Kanye West released his seventh album The Life of Pablo on February 14, 2016. The album was released on streaming only, making it the first album to be RIAA-certified platinum from streaming alone, no paid downloads.
The Life of Pablo was available for purchase and download on his website, which accounted for less than one percent of the first week units, and the album met platinum conditions without considering his website sales.
The album was also the first streaming-only album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Charts. With over 3 billion streams worldwide, The Life of Pablo was certified platinum by the RIAA on March 27, 2017.
The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 59th Grammy awards but lost to Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book, which then became the first streaming-only album to win a Grammy.
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