Led Zeppelin Are Second Highest Selling Band In U.S. History

Led Zeppelin weighed in with 10 new multiplatinum certifications in November, according to the RIAA.

Current aggregate certified U.S. sales of 63.8 million bring the English band to No. 2 on the list of all-time best-sellers, trailing the Beatles, whose certified tally is close to 100 million. Led Zeppelin leapfrogged Garth Brooks, whose certified sales total 62 million.

Also logging new highs in November were Shania Twain's The Woman In Me and Mariah Carey's Music Box, which both topped the 10 million mark. Metallica's self-titled 1991 release also hit 10 million, leading a list of five of the band's titles to hit new multiplatinum marks in the month.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Is It True”

Brenda Lee | 1964

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter