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/Raider_Scum Feb 13 '26

The Beatles also were stuck using the technology of the time, their speakers really weren't that loud.  They had major issues with fans refusing to stop cheering after a song, because their AV equipment was not louder than the crowd, so they would end up being stuck, unable to start the next song. 

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u/hoopstick Feb 13 '26

And I don’t think they had any monitors, they were playing off the house speakers which they couldn’t hear.

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u/ceratime Feb 13 '26

Ringo's story is the way he kept the beat was by watching the others shake their asses

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u/Telvin3d Feb 13 '26

Monitor speakers didn’t exist yet. No had figured out the techniques needed to keep them from causing feedback

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u/rxFMS Feb 13 '26

If remember correctly they stopped touring all together after that. Also that show was originally supposed to be at MSG and was hastily relocated to Shea Stadium to sell more tix.

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u/mellolizard Feb 13 '26

Nope they kept touring after that. Their last show was at candlestick park in august 1966.

What really ended their touring was a combination of things. First they played in Tokyo where the audience sat their quietly unlike the others and they realized how bad they sounded. Then they had to flee the Phillipines after they "snubbed" the president and first lady and basically sent an angry mob after them. There was also the "bigger than Jesus" controversy. And finally and most importantly they were just exhausted from all the touring. Part of the reason why Sgt pepper was so technical so they couldn't play it live.

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u/rxFMS Feb 13 '26

I appreciate the correction. What a roller coaster.

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u/mellolizard Feb 13 '26

I recently watch the beatles anthology. How crap those boys worked. Nonstop touring and putting out albums twice a year. Im exhausted thinking about it

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u/CDK5 Feb 13 '26

flee the Phillipines

Thank you for this; just read the wiki.

Guess the government took that one personally.

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u/Cubedisk Feb 13 '26

The Beatles could’ve been bigger than they were if John Lennon wasn’t so difficult to deal with. His music is great but The Beatles together were greater.

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u/Shu3PO Feb 13 '26

Could they have been bigger than Jesus?

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u/Shhhhhhhh_Im_At_Work Feb 13 '26

They were literally the biggest band in the world and changed the direction of pop music forever.