The Petra Zone

How does artist get Gold albums today?With all of different ways of getting music. Before I think it went by sales.


In your view was Petra popular although not getting support from CCM? Especially around the late 80's-90's
Thank you

Artists, their labels, etc pay for the accounting/tracking of RIAA certification. It may or may not be worth it.

It is not hard to nail down sales today. Neilson SoundScan is still used. Returns are still tracked. The digital services provide quarterly and bi-annual statements. It IS hard to realize how many people have the music.

I won't give up any more info than this. I know of at least one record Petra had go Gold, but was not certified. This was because nobody paid for the certification, the distribution was handled by mutliple parties, and possibly it saved someone from paying royalties, etc.

Sure Petra was popular. They used to be known in the secular rock industry. Petra was the only Christian band prior to Stryper that secular kids would know and listen to.

I thought Beyond Belief was certified Gold? 500,000 albums moved is the barometer for an album going Gold.

DeGarmo and Key was played on MTV. I wonder if they were listened to in the mainstream market.

The Rock Cries Out and Beyond Belief were both certified gold by the RIAA. TRCO in 1998 and BB in 1995.

What would the other one be, Brent? Perhaps We Need Jesus?

It was a Volz/Star Song record.

Beat The System would have been my second guess.

I thought they had 3 GOLD ALBUMS Petra PRAISE THE ROCK CRIES OUT BEYOND BELEIF,and I don't remember the third? I thought it was WAKE UP CALL.

Brent you are a person to ask. Thank you

JMBJR72 wrote:I thought they had 3 GOLD ALBUMS Petra PRAISE THE ROCK CRIES OUT BEYOND BELEIF,and I don't remember the third? I thought it was WAKE UP CALL.

Brent you are a person to ask. Thank you

Actually, there are better people to ask. I know a little, that's it.

I emailed Bob about 5 years ago and asked what albums went gold and he wrote back and said 3 with a fourth about ready to go gold. He was not specific about which albums, but I always assumed it was these 3.(the fourth I don't know)

1. Beyond Belief
2. PP1
3. Beat The System

MPTY sold enough to be gold from what I have learned.

I feel MPTY was their best complete album only secondly to BB. It would not surprise me if it is the 4th.

This info is on jws.com. BB and TRCO are listed there. I'm not sure which other album you're talking about. Double Take, Wake Up Call, Unseen Power, and BB won Grammys.

petrafreak2009 wrote:This info is on jws.com. BB and TRCO are listed there. I'm not sure which other album you're talking about. Double Take, Wake Up Call, Unseen Power, and BB won Grammys.

Email Bob; He will gladly reply, but sometimes it takes a couple of days/weeks to get a reply. His replys are usually short and sweet and really most of the time does not fully ask your questions.

brent wrote:MPTY sold enough to be gold from what I have learned.

How about PP2? I thought that was close.

brent wrote:It was a Volz/Star Song record.

According to Christianity today your right!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/201 ... -rock.html