Music Canada celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Gold & Platinum Certification Program at the JUNOS

In honour of the 50th anniversary of Music Canada’s Gold & Platinum Certification Program, we have teamed up with the JUNOS to create a truly unique ode to the albums and songs Canadians have loved most over the past five decades.

As JUNO-nominated artists and their teams walk the gold carpet at the JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada in Vancouver, they’ll be greeted by a 12-foot by 24-foot wall showcasing 50 Gold & Platinum-certified plaques – one from each year of the Program’s history. 

The Gold & Platinum Certification Program honours milestone sales and streaming accomplishments of artists in Canada. Fifty years on, the iconic plaques continue to be the most recognizable symbol of commercial success in the music industry.

Selecting 50 plaques to display at the JUNOS was no easy task, given that Music Canada has issued more than 30,000 certifications over the years. Our team scanned the archives and recent certifications, selecting one Canadian artist with a JUNOs connection for each year of the Program’s history. 

The final selection of 50 alternating Gold and Platinum plaques offers a unique snapshot into the variety of artists and music that Canadians have loved over five decades. 

“Each of the artists celebrated on this wall earned their Gold and Platinum certification because Canadian music listeners chose to buy their records, purchase their digital downloads, and stream their music,” says Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada. “As the voice of commercial music in Canada, we are proud to celebrate our Program’s milestone at the JUNOS – an event unlike any other – when the Canadian industry gathers to toast the incredible talent this country has to offer.” 

In addition to highlighting the work of great Canadian artists, the Wall also offers a look at how Canadians have listened to music. As the industry evolved, so too did the Program, certifying everything from physical singles, ringtones, and DVDs to digital downloads, audio and video streaming. 

It’s also important to note that the selected plaques include the certification as it was issued in the year specified – but many of these songs and albums have gone on to reach even higher levels of certification. 

As the Canadian music industry gathers in Vancouver to celebrate the 2025 JUNO Awards, we’d like to thank the team at CARAS for providing us the opportunity to shine a light on our Program. Be sure to check out our Gold & Platinum wall on March 28 at the JUNO Awards Gala, and follow Music Canada on social media for more.

Below, the 50 selected plaques that will be showcased: 

Year
Artist
Title
Certification

1975
PAUL ANKA
I DON’T LIKE TO SLEEP ALONE
GOLD PHYSICAL SINGLE

1976
ANDRE GAGNON
NEIGES
PLATINUM ALBUM

1977
DAN HILL
DAN HILL
GOLD ALBUM

1978
RUSH
2112
PLATINUM ALBUM

1979
TRIUMPH
TRIUMPH
GOLD ALBUM

1980
GINETTE RENO
JE NE SUIS QU’UNE CHANSON
DOUBLE PLATINUM ALBUM

1981
ROUGH TRADE
AVOID FREUD
GOLD ALBUM

1982
LOVERBOY
GET LUCKY
DOUBLE PLATINUM ALBUM

1983
MEN WITHOUT HATS
SAFETY DANCE
GOLD PHYSICAL SINGLE

1984
ANNE MURRAY
ANNE MURRAY’S GREATEST HITS
SIX TIMES PLATINUM ALBUM

1985
LUBA
LET IT GO
GOLD PHYSICAL SINGLE

1986
GLASS TIGER
THE THIN RED LINE
PLATINUM ALBUM

1987
K.D. LANG AND THE RECLINES
ANGEL WITH A LARIAT
GOLD ALBUM

1988
CELINE DION
INCOGNITO
PLATINUM ALBUM

1989
LEONARD COHEN
I’M YOUR MAN
GOLD ALBUM

1990
ALANNAH MYLES
ALANNAH MYLES
QUINTUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM

1991
LOREENA MCKENNITT
THE VISIT
GOLD ALBUM

1992
THE TRAGICALLY HIP
FULLY COMPLETELY
PLATINUM ALBUM

1993
BLUE RODEO
5 DAYS IN JULY
GOLD ALBUM

1994
BARENAKED LADIES
GORDON
EIGHT TIMES PLATINUM ALBUM

1995
ALANIS MORISSETTE
JAGGED LITTLE PILL
GOLD ALBUM

1996
JANN ARDEN
LIVING UNDER JUNE
QUINTUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM

1997
OUR LADY PEACE
CLUMSY
GOLD ALBUM

1998
SUSAN AGLUKARK
THIS CHILD
TRIPLE PLATINUM ALBUM

1999
DEBORAH COX
ONE WISH
GOLD ALBUM

2000
GREAT BIG SEA
UP
QUADRUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM

2001
SUM 41
ALL KILLER NO FILLER
GOLD ALBUM

2002
NELLY FURTADO
WHOA, NELLY!
QUADRUPLE PLATINUM ALBUM

2003
MICHAEL BUBLÉ
MICHAEL BUBLÉ
GOLD ALBUM

2004
SARAH HARMER
YOU WERE HERE
PLATINUM ALBUM

2005
KESHIA CHANTE
KESHIA CHANTE
GOLD ALBUM

2006
NICKELBACK
PHOTOGRAPH
PLATINUM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

2007
MARIE ELAINE THIBERT
COMME ÇA
GOLD ALBUM

2008
GREGORY CHARLES
I THINK OF YOU
TRIPLE PLATINUM ALBUM

2009
BILLY TALENT
BILLY TALENT III
GOLD ALBUM

2010
THREE DAYS GRACE
LIFE STARTS NOW
PLATINUM ALBUM

2011
KARKWA
LES CHEMINS DE VERRE
GOLD ALBUM

2012
DRAKE
TAKE CARE
DOUBLE PLATINUM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

2013
ANJULIE
YOU AND I
GOLD DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

2014
DOWN WITH WEBSTER
CHILLS
PLATINUM DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

2015
THE WEEKND
BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS
GOLD ALBUM

2016
RUTH B
LOST BOY
TRIPLE PLATINUM SINGLE

2017
SIMPLE PLAN
I DON’T WANNA GO TO BED
GOLD SINGLE

2018
LOUD LUXURY
BODY (FT BRANDO)
SEVEN TIMES PLATINUM SINGLE

2019
JESSIE REYEZ
IMPORTED (WITH 6LACK)
GOLD SINGLE

2020
JP SAXE
IF THE WORLD WAS ENDING (FT JULIA MICHAELS)
QUADRUPLE PLATINUM SINGLE

2021
CHARLOTTE CARDIN
PHOENIX
GOLD ALBUM

2022
TATE MCRAE
YOU BROKE ME FIRST
SIX TIMES PLATINUM SINGLE

2023
JOSH ROSS
TROUBLE
GOLD SINGLE

2024
KARAN AUJLA
ADMIRIN’ YOU 
PLATINUM SINGLE