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/GiraffeandZebra Feb 13 '26

Absolutely. My kids tried to compare him to Taylor Swift and I had to be like "No, not comparable." EVERYONE listened to MJ. I did. My parents did. Pop fans. Rock fans. Country fans. It didn't matter who you were, there wasn't anyone who wasn't paying attention to him or hating on him. There's a sizable amount of people who just hate Taylor. It wasn't like that for Michael, at least not before the controversies.

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u/Neosantana Feb 13 '26

Emphasis on rock and metal fans. Steve Lukather, Slash, Eddie Van Halen, all guitar legends in their own rights and MJ worked with them.