January 9, 2025, TORONTO, ON: Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum certification program is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025. For half a century, the program has marked the milestone sales and streaming accomplishments of artists in Canada – making the distinctive Gold and Platinum plaques the most recognizable symbol of commercial success in the music industry.
Since 1975, the Gold & Platinum program has recognized popular music in Canada, providing a unique historical timeline of the music Canadians have loved over the past five decades.
“As we look back on 50 years of the program’s history, you can see the impact and reach of songs that defined generations, hit singles that captured the culture of the day, and all the ways that different technologies have influenced how we consume the music of our lives,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada. “There is no greater benchmark of success than a Gold & Platinum certification, because it reflects what Canadians listen to and love.”
In its first year, the program issued 27 Album and seven Physical Single certifications. The Program’s first-ever certifications, which were issued on August 1, 1975, were:
| Paul Anka | Anka | Platinum Album |
| Bachman-Turner Overdrive | Four Wheel Drive | Platinum Album |
| Beau Dommage | Beau Dommage | Platinum Album |
| Paul Anka | Feelings | Gold Album |
| Jim Croce | Greatest Hits | Gold Album |
| John Denver | Back Home Again | Gold Album |
| John Denver | Evening with John Denver | Gold Album |
| George McCrae | Rock Your Baby | Gold Album |
| The Guess Who | The Best of Vol. 2 | Gold Album |
| Paul Anka | “I Don’t Like to Sleep Alone” | Gold Physical Single |
The program has always reflected how people listen to their favourite songs and albums, beginning with vinyl albums and 45 rpm vinyl singles, then cassette tapes, CDs, digital downloads, ringtones, audio streaming and most recently, video streaming. As the industry continues to evolve, the Gold & Platinum program will grow alongside it and continue to celebrate the music that Canadians choose to listen to, wherever they choose to listen to it.
Today, the genres of music and the artists finding commercial success are broader and more diverse than ever before. In 2024, the program certified 1,025 Singles and 211 Albums, including:
| Benson Boone | “Beautiful Things” | Diamond Single |
| Tate McRae | “you broke me first” | Eight Times Platinum Single |
| Sabrina Carpenter | “Espresso” | Seven Times Platinum Single |
| Dax | “Dear Alcohol” | Double Platinum Single |
| Josh Ross | “Trouble” | Double Platinum Single |
| Koriass, Jay Scøtt | “Matusalem” | Gold Single |
| Preston Pablo | “Dance Alone” | Gold Single |
| Cameron Whitcomb | “Quitter” | Gold Single |
| Charlotte Cardin | 99 Nights | Platinum Album |
| Karan Aujla | Making Memories | Gold Album |
Music Canada will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Gold & Platinum program throughout the year with special events, playlists and presentations. And to officially mark the anniversary, each new Gold & Platinum program plaque presented in 2025 to artists and their teams will include a commemorative 50th Anniversary pin.
Follow Gold & Platinum on Instagram and X for weekly posts celebrating the program’s rich history, and contribute to the conversation with #GoldPlat50.
About Music Canada
Music Canada is the trade association representing Canada’s major record labels: Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada. Like its members, Music Canada is a partner to the industry, working with artists, independent labels, publishers, platforms, associations and others, in advancing forward-looking policies to ensure a dynamic and successful Canadian music ecosystem which returns value to music creators.
For more information:
Regan Reid
“Songwriters and music publishers have always played a vital role in the creation of Canadian songs that are heard daily on the radio, on streaming services, in video games, and on film and television productions seen around the world. We are proud to now have an award that specifically recognizes and celebrates the contributions of songwriters and music publishers to Gold and Platinum certified songs,” said Margaret McGuffin, CEO of Music Publishers Canada. 
Canadian country star Aaron Goodvin thought he was joining a standard Zoom meeting with his team at Warner Music Canada last week. With the help of his wife Victoria, the 2020 JUNO nominee and 2018 CCMA Songwriter of the Year Award winner was surprised with a virtual Gold award presentation for his single “You Are,” and it was all captured for his fans in a recording posted on the artist’s 
Music Canada