Rihanna Becomes First Female Artist to Exceed 200 Million RIAA Singles Certifications

Published April 16, 2026

Rihanna has made history in the music industry by becoming the first female artist to surpass 200 million singles certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), achieving a total of 200.5 million units despite not releasing a new album since 2016.

In the overall rankings, she holds the third position behind Drake, who has 277.5 million certifications, and Morgan Wallen, who has 215 million.

The RIAA equates 150 on-demand streams to one single purchase, a conversion that has allowed artists from the streaming era to dominate certification charts, surpassing legendary figures such as Queen and Michael Jackson.

Although Rihanna's last tour took place in 2016, she made a notable appearance at the 2023 Super Bowl halftime show and contributed songs to the soundtracks of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the Smurfs franchise.

Additionally, Rihanna has been dedicating several years to the production of her ninth studio album.