Canadian rapper Drake has made music history by becoming the first artist ever to accumulate 500 million RIAA certification units, according to a new report from music data platform Chart Data. The achievement further solidifies his position as one of the most commercially successful artists of all time.
The milestone comes after the success of his recent collaborative album with PartyNextDoor titled “$ome $exy 4 U,” which became his 14th number one album on the Billboard 200 chart. This ties him with Jay-Z and Taylor Swift for second-most number one albums, behind only The Beatles who hold the record with 19.
Drake currently shares the record for most number one singles by a male solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 with Michael Jackson at 13 each. He also recently surpassed The Beatles for most cumulative weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. On streaming platforms, Drake leads all artists with 16 songs that have each surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify.
The Recording Industry Association of America certification considers album sales, song sales and on-demand streaming numbers. Drake’s consistent chart performance since his 2009 breakthrough has made him a mainstay in the music industry’s upper echelon. According to IFPI, he was the highest-selling rapper of 2024 for the 10th time in his career and ranked as the second best-selling artist overall behind Taylor Swift.
Industry observers note Drake continues to break records more than 15 years into his career, with 2025 expected to bring new music and touring activity from the Toronto-born superstar. His ongoing commercial dominance comes despite recent high-profile rap feuds with artists like Kendrick Lamar, which actually drove increased streaming numbers for both artists last year.
