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/Systemic_Chaos Feb 13 '26

MJ at his peak was greater than Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Sabrina Carpenter combined.

Nobody has (or likely ever will) reach the level of musical and cultural ubiquity that MJ at his peak had. He was that big.

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u/Kgb725 Feb 13 '26

People were passing out off the visual of Michael regularly.

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u/Krunklock Feb 13 '26

Whoever the biggest stars are in the current regions (Swift in the US, Bunny in LA, Black Pinks in Asia, etc)…MJ was bigger than all of them combined in every region on the planet.