Right on the heels of her social media record, being the first Twitter user to reach 100 million followers on the microblogging site, pop superstar Katy Perry has made another history after becoming the first artist in RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) Gold & Platinum Program history to earn three Diamond Song Awards.
Perry’s iconic song “Roar” has earned a Diamond certification surpassing the 10-million threshold counting song sales and streams in the United States following previously Diamond-certified songs “Dark Horse” and “Firework.”
This feat puts the singer just above Eminem and Lady Gaga, the only other artists to lodge two Diamond Song awards for “Not Afraid” and “Love the Way You Lie,” and “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance,” respectively.
Perry, who has already staged three concerts in Manila, the last being in May 2015, has endeared fans with numerous hits since she debuted in 2001. In retrospect, we are counting down the American singer’s other biggest songs that are also worthy of any record award.
“I Kissed a Girl”
In this song Perry dips her toes into the experimental sea when she kisses a girl after a night of clubbing (drinks are involved). She admits to liking it, but it isn’t anything meaningful. In 2008, Billboard announced that this song had officially become the 1,000th #1 US single of the Rock era, which began in 1955 when “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets reached #1 on what was then called the Best Sellers chart. The single stayed at No. 1 for 7 weeks.
“California Gurls” feat. Snoop Dogg
According to Perry, this ode to fun in the sun is her answer to Jay-Z’s tribute to New York, “Empire State of Mind.” In an interview, she said that she was inspired to write the song as she watched her friends go crazy at a party listening to the rap icon’s salute to his home city. This beach-friendly pop tune, which Perry co-wrote with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald and Max Martin (the same team who produced her first hit “I Kissed a Girl”), is the first single from her third studio album, Teenage Dream. It ruled US Billboard Chart for six weeks.
“Teenage Dream”
Perry wrote the lyrics of this song with Bonnie McKee, a singer/songwriter who released her own debut album in 2004 but found herself working on a string of Perry’s hits, including “California Gurls” and ‘Roar,” and “Teenage Dream.” Perry and McKee rewrote the song five or six times until Max Martin and Dr. Luke were satisfied. According to Billboard, the song was only the third Hot 100 #1 title with the subject matter of paying ode to teenage years. The other two were Mark Dinning’s 1960 chart-topper “Teen Angel” and Ringo Starr’s 1974 hit, “You’re Sixteen.” The hit song was No.1 on Billboard 100 Charts for two weeks.
“Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”
In one of her interviews in 2010, Perry said that she was inspired to write this track after running naked through a park. The Californian added that despite drawing from her own experiences in the tune, the raunchy threesome mentioned in the track didn’t actually happen. When this single climbed to #1 on Billboard Hot 100, Perry became the first woman, and second artist overall following Michael Jackson, to send five songs from an album to #1.