Rachel Platten’s inspirational song “Fight Song” received its Diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) 10 years after its release, when sales surpassed 10 million units.
“Fight Song,” a song of perseverance written by Platten in 2015, joins the ranks of other 24 songs written by female composers that have earned the coveted Diamond distinction, joining Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Beyoncé, amongst others. Only 215 songs have achieved this honor, and “Fight Song” is one of only three tracks to have done so before being released by an independent record label.
Sony Music Publishing celebrated the achievement by throwing a party in Hollywood, California.
According to Erin D. D. Burr, RIAA’s senior director of business intelligence and analytics, “Rachel Platten released ‘Fight Song’ nearly ten years ago, and her hopeful lyrics like ‘a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion’ have resonated ever since,” Burr said. “Now, officially crossing 10 million units in the U.S. alone, the powerful anthem has earned her first RIAA Diamond certification.”
“Fight Song” was released in 2015 and quickly became an anthem for people around the world, used at charitable causes, sporting events, and political rallies, as well as by people telling their own stories of overcoming adversity.
Platten had actually composed “Fight Song” four years earlier, during a difficult period when she questioned whether she had a future in the music industry. After her grandfather’s death, Platten used the money he had left her to record the song with an independent producer.
Even though there were no interested record labels for the song, Platten chose to self-release it online, where she slowly garnered traction for her composition through TV appearances, hospital concerts, and word of mouth.
However, the song exploded in popularity in 2015 after a Baltimore radio programmer who had heard of his sister’s battle with cancer began playing it frequently and received a lot of positive feedback, which made “Fight Song” go viral and sparked a bidding war among several record labels.
