Rihanna, The #61 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One above)

 Rihanna also collaborated with Maroon 5 and J-Status, and "Live Your Life", with T.I., was another of the big hits of 2008, jumping from 80 to 1, breaking T.I.'s mark of 71-1 set the year before with "Whatever You Like", for the biggest jump to #1 in the Rock Era.  The mark was short-lived, as Britney Spears rose from 96-1 the following week with "Womanizer".  

"Live Your Life" had three separate runs at the top spot, becoming just the fourth song of the Rock Era to do so, after Chic's "Le Freak" in 1978 and 1979 and Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" and T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" earlier in 2008.  "Live Your Life" also peaked at #2 in the U.K. and New Zealand, #3 in Australia and Ireland and #4 in Canada.  The single has sold over three million copies. 

Rihanna and Maroon 5 were nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "If I Never See Your Face Again" at the Grammy Awards and Rihanna was named Diva of the Year by the magazine Entertainment Weekly.  Rihanna once again was nominated for World's Best-Selling R&B Female Artist at the World Music Awards.

 Rihanna joined Jay-Z and Kanye West for the single "Run This Town" from his album The Blueprint 3.  It won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and sold over two million copies.

 

In 2009, she released the album Rated R.  "Russian Roulette" landed in the Top 10 in every major country, including #1 in Switzerland, #2 in the U.K. and Germany.  It also sold over two million copies.

 

The single "Hard" continued Rihanna's unprecedented streak of Gold singles from her studio albums, selling over two million units for the 13th straight to go over one million.  The song peaked at #8 in the United States.  Rihanna's streak was ended with "Wait Your Turn" failed to go Gold.

 

"Rude Boy" topped the U.S. chart for five weeks and hit the Top 10 in 22 other countries, including a #1 peak in Australia.  The single has topped five million in sales and received recognition as an Award-Winning Song at the 2012 BMI Pop Awards. 

 Rated R rose to #1 in Switzerland and has topped one million units sold in the United States and three million worldwide.  "Rock Star" with Slash also went Platinum.

The single "Te Amo" hit #9 in Switzerland and also sold over one million copies.

Rihanna won Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the American Music Awards for a third time.

 Rihanna helped Eminem on his album Recovery with the release of the single "Love The Way You Lie", a #1 song in over 20 countries.  With seven #1 songs, Rihanna was now fifth among female artists in the Rock Era.  The single has gone over 11 million in sales, making it one of the top-selling singles in history.

The pair were nominated for Record of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Short Form Music Video at the Grammy Awards.

 Rihanna released the album Loud in 2010.  "Only Girl (In The World)" raced to #1 in 15 countries and won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.  Rihanna earned the distinction of posting a #1 hit from five consecutive albums, as "Only Girl" registered over six million in sales.

"What's My Name" with Drake outpaced the first single and reached the top spot before "Only Girl (In The World)", marking the first time that an album's lead single reached #1 after the second.  When "What's My Name?" went to #1 in the U.K., Rihanna became the first female solo artist to score #1 songs in the U.K. in five straight years and the first woman in history to score four #1 songs in a calendar year. "What's My Name" matched "Only Girl" with certified sales of over six million. 

Rihanna helped out David Guetta on "Who's That Chick?", a Top 10 song in every country in the world except the United States, where it stalled at #51.  

Rihanna also collaborated with West for "All Of The Lights" on his album that sold over two million singles.  She soon switched management to Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management. 

Loud peaked in the Top 5 in every major country in the world.  Sales now top eight million worldwide.  "S&M", later remixed with Britney Spears, also hit #1 in the United States, Canada and Australia.  Less than five years after she began her career, Rihanna accumulated 10 #1 songs quicker than any other solo artist in the Rock Era.  She tied Janet Jackson for fourth among female performers.  "S&M" has gone over four million in single sales.

 Loud was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards.  "California King Bed" reached #4 in Australia and New Zealand and despite a peak of #37 in the United States, sold two million copies.

Rihanna also won an American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist.  "Man Down" rose to #1 in France and also sold over two million copies in the United States. 

Rihanna was nominated for 18 Billboard Music Awards in 2011, winning for Top Female Artist, Top Radio Songs Artist and Top Rap Song (for "Love The Way You Lie").  She was also nominated for Top Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Song, Top Radio Song, Top Digital Song, Top Streaming Audio Song and Top Streaming Video Song (all for "Love The way You Lie"), Top R&B Album, Top R&B Song (for "What's My Name?", Top R&B Artist, Top Dance Artist, Top Social Artist, Top Digital Songs Artist and Top Digital Media Artist.  
Rihanna was also nominated for World's Best Pop/Rock Artist at the World Music Awards.  The single "Cheers (Drink To That)" reached #5 in New Zealand, #6 in Australia and Canada and #7 in the U.S. and sold over two million copies.

Rihanna enjoyed great success on a worldwide tour, which was ranked as the seventh-highest-grossing tour of 2011.  She sold out 10 dates at the O₂ Arena in London.  The last three shows are featured in the video album Loud Tour Live at the O₂, released in 2012.

Catch Part Three of Rihanna tomorrow!