , she is the best writer of Country stories and sings it too , since Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn . I love to hear her sing .
Yolanda
July 10, 2017 @ 10:36 am
Your awesome Miranda and very beautiful women. I just hope your over Blake. You deserve better. Just remember what he did to you he will do to Gwen and you will have the last laugh. I believe in Karma. Keep up the good music and i hope you and Anderson live happily ever after.
Christine Pfeffer
July 10, 2017 @ 11:24 am
Miranda ,Im a big big fan. Your songwriting is so soulful.
When you sing…. The angels are listening. Beautiful. Keep doing what you love . Cant go wrong.
Come to Omaha, I
SenorBB
July 10, 2017 @ 12:11 pm
Good for her! Taking risks and one of the only quality people in the mainstream.
“Blake, how do you like these apples?” haha.
Sadie
July 10, 2017 @ 12:51 pm
Wow some angry peeps in the board. Yes her album is platinum by new RIAA standards stop going after her. Good grief. Look at the actual albums from other albums that have been certified gold. She has out sold MANY albums in actual units & double album counts double sales. Look to Carrie’s Greatest Hits double album to see that this started years ago. Anyway congrats to Miranda. Personally I really ❤️ the album & still play it regularly.
sweet on stuart
July 10, 2017 @ 3:58 pm
The takeaway here is that she is doing something right. Radio is important but really, her longevity will be her “revenge”. She is setting up nicely for the rest of her career. I will continue to believe she has a Lucinda/Emmylou/Rosanne career ahead of her.
Maybe her next release will try for more radio play. We’ll see but she tried that a lot on the “Platinum” album and I’m not sure how successful tunes like Red Wagon fared on radio.
Corncaster
July 10, 2017 @ 4:54 pm
Miranda’s pretty, vulnerable, feisty, writes songs, and sings good. She’ll be with us a while, and that’s good. Make sure she plays with the best musicians.
Ayo Tunde
July 10, 2017 @ 10:48 pm
The album doesn’t feel like a double to me..all the songs are just so great maybe except for Pink Sunglasses… Would have love to have “You Wouldn’t Know Me” released has a single. Congrats to her. Please everyone go check out Little Bandit’s “Breakfast Alone” ,one of my best country albums of 2017 so far.
blue demon
July 11, 2017 @ 11:43 am
never heard about the 100 minute requirement for double albums but Exile on Main Street was 67 minutes. I could care less about the RIAA just hated to see their rules used to decide what a double album is hehe.
Gina
July 11, 2017 @ 11:31 pm
I’m happy for her. We need more talented women when get the recognition they deserve. She is talented and she definitely has an outlaw spirit. Definitely a badass lady who has been through it and come out the other side. On the personal side, I like Gwen but as Dr. Phil says “If he’ll do it with you, he’ll do it to you.” So yeah, Blake is not someone to be relied on.
Gina
July 11, 2017 @ 11:31 pm
More talented women who, I meant
Sherri
July 18, 2017 @ 9:05 am
I still love this album. It’s a shame “country” radio hasn’t recognized its greatness. For those who say Miranda is mediocre or not as talented as some of the greats, I’ve seen her perform in many different sized venues, with both full band and acoustic sets. She’s the real deal. The only thing I would like to mention is that in your list of songwriters who contributed to The Weight of These Wings, you left out a huge and very talented contributor, Natalie Hemby.
Julia Wills
July 19, 2017 @ 12:31 pm
I really think it degrades the platinum status by counting this album with two votes-or any album that is counted more than once. When I looked at this I was shocked because I knew she had sold about 360,000 units. That’s great, but not platinum .
Griff
January 27, 2018 @ 3:41 pm
Totally political and rigged. Used to really like Miranda but now she seems lackluster and contrived. I hate how her team manipulates every damn thing and how she’s always jumping on the latest bandwagon. I miss songs like Dead Flowers and I Just Really Miss You. The past three years she’s been meh. By the way, the 7/10 SCM gave the TWOTW was generous.