Drake Achieves Historic Milestones With 500 Million Units and Record-Breaking Billboard 200 Streak

Drake has just achieved two new milestones.

The Canadian rapper surpassed 500 million units, which was certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and set a new record for the most cumulative weeks charting on the Billboard 200.

Certifications from the RIAA reflect sales and streaming equivalents with one unit equal to one album sale, ten track sales, or 1,500 streams.

Drake has become the first artist ever to surpass half a billion RIAA-certified units, which includes albums, singles, and features.

By comparison, Drake's competitors- Rihanna and Eminem- have 166.5 million and 166 million certified units, respectively. The Beatles, perhaps the most famous rock group in history, have only 183 million accredited units to their name, compared to Drake's 500 million.

The "Hotline Bling" rapper has had a variety of releases since his 2009 mixtape "So Far Gone," which produced commercial singles, including "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful." Platinum-certified debut "Thank Me Later" in 2010 gave way to 8x-platinum second album "Take Care" 2011. "Scorpion" in 2018 became a 5x platinum project, and his 2025 number-one album "Some Sexy Songs 4 U," contributed to his total with bangers such as "Gimme a Hug" and "Nokia."

Longest Streak Ever on the Billboard 200

Aside from hitting the 500 million RIAA units milestone this year, Drake added a record-breaking count of cumulative weeks on the Billboard 200. His albums have racked up more than 1,500 weeks on the charts combined, more than The Beatles, who formerly cited similar numbers with over 1,300 weeks. Drake remains King of the Charts, with "Take Care" charting for 578+ weeks, "Nothing Was the Same" at 505 weeks, and "More Life" at 350 Weeks.

A Look at Drake's Rivals

This gives Drake the success that forces the kind of comparisons made to other heavyweights in the field, yet his figures are almost a world unto themselves. I

Despite having 13 number-one hits on the Hot 100, with Drake carrying 13 as well, Eminem only has 50 million certified album units — 450 million fewer than Drake. In terms of total units sold and time on the charts, Jay-Z is a distant second with 14 number-one albums.

Even the chart-busting innovations of this music world, Kanye West, pale in comparison to Drake's numbers. Even considering some of the most recognizable albums/resumes from the 2000s, Kanye's certified units sit under the 100 million mark, whereas his releases have been more spaced than Drake's.

In 2024, Kendrick Lamar had a very public feud with Drake — despite this, he's still managed to achieve impressive chart feats, placing very well with "Good Kid," "M.A.A.D City," which is currently more than 500 weeks on the Billboard 200. However, his smaller catalog of releases doesn't compare to Drake's massive and varied discography.

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Drake, Kendrick Lamar