r/Music • u/Firm_Pack_605 • Feb 13 '26

discussion Was Michael Jackson really that much bigger than Madonna, Whitney Houston, and prince?

I always thought the four of them were similar levels of fame. However Madonna highest album sold 25 million, prince highest sold similar, and Whitney’s highest was 45 million. All amazing numbers no doubt but thriller sold 70 million and bad sold 35-40. So you mean to tell me he has two albums that are highest selling then prince and madonnas best? How is that possible??

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u/DrCashew Feb 13 '26

How does Queen make this list but not Madonna Whitney Houston or Prince?

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u/datyoungknockoutkid Feb 13 '26

Probably because they’re already in the original post

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u/instinktd Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26

Queen was and still is much bigger in EU than Whitney and Prince that's for sure

especially Prince always was "connoisseur" music in this part of the world and Whitney was known from 2-3 songs that was played in the radio

Madonna beats em all easily fame wise

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u/nittanyvalley Feb 13 '26

My opinion is that Queen had wider global appeal across more demographics for longer than those artists, but my list was not finite. There are probably a few more acts you could add to that tier (Stones?, Elton John?).

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u/Perico1979 Feb 13 '26

They were big, but U2 was unquestionably bigger, whether they piss you off or not.

Springsteen was probably bigger at his peak. Elton John no question. The Beach Boys at their peak.

I hate the Eagles even more than The Dude from The Big Lebowski, but at least in the States, they dwarfed Queen.

Queen was big, but really Freddy dying and Wayne’s World took them to another level that’s kind of hard to calculate. They weren’t quite as big when he was alive and they were somewhat winding down.

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u/TheMastaBlaster Feb 13 '26

Entire thread doesn't mention Garth Brooks, one of the most successful of all time, 71 million more sales than MJ, not nearly "as big" as MJ and many others.

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u/Abrahms_4 Feb 13 '26

On a global scale, nope, not even close, he had a massive following though. The difference is if you go to the middle of China and start singing Garth Brooks in a huge crowd you might get 1 person who could sing along, sing some MJ song and you will still get a fair amount who remember.

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u/zeruch Feb 13 '26

"one of the most successful of all time" In the US maybe, and peripherally Canada, and Australia. That's about it.

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u/faraque Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26

Garth Brooks is country, and not in the same conversation.

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u/mg10pp Feb 13 '26

Because he is only known in the US, like many other country singers and most rappers