Was Whitney Houston REALLY bigger than the singer Madonna in the '80s?

[Maxirad]

Can any CAF member tell me? The Material Girl was certainly more provocative!

 

[brian_custer]

they were about equal in their prime

i think madonna ciccone was raised as a catholic

whitney was an evangelical protestant

they both lost their way

whitney fell much harder and has passed on

god rest her soul

 

[Mike_from_NJ]

In kind of depends. As far as overall cultural impact, that has to go to Madonna. Girls in the 80s weren’t dressing like Whitney Houston. Houston’s music videos were popular but weren’t as monumental as Madonna’s were. If we’re talking “Q rating” they were probably equal, with Whitney having a broader appeal and generally positive opinion, whereas Madonna was more love her or hate her. I think Madonna made more movies than Whitney Houston but Whitney was far more popular in that regard (just on The Bodyguard alone).

As far as album sales and number one hits, my brief Wikipedia research (which may be wrong) shows Madonna having an edge in both categories.

 

[7_Sorrows]

They were sort of different performers. Whitney had a phenomenal voice that blew people away while Madonna liked to shock people.
You can’t compare the voices. Before she started doing drugs, Whitney had an extraordinary voice and talent. She was so blessed with beauty, talent and poise. She was inspirational.

 

[Ophelia23]

In my opinion, one can’t really compare the two. It’s like apples and oranges. Madonna certainly was popular and has had staying power in the industry, but I think her popularity has much more to do with shock value and performance arts. Whitney, on the other hand, was also incredibly popular but it had less to do with showmanship and much more to do with her vocal talent. Whitney could have outsung Madonna in her SLEEP. But Madonna could make the crowd say, “Did you just see that?? Did she do what I think she did??”

Totally different performers.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

Can any CAF member tell me? The Material Girl was certainly more provocative!

Madonna hands down. Whitney was about on par with Paula Abdul. Perhaps more popular with her acting, but Madonna not only blew all of that away but has managed to do so while living. Houston seems to have been boosted by an early death, making her memory a little biased.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

In my opinion, one can’t really compare the two. It’s like apples and oranges. Madonna certainly was popular and has had staying power in the industry, but I think her popularity has much more to do with shock value and performance arts. Whitney, on the other hand, was also incredibly popular but it had less to do with showmanship and much more to do with her vocal talent. Whitney could have outsung Madonna in her SLEEP. But Madonna could make the crowd say, “Did you just see that?? Did she do what I think she did??”

Totally different performers.

True. Who had the better vocals? Houston, for sure. Who was “bigger” Madonna. And while the title specifies the 80s, the 90s were also Madonna’s playground. On the female side, I doubt there ever has been anyone bigger than Madonna. She is indeed the MJ/elvis of the modern era.