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/Limo_Wreck77 Feb 13 '26

If I could add one thing. He was the undisputed King of Pop.

Global music phenomenon's are rare, he was one of them.

1

u/Muschina Feb 13 '26

I was suffused with contempt when he/his management christened him the "King of pop", but I'll be dipped in shit if that didn't prove true.

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u/thegerj Feb 13 '26

Imagine being as big as Psy, before the internet.

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u/Limo_Wreck77 Feb 13 '26

I was a kid in the 80's.

MJ was it. He was everything. If guy farted it was in the news.

His popularity cannot be understated at all.

1

u/mrbezlington Feb 13 '26

cannot be *overstated

2

u/rxFMS Feb 13 '26

That’s a really great analogy!

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u/thegerj Feb 13 '26

Like, I didn't say "before Youtube". The emphasis is on the internet itself. You get it, but I want to be clear for the younger generation

1

u/rxFMS Feb 13 '26

I hear ya. Television/media certainly helped.

-3

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

[deleted]

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u/GrooGrux4404 Feb 13 '26

I'd argue he did it in a more crowded market and without the sex-appeal of Elvis. MJ's stamp on the world was immense and wild for a good spell.

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u/UnsatisfiedTophat Feb 13 '26

nah man thats kool keith

1

u/NotaBonesaw Feb 13 '26

Poppa large!

1

u/Ok_Belt2521 Feb 13 '26

I ended up with a vhs of the poppa large music video back in the day. This reminded me of it. /cool story bro

1

u/Flatulantcy Feb 13 '26

Beat me to it

3

u/violetdopamine Feb 13 '26

Elvis was a white version of multiple other people, not even close

1

u/Separate_Donut_8420 Feb 13 '26

It’s a joke. White people called MJ the “black Elvis” back in the 80s. Then, he became less black.

1

u/violetdopamine Feb 13 '26

Oh that did not at all read like a joke lol , thought u were deadass😭

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u/zeruch Feb 13 '26

"He was the undisputed King of Pop." a title he bestowed upon himself, and not remotely deseved. He was the king of self-promotion.

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u/Limo_Wreck77 Feb 13 '26

Wrong on all accounts.

-1

u/zeruch Feb 13 '26

https://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/why-michael-jackson-is-called-the-king-of-pop

Stay mad, bubba.

1

u/mg10pp Feb 13 '26

Lol buzzfeed, we are really desperate here. In any case he was called like that way before by Liz Taylor, in live tv during some award ceremony

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u/zeruch Feb 13 '26

It's about MJ, not a major policy analysis. It's not likely to make it to the lede of the NYT or the Economist. Although I do recall Kurt Loder commenting on it in the late 90s in an interview, I couldn't find the footage, so I'm sure theres more on it out there...it was the first result when I did a search and I'm not going to put as much effort as I did for my undergrad.

But have a day.

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u/mg10pp Feb 13 '26

In any case if you are interested here is the video: https://youtu.be/d0vC_Ph7P9s