Imagine Dragons has joined an elite number of singles by attaining Diamond status, representing the equivalent of 10 million sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
The RIAA, like the Billboard 200, has begun taking streams and YouTube views into account when tallying digital song sales, because such activities should result in a small royalty payout to the performer. "Radioactive" has gathered more than 366 million streams during its few years on the charts, which combines with the song's 7.7 million downloads to reach the 10 million required for Diamond status.
Only four other songs have attained Diamond status using the new digital standards: "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga, "Baby" by Justin Bieber, and two tracks from Eminem..."Love The Way You Lie" and "Not Afraid." Only one song has ever sold more than 1 million copies as a physical single: Elton John's "Candle In The Wind/The Way You Look Tonight."
"Radioactive" proved that slow and steady wins the race in terms of music sales. The track never peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard 200, only getting as high as no. 3 during 2013, yet it also set the record for the longest streak of weeks in the Hot 100, at 87. The track also set the record for the "slowest" rise to the Top 5, taking nearly nine months to climb from the far end of the chart to no. 3. Along the way it managed to become the bestselling digital rock song of all time.
The bummer, of course, is trying to follow that up. The group's "Demons" peaked at no. 6 on the Hot 100 but you know that-even with the record for longest streak on the Hot 100-the band would feel a lot better with an actual no. 1 to add to the collection.
