Original: Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996 and subsequent RIAA certifications According to the RIAA , Rush 's sales statistics also place them fourth behind The Beatles , The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band .
Simplified: According to the RIAA , Rush 's number of sales place them fourth behind The Beatles , The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith for the most gold or platinum albums one after another by a rock band .