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PrintableAll 3 were born in the Midwest, within months of each other in 1958. All 3 had difficult and traumatic childhoods...All three rose to superstar fame in the early 80s due to the then new medium of MTV and videos. Ok, so Madonna wasnt near as talented but she kept herself fresh n relevant, most of her music was pretty damn entertaining and fun..She worked her ass off, had great collaborations, etc. And i may be so bold to say that out of the 3 of them who denounced drugs, she has put her money where her mouth is and has lived a pretty clean and healthy lifestyle since the beginning... Lets face it people, shes healthy, happy and still alive whereas the other 2 of the trinity are gone. From drugs... "Almost all art is trying to become an anaesthetic and at the same time a healing session drawing up the magical electrics.” | |
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EmmaMcG said: RachB65 said: U2 was the shit in the 80s n 90s...Especially 1992's Achtung Baby. At one point or another I've had all of their albums (except the most recent one) but I just can't stand Bono's voice. A friend of mine, who is American, told me it's my duty as an Irish citizen to like U2. LOL. I know this is off topic but for me, the best the 80's had to offer was Prince, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. But not necessarily in that order. Im from and live in Freehold, NJ where Bruce is from. Ive met him a few times, hes come into my job, my childhood friend lived in the home he grew up in, his Aunt was my boss at one of my jobs as a teenager...So i never had put him in that same stratosphere cuz he was ALWAYS here and popular since the mid 70s...He was much more relatable, he was a star who didnt rely on the visual medium as much as the other 3..He doesnt have a flamboyant or flashy persona, he just is Bruce, who, like Prince, will jam for hours onstage and is a bandleader that P even had mad respect for... "Almost all art is trying to become an anaesthetic and at the same time a healing session drawing up the magical electrics.” | |
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Very good article. | |
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Great read even though some of those blurbs are questionable even if true. I love how the article pointed out how all 3 were from the Midwest, born in the same year and within the same season (technically, Prince was born in the spring but he was born in June so close enough). It's really incredible and almost surreal how even before the world knew their names that they had that kind of connection to one another, let alone grow up into the 3 most famous, influential and iconic legends of the 1980's and 3 of the greatest forces in the history of music. The article also noted that each one had flaws of their own whether it was from an outsider's perspective or from the mouth of MJ, Prince and Madonna themselves. They were all childish in a way (Michael especially) and it can be traced back to their abnormal upbringings. The only thing I didn't like in the article (and it's a relatively small one) is how one excerpt noted that one punlication considered Prince a critic's (true) while MJ was the "populist champ" as if he were someone who was lucky to become popular, knew it and pandered to the LCD to maintain his popularity. That rubbed me the wrong way but otherwise, I was entertained throughout. | |
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EmmaMcG said: RachB65 said: U2 was the shit in the 80s n 90s...Especially 1992's Achtung Baby. At one point or another I've had all of their albums (except the most recent one) but I just can't stand Bono's voice. A friend of mine, who is American, told me it's my duty as an Irish citizen to like U2. LOL. I know this is off topic but for me, the best the 80's had to offer was Prince, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. But not necessarily in that order. Yeah, when I was making my top 3, I was also thinking about Springsteen, but I included Kate Bush because she's a personal favourite of mine and U2 because they really were popular. Back then, I was in (the Dutch version of) high school and U2, Madonna and Prince were the most talked about artists. And if people talked about Michael Jackson, it wasmostly about him being a total freak show. I think those years between Thriller and Bad, when he only made the news with crazy stories, really hurt him. His image changed from boy wonder to boy weirdo. | |
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80s flashback: "Love Song" by Madonna and Prince (1989) | |
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I'd argue that the big 3 of the 80's was Prince, Mj and Lionel Richie, maybe even George Michael. Madonna does not belong in this group. FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent. | |
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Madonna, Def Leppard, Whitney Houston, Genesis, Phil Collins, Journey, Bruce Springsteen, & Bon Jovi sold more than George Michael during the 1980s. Maybe John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, & Guns n Roses too. Not counting Wham!, George only had one album in the 1980s and with Wham! only Make It Big was really popular in the USA, maybe Music From The Edge Of Heaven to a lesser extent. Fantastic, not at all. Madonna also had consistant Top 10 hits during that time, which Prince did not. You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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NorthC said: EmmaMcG said: I always felt that putting Madonna in the same category as Prince and Michael Jackson is ridiculous. Just because she had her commercial peak at the same time doesn't mean she deserves to be compared to Prince and MJ. Fame does not equal talent.
