Marvin Gaye Earns A Long Overdue Music Industry Award

Forbes

06-05-2025

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' is certified seven-times platinum by ... More the RIAA, making it Gaye's most awarded single to date. American Soul musician Marvin Gaye (1939 - 1984) performs onstage at the Holiday Star Theater, Merrillville, Indiana, June 10, 1983. (Photo by) Getty Images
Throughout his storied career, Marvin Gaye scored many successful singles. He changed the sound of popular music in America. The multi-talented musician made pop music much more thoughtful and soulful, imbuing his work with a depth of meaning many other superstars couldn't muster, and he's remembered not just as a hitmaker, but as a true artist.
Decades after his passing and long after many of his most successful tracks were released, Gaye collects a very special award and sees one of his most familiar tunes reach new heights.
'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' Becomes Marvin Gaye's Biggest Hit
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has finally certified Gaye's 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' his collaboration with Tammi Terrell. Before May 2025, the song had never earned any gold or platinum plaques. But now, in one fell swoop, it has become a certified smash — not that it needed plaques to confirm its status as one of the more successful tunes of the late 1960s.
The collaboration went from no honors to becoming a seven-times platinum success story in one leap. That means the music industry organization has certified that it has moved at least seven million equivalent units between pure sales and streaming activity.
'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' Is Marvin Gaye's Third RIAA-Certified Track
'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' is just the third title from Gaye's discography to earn any kind of certification from the RIAA. Both 'Let's Get It On' and 'Sexual Healing' have been named platinum successes — although in multiple different iterations. So, the total number of units moved may actually be greater than just one million each.
Thanks to its new awards, 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' has outperformed all of Gaye's other certified tunes combined.
Marvin Gaye's Album Also Earns an Award
Seven of Gaye's albums have also been certified by the RIAA. The most successful among them, Midnight Love, is up to triple platinum status, with at least three million equivalent units moved.
A duet project with Terrell — his partner on 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' — titled United was also certified gold at the same time that the song earned its seven platinum plaques. Terrell has only scored her two wins years after she landed her biggest hit, but she finally collects RIAA honors.
Multiple Versions of the Song Have Found Success
Multiple versions of 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' became hits in America. While Gaye and Terrell turned the composition into a smash originally, and peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100, it lifted even higher later on. The Supremes and The Temptations teamed up for a rendition, and Diana Ross eventually turned it into her first solo No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1970.