By many metrics, “Baby Shark” is the most successful children’s song in the history of recorded music. Just a week ago, the song’s video surpassed Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” to become the most-viewed YouTube video ever. Now, the track has achieved yet another milestone, as the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) has declared the single is the only children’s song to ever achieve Diamond certification, meaning it has sold at least 10 million copies; “Baby Shark” is currently 11-times multi-Platinum.
Congratulations to @pinkfong_usa! #BabyShark is 11X Diamond + the ONLY
awarded children’s single in #RIAA Gold & Platinum
Program history
! pic.twitter.com/xHMe82Sof3
— RIAA (@RIAA) November 10, 2020
The RIAA website also indicates that “Baby Shark” is the only children’s music single to earn Gold certification or above. The only other release listed is Disney Lullaby Album, a 2000 release which achieved Gold certification in 2015.
The song is one of 26 to achieve Diamond certification in 2020. Other songs that joined the Diamond ranks this year include Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks,” John Legend’s “All Of Me,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” Pharrell’s “Happy,” The Chainsmokers and Halsey’s “Closer,” The Weeknd’s “The Hills,” Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” and, of course, “Despacito.”
Aside from all the quantitative data, the song has also earned love from people in all walks of life. Kids are clearly still playing the song on YouTube, and everybody from Coachella festivalgoers to Travis Scott have enjoyed turning up to “Baby Shark.”