Historical Context
The Glenn Miller Orchestra was one of the most popular acts in the United States pre-World War II. Led by Glenn Miller, the band had several hit songs, such as "In the Mood" (1941) and "Moonlight Serenade" (1939).
One of these hits was "Chattanooga Choo Choo", a song about a train ride from New York to Chattanooga in Tennessee. The song was released on August 7, 1941, and was an immediate success.
The success of the song led RCA Victor, the band's record label, to issue the first ever gold record for sales of 1.2 million copies, in 1942. The gold record (along with platinum, silver and diamond) later became the standard certification for records of the Recording Industry Association of America. A silver record has sold 250,000 units; gold 500,000; platinum 1,000,000 and diamond 10,000,000.
Photo Info
Location taken: USA
Source: Nate D. Sanders Auctions
Related Events
- 1942-02-10 Glenn Miller and his Orchestra awarded the 1st ever gold record for selling 1 million copies of "Chattanooga Choo Choo"
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