The film Straight Outta Compton boosted the sales of the original N.W.A. album to such an extent that it has reached new sales heights.
The R.I.A.A. has certified the original Straight Outta Compton album as triple-platinum moving it up a level for the first time in 23 years. Originally released on August 9, 1988, the album was certified gold less than a year later on April 13, 1989. Three months later, on July 18 of the same year, it received its first Platinum certificate for sales of one million units.
The album hit the two-times Platinum (2,000,000 sold) on March 27, 1992 but it took the release of the N.W.A. biopic to push it over the three-million mark on November 11.
Straight Outta Compton is one of just two releases by veteran artists to receive R.I.A.A. certification in the period from November 11 to December 10, 2015 with the other being a Gold Record for the album Icon by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
This is the first time that an album from the Icon series, which gathers the biggest hits along with popular album cuts from major artists, to receive an R.I.A.A. certification.
For Skynyrd, it is their 48th certification since receiving a Gold Album for Second Helping on September 20, 1974. Their awards (including multiples):
Albums
Second Helping (Gold, Platinum, 2x Platinum)
Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (Gold, Platinum, 2x Platinum)
Nuthin’ Fancy (Gold, Platinum)
One More From the Road (Gold, Platinum, 3x Platinum)
Street Survivors (Gold, Platinum, 2x Platinum)
Skynyrd’s First…and Last (Gold, Platinum)
Gold and Platinum (Gold, Platinum, 3x Platinum)
Gimme Back My Bullets (Gold)
Skynyrd’s Innyrds (Gold, Platinum, 2x Platinum, 5x Platinum)
Boxed Set (Gold)
Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd (Gold, Platinum)
20th Century Masters: The Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd (Gold, Platinum, 2x Platinum)
Live From Steel Town (Gold)
What’s Your Name (Gold, Platinum)
Legend (Gold)
All Time Greatest Hits (Gold, Platinum)
Thyrty: The 30th Anniversary Collection (Gold)
Thyrty (Gold, Platinum)
Extended Versions (Gold)
Icon (Gold)
Single
Sweet Home Alabama (Gold)
Mastertone (Ring Tones)
Sweet Home Alabama (Gold, Platinum)
Video
The Tribute Tour (Gold)
Lyve From Steel Town (Gold)
Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve! (Gold)
Live From Austin, TX (Gold)
