(Thread Jack)

Okay I seen this thread posted on another messageboard and I thought that it would be a good topic for dicussion. Im not sure how to exactly how to feel about the topic because I wasnt around back then.... BUT the OP did make some good points.

**THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS BUT SOMEONE ELSE***

LONG READ

"""Bad Album- 8 million in Us sales

Bobby Brown Don't Be Cruel Album- 8 million in US Sales

This amazing considering Michael was the biggest pop star in the world. That Bobby went album for album sales with him in the United States. Now I wont bring up internation sales, because Bobby isn't a international artist. Michael blew him out the water in that department.

Bobby did however steal the black audience from right underneath Michael's feet. The thing is Mike's dominance of black culture was during the disco era. Which was from the mid 70's to the early 80's.

Mike however fell out with black culture in the late 80's. Some of it attributed to the worlds ignorance about his viltigo disease. This skin change, made most folks believe he was trying to be quote unquote white. The racially ambiguous look and the rock & roll attire associated with the Bad album didn't help dispel this belief.

to




There are many more factors that play into the black audience moving towards other black artists such asBobby Brown, Al B- Sure for their R&B/POP fix.

That is the Keep it Real/Crack ERA of the late 80s. Not only did artists like Michael get replaced in urban culture as hero's/blockbuser music acts. But look at the change in the hip hop scene from the Disco era to the Keep it real/Crack era









To










Now




does this seem as appealing in the keep it real/crack era?




Now in a sense Mike gave Bobby the blueprint for how to market Dont Be Cruel. Michael was sexually provocative and very comfortable with gyrating, pelvic thrusts and other type sexually provocative gestures.

Bobby went from this

GIRLFRIEND

TO

EVERY LITTLE STEP

MY PREROGATIVE

As Michael a yr prior went from this

THRILLER

BILLIE JEAN

TO

TWYMMF

The thing is, Bobby was more tangible and realistic to black culture. Michael was everything but these things, he was always discribed as out of this word, an angel from above, phenomenon, genius and anything else out of the ordinary. But here was was going into the Keep it real/crack era and those things weren't what black audiences were looking for. Movies such as Do The Right thing were staples in the urban black america household. Not ET, Rocky and other unrealistic stories that plagued TVs in the early 80s.

Bobby came on the scene, as a fresh faced, edgy, good looking and sexually charged lightning bolt. Even his dances could be mimicked in urban clubs/school dances and be considered cool. He was much more tangible in the late 80's than Michael. His dances could be mimicked without the theatrics of glittery gloves, jackets & shiny shoes. Which means you could bust them out on your street corner, school dance and club all while being decked out in your Jordan 3's and dookie rope chains.
Not to mention Bobby was the golden face of the new crazy in black clubs and black radio. New Jack Swing!!!!!!!!


Dont think Michael didn't take notice of this. As he replace Quincy Jones with Bobby Brown's go to producer Teddy Riley. On The Dangerous album Michael went back to his R&B roots, making New Jack swing records such as Can't Let Her Get Away, Keep It in the Closet, Remember The Time,, Dangerous, Why You Wanna Trip On Me. All 3 yrs after Bobby Brown had just been the face of this sound/edgy hard R&B. The focal point of Dangrous was to get and grab his black audience back.

Prince did a similar thing with his Diamonds & Pearls album after neglecting black radio and black contemporary R&B with his late 80's work.

Not to mention look at the music videos of the Dangerous Album

JAM

New jack sing record with a rap interlude? Not very trailblazing Mike LOL. Here we no longer have the hard edge rock look, and Danny Devito video appearances etc. We now have Kriss Kross, Heavy D & Michael Jordan *who was urban america's GOD at the time* making big time cameos in this music video.

IN THE CLOSET

&

REMEMBER THE TIME

These 2 videos feature black supermodels in the height of their career
*not to mention Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy 2 other prominent black entertainers*

Bobby had already done this in 1988!!!!

ON OUR OWN

Bobby was a trailblazer and not only did he leave a lasting impact on black music & culture. But he left one on the King of Pop and altered how he did his next biggest album.

Much respect Bobby!!!!!""""

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Once again, these ARE NOT MY WORDS, I jacked this from another board. I just thought it would be a good discussion.

SORRY IF THE VIDS DIDNT POST OR THE PICTURES DIDNT SHOW... IM NOT GOOD AT THAT. I POSTED THE NAME OF THE VIDEOS OVER THE LIKE (THEY ARE ALL MUSIC VIDEOS)

Interesting...

[Edited 1/15/12 11:02am]

Bobby was just as crossover as Mike. He didn't get those sales from the black audience only. At the time, acts that had just a black R&B audience wouldn't have sold 8 million. If Bobby only appealed to the black audience, they wouldn't have had him do the theme song from Ghostbusters. George Michael was really popular with the black audience around the same time. George even won awards for "best R&B artist".

Mike has ALWAYS been down. Ask a lot of kids today, especially in the black community, and you'll see he's still accepted.

interesting commentary.I don't agree with all of it,but it's interesting nonetheless.

VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY INTERESTING.

Another thing that BBROWN has in common with MJ is the "growing up in the public eye" thing when no matter what hes done and how many times we make jokes everybody loves him and wants him to succeed. Very few artists has that.

Please use the MJ sticky which helps keep this forum from being flooded with MJ, thanks.