The thing about Madonna is that she showed that a woman could do it too. This is, as James Brown said, a man's world and I think Madge deserves some respect for that. And as for fame vs talent, I think Madonna has a talent for being famous. She always knew how to surround herself with the best and the hippest producers to keep her sound up to date. That's a talent too! And we are talking about the most famous acts of the 1980s, not the best, because then the top 3 would be Prince- U2- Kate Bush. (I just had to sneak Kate into it.  )I always said that Madonna's genius is that she owned her sexuality, through her music, her dances, the way she carried herself, etc. Too bad the female pop stars of today who are influenced by her don't realize the difference between being sexualized and owning your sexuality. [Edited 8/9/16 14:17pm] Love is God,
God is Love | |
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Double post. [Edited 8/9/16 14:17pm] Love is God,
God is Love | |
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Graycap23 said:
I'd argue that the big 3 of the 80's was Prince, Mj and Lionel Richie, maybe even George Michael. Madonna does not belong in this group. In the 80s,Madonna sold more records than Lionel Ruchie,Prince and George Michael.But that's not the only reason I consider her one of the big Three.Her iconic status in the 80s cannot be denied. | |
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My comments have nothing to do with sales. FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent. | |
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Graycap23 said:
My comments have nothing to do with sales. And that is totally subjective. If Prince, Richie and Jackson are your favourites, fine. But that doesn't mean they are more "talented" than Madonna or U2 or Bruce Springsteen or Kate Bush or The Police or Phil Collins or... Well, you get the picture. | |
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NorthC said: Graycap23 said:
My comments have nothing to do with sales. And that is totally subjective. If Prince, Richie and Jackson are your favourites, fine. But that doesn't mean they are more "talented" than Madonna or U2 or Bruce Springsteen or Kate Bush or The Police or Phil Collins or... Well, you get the picture. I get what you're saying here, everyone has their own idea of what's good. But is TALENT truly subjective? An example, surely nobody, not even her biggest fan, would say Madonna is more "talented" than Prince. They may prefer her music, but as an individual, she's not as talented as Prince was. He was a better musician, that's not just my opinion, that's fact. He technically had a better voice and wider vocal range. Kind of like how, technically speaking, someone like Mariah Carey has a great voice, far better than say, Andre Cymone. So I can acknowledge that she is a more talented singer, but I still prefer Andre Cymone's songs. | |
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Yes, I really do believe talent is subjective. I once read an interview with a tennis player (I can't remember who) who said: "I don't believe in talent. I believe in hard work." That probably was Prince's view too. Was he more talented than Andre, Jimmy Jam, Morris Day, or did he just practice more? I learned to play bass guitar in my 20s, but gave it up because I preferred drawing and painting. My teacher told me I was making good progress, but I decided to do something else. And now I'm getting into acting because a local theatre is organizing a play. So the way I see it, talent is a rough diamond and as you go through life, you shape it the way you want to. And of course, there can be things in life that stop you from reaching your full potential. (Sly Stone, anyone?) So, yeah, to me, saying someone is "talented", doesn't really mean that much. It's not about what you are born with, but about what you do with it. [Edited 8/9/16 16:17pm] | |
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When people mention the 1980s, they always mention Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, or Prince. But they forget the huge popularity of glam metal and hard rock. Van Halen had 2 albums sell at least 10 million in the US, both with David Lee Roth and Van Hagar was popular as well especially on Top 40. Jump even got played on Soul Train. Others went multiplatinum like Ratt, Cinderella, Warrant, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, AC/DC, etc. Motley Crue had a popular farewell tour recently. There were also acts like Huey Lewis & The News, The Police, ZZ Top, Heart, Pat Benatar, Billy Joel, Styx, Billy Idol, Billy Ocean, Kenny G, Loverboy, Boston, Tina Turner, etc who sold a lot as well. Power ballad era Chicago and REO Speedwagon was big too, probably more so than their 1970s stuff. You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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I agree with this. Also, Madonna was and is very smart compared to todays female pop stars. | |
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Lol!!! Yes he was! | |
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MickyDolenz said: When people mention the 1980s, they always mention Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, or Prince. But they forget the huge popularity of glam metal and hard rock. Van Halen had 2 albums sell at least 10 million in the US, both with David Lee Roth and Van Hagar was popular as well especially on Top 40. Jump even got played on Soul Train. Others went multiplatinum like Ratt, Cinderella, Warrant, Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, AC/DC, etc. Motley Crue had a popular farewell tour recently. There were also acts like Huey Lewis & The News, The Police, ZZ Top, Heart, Pat Benatar, Billy Joel, Styx, Billy Idol, Billy Ocean, Kenny G, Loverboy, Boston, Tina Turner, etc who sold a lot as well. Power ballad era Chicago and REO Speedwagon was big too, probably more so than their 1970s stuff. The fact that all the stars you mentioned were massively popular then as well only makes MJ, Prince and Madonna that much bigger. Unlike now where we have ants on top if the ant hill, those 3 were mountain lions on top of the mountain. The others have had their time on top to varying degrees and lengths but not like that of those 3 Midwesterners who were born in 1958. | |
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TonyVanDam said:
People remember Lionel, George and Phil but tend to undersell just how big they were at the time; Phil especially. [Edited 8/9/16 20:48pm] | |
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My impressions are that...
