Toby Keith’s music continues to make an impact after his death
The country music world mourned the loss of legend Toby Keith on February 5th, 2024. During his three-decades-long career, the beloved musician sold over 44 million albums, had 33 no. 1 singles, and earned countless awards and accolades.

Toby Keth’s musical influence only gained momentum after his death. In October, five of his iconic songs received new certifications from the RIAA. “I Love This Bar” and “Beer for My Horses” were certified 3x Platinum, while “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was certified 4x Platinum.

Additionally, his 2003 single “I Love This Bar” was one of the most-played bar songs in America, according to TouchTunes.

The RIAA grants five new Gold and Platinum certifications to Toby Keith

On December 16th and 17th, five additional Toby Keith songs received recognition from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“Cryin For Me (Wayman’s Song)” – GOLD 

“Cryin For Me (Wayman’s Song)” was released in 2009 on the album American Ride. The song was written as a tribute to basketball player and jazz musician Wayman Tisdale, who died in May of that year.

“American Ride” – PLATINUM 

“American Ride” was the title track of Toby Keith’s 2009 album by the same name. It was the only song on the album that he did not have a hand in writing. The song was also featured on Greatest Hits: The Show Dog Years one decade later.

“Trailerhood” – GOLD 

“Tralerhood” was released as the first single from the 2010 album Bullets in the Gun. The upbeat song celebrates the trailer park lifestyle and resonates with many of Toby’s listeners.

“Who’s That Man” – GOLD 

“Who’s That Man” was an early hit in Toby Keith’s career. Following its release in 1994 on the album Boomtown, it became his second no. 1 hit on the Billboard charts.

“God Love Her” – PLATINUM 

Toby Keith co-wrote “God Love Her” with Vicky McGehee. The song became his 18th career number-one after its release in 2008 on the album That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy.

How does the RIAA certification system work?

The RIAA is the trade organization responsible for certifying Gold, Platinum, and Diamond singles and albums. The distinction for each level is as follows:

1. GOLD – sale of 500,000 units
2. PLATINUM – sale of 1,000,000 units (increments of 1,000,000 thereafter)
3. DIAMOND – sale of 10,000,000 units

As the way we consume music has changed over the years, so has the definition of a unit of sale. Currently, each unit is counted as:

“Each permanent digital download counts as 1 Unit for certification purposes. 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams will count as 1 Unit for certification purposes.” 

These certifications have “come to stand as a benchmark of success for any artist.”

Listen to Toby Keith’s most recently certified Platinum single, “American Ride,” below!