Springsteen was okay but he didn't dance, and the biggest impression he gave stage- and video-wise was the "tough- or sensitive-tough-guy" persona with his denim, leather, and muscle-tees; a limited range on the iconographic/fashion spectrum if we're talking about popularizing "style" sensations. * Michael, Madonna, & Prince, who were all about or actually the same age had simultaneously hit their stride (Michael's solo journey) in the 80s decade, which I think is the main reason that facilitates their bagging together with plenty of comparison between them by media and fans of the era, along with the added glue of mythic and real (economic) rivalries. * U2--a lot of people love them but I don't think we've seen many going around copying their sartorial style: you're wearing a bandana to emulate The Edge, or sunglasses to channel Bono? OK then! * Each of these top acts had their own thing going musically that was a bit different from what the others brought to the arena and this allowed for each's distinguishment among the Pop/Rock pack of the day. * Honorable mention: I have the feeling that one must not mess with mjscarousal's impression of MJ! * Now I have to read the article that destinyc1 posted, while Madonna's "Holiday" is still echoing in my head! | |
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They're the faces because the press made them so. Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, & Def Leppard albums sold more than Prince's 1980s albums not named Purple Rain. In recent years Bon Jovi has had some of the biggest selling tours. One of Def Leapard's albums (Hysteria) sold a little more or around the same amount of copies as Purple Rain and Born In The USA. So why isn't Def Leppard ever named as one of the big acts? The mainstream media today tends to make fun of hair bands like they make fun of disco and prog rock, so of course they're not going to make them the face. Elton John & Fleetwood Mac are more likely to be the face of the 1970s than the Bee Gees or Pink Floyd. A lot of the hard rock & glam rock bands sold well without a lot of Top 40 airplay, the same as 1970s bands like Pink Floyd, who also sold a lot of albums without getting a lot of Top 40 airplay or hit singles. [Edited 8/9/16 22:00pm] You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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I can believe this thought toward Michael being whispered about. Michael took his talents, experience, and excellence in R&B and continued extending himself increasingly farther into popdom until he would eventually fall off the edge of popularity as all the hot artists inevitably do. From what I've seen, Michael didn't seem to want to pull back in that regard. | |
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MickyDolenz said:
They're the faces because the press made them so. Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, & Def Leppard albums sold more than Prince's 1980s albums not named Purple Rain. In recent years Bon Jovi has had some of the biggest selling tours. One of Def Leapard's albums (Hysteria) sold a little more or around the same amount of copies as Purple Rain and Born In The USA. So why isn't Def Leppard ever named as one of the big acts? The mainstream media today tends to make fun of hair bands like they make fun of disco and prog rock, so of course they're not going to make them the face. Elton John & Fleetwood Mac are more likely to be the face of the 1970s than the Bee Gees or Pink Floyd. A lot of the hard rock & glam rock bands sold well without a lot of Top 40 airplay, the same as 1970s bands like Pink Floyd, who also sold a lot of albums without getting a lot of Top 40 airplay or hit singles. [Edited 8/9/16 22:00pm] True. The media rarely admits nor reminds people just how successful hard rock acts were even in the 80s and 90s. I think a lot of the "Michael-Madonna-Prince" hoopla comes from the fact that these 3 were the sharpest dressed motherfuckers of the 80s. They had distinct, unique styles and all were somewhat vain and very image-obsessed. So even when several acts were outselling/selling the same as them, they still were the FACE of the decade due to their working their asses off to cultivate thrilling personalities/looks. When people think of the 80s they think of glitter and sparkle and big hair and flashy outfits -- these 3 owned the fashion department so they always come to mind immediately. Their numerous hits helped too Maybe  do, just not like did before  | |
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That may be so, but whenever I see the mainstream showing 1980s fashion, I see Miami Vice mentioned a lot. I guess because everyday people could dress up as Don Johnson. You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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MickyDolenz said:
They're the faces because the press made them so. Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, & Def Leppard albums sold more than Prince's 1980s albums not named Purple Rain. In recent years Bon Jovi has had some of the biggest selling tours. One of Def Leapard's albums (Hysteria) sold a little more or around the same amount of copies as Purple Rain and Born In The USA. So why isn't Def Leppard ever named as one of the big acts? The mainstream media today tends to make fun of hair bands like they make fun of disco and prog rock, so of course they're not going to make them the face. Elton John & Fleetwood Mac are more likely to be the face of the 1970s than the Bee Gees or Pink Floyd. A lot of the hard rock & glam rock bands sold well without a lot of Top 40 airplay, the same as 1970s bands like Pink Floyd, who also sold a lot of albums without getting a lot of Top 40 airplay or hit singles. [Edited 8/9/16 22:00pm] Rock groups sold more than Prince and many other superstars of the time but that's always been the case since rock music has the most dedicated fanbase. We've discussed this before in another topic. | |
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I don't know about that because Prince's next movie flopped. Sort of like Desperately Seeking Susan was somewhat succesful, but most of Madonna's other movies didn't do much business. At least Elvis Presley's movies was popular at the box office up til a certain point. They had to be if the studios had him make over 30 of them. I find it interesting that some rappers have made a successful career as actors in a way Elvis, Prince, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Madonna & other singers couldn't and that the highest grossing biopic is about a rap group (NWA). In most of his movies Elvis was just Elvis, but that was because of Colonel Parker. You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
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Madonna changed pop music in the 80s and 90s through her songs, videos, tours and image more proving her talents time and time again. She's amazing! 3121... Don't U Wanna Come? |
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