Post by The Curmudgeon on Jun 2, 2009 17:25:49 GMT 2
(Warning - I've just realised I've written a fucking novel here)
Has there ever been two pop stars that are so closely related? Both became huge solo stars in the 80s (MJ started in the 70s as part of a group, of course), both had massive, genre defining albums, both are mysterious, eccentric figures, they're both the same age - and both MJ and Prince helped break black musicians onto MTV.
So who's the best? You'll notice that there's only two options here (no cop-out "they're both great" options on this website). It's not such an easy answer (although everyone I've ever asked has immediately went down the MJ route), so let's break it down in a few categories. Obviously sales and hit records are a no-go; MJ blows Prince out the water here, but then he pretty much blows everyone out the water. But at the end of the day - sales don't matter. Is Britney Spears a better artist than Bob Dylan because she's had more number one singles?
You could argue over who had the best patch in the 80s till you pass out; Thriller and 1999 were both released the same year (Billie Jean vs Little Red Corvette. Beat It vs 1999? Good luck with that decision) Although let's remember MJ didn't have another album out for 5 years, while Prince pretty much broke the mold with Purple Rain, then there was Around the World in a Day the next year(with Raspberry Beret and Paisley Park) and Parade after that (with Kiss and Girls & Boys).
1987 saw both Bad and Sign O' The Times released, and, again, it's another "either/or" when it comes to deciding the best record there. You've got Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel AND that awesome title track on one disc, while Prince's double album is forever labelled as not only his best album but one of the best albums ever made. Heads or tails - it's too close to call. But do keep in mind that The Black Album, another one of the Best Albums Ever - was shelved around this time and wouldn't surface till 1994)
So while Prince released 3 more records (Lovesexy - with Alphabet St), the Batman soundtrack and Graffiti Bridge (with Thieves in the Temple and New Power Generation), it wouldn't be till 1991 till MJ brought anything else out.
And the 90s is where, in my opinion, Prince steals the show from MJ totally. For while Dangerous had Black or White, precious little else is worth mentioning, while Prince's 1991 effort, Diamonds and Pearls, had the title track, Cream, Thunder, Money Don't Matter 2Nite and Gett Off all becoming hits.
And MJ would take another four years off while Prince released the Symbol album (with My Name is Prince and Sexy MF), the "death of Prince" Come album and the finally surfacing Black Album, it's not till 1995 where we can compare records again.
HIStory, then - a greatest hits set from MJ with another disc of new songs. And the new songs would become major smashes - Scream, Earth Song, You Are Not Alone and They Don't Care About Us. Prince released (my personal favourite album) the Gold Experience (Gold, I Hate U, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World) to good reviews but nowhere near the sales of MJ. Well, he didn't have a 20ft statue of himself floating down a river, I suppose. Oh, and it would be six YEARS before Mike releases anything else, not including a crappy remix album in 1997.
Not that Prince is in favour during those six years. In fact, he becomes (in the media's eye, anyway) a bit of a joke, releasing "Prince is Dead" records to poor sales and no interest. Chaos and Disorder followed the Gold Experience, and after that the triple(!) album Emancipation and the really rather poor Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (and the now v.expensive NPG Club only Rave IN2 the Joy Fantastic)
That was the 90s. 2001 saw Michael release Invincible, a poorly received album that didn't do half the numbers expected of it. First single You Rock My World (otherwise titled "I like girls and sex, no really, I do") was like a MJ parody, and the least said about disastrous (and last) single Cry the better.
Still, it sold better than Prince's Rainbow Children, but that was clearly never intended for radio play. A record that required about 10 listens to work out what the hell its all about, it was a bizarre, intriguing concept album that, while not making big bucks, certainly helped restore faith in Prince as an artist as the critics loved it. And it made Radiohead look like the Backstreet Boys.
And even though Prince released 7 more albums between then and now, Invincible would be MJ's last. So you can make your own mind up who wins out in the album stakes.
Then there's the actual musician side. While MJ can play some piano (and bongo's, I've been told, stop the press), the famous "all songs written, produced and performed by Prince) can be found on the majority of Prince records. While MJs hits can often be contributed to the production genius of Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley etc (and later the likes of R Kelly - I bet they had a few things in common, ahem) It's hard to imagine Prince letting anyone near his songs or saying "yeah.. I think it would sound better this way."
Nowadays, there is NO competition. Michael is a broken, ill guy who's re-released the same songs on different discs for about six years running, whilst Prince has released commercially successful, critically applauded records and made history by selling out 21 nights at the O2 in London (effectively selling out Glastonbury in under two hours). Prince still has IT. MJ clearly does not.
Finally, there's the pop star status of both. In today's climate of white-toothed grinning eager to please simpleton's from Cowell's conveyor belt being passed off as "pop stars", MJ and Prince look like something from another planet. And while MJ is easily more iconic than Prince (the glove, the moonwalk, the slanted hat, the Owwws), beyond that is a fairly tragic, lonely figure. Bubbles the monkey, the oxygen tent, the white skin, the plastic surgery, the sexuality, the fake marriage, the paying someone to have kids, the kiddie fiddling.. yes it's all very tabloid worthy, but it's not exactly the stuff heroes are made of.
Prince is one of the dying breed of celebrities that doesn't welcome the press into their lives. His associates and staff have to sign "secrecy" deals where they won't sell their stories to the press. So while he can be seen as "weird", there's precious little scandal about the guy, save for the name change stuff and the new found Jehovah's Witness religion. He does, however, seem infinitely more grounded and clued-up than MJ. I have live shows on CD that show a smart, funny guy who clearly loves the life he leads.
OK, I'm biased a little, but the reason I've written this much is to try and show a fully rounded argument, one you just can't present in person. MJ is (was?) a fantastic pop superstar - an enigmatic, ultra-talented guy who made amazing songs and inspired generations with his dancing.
But, and here's the crucial part - Prince is better.
But that's my take - what's yours? I've given you all a fairly unbiased career retrospective of both guys, and please don't feel any "loyalty" in choosing Prince over MJ just 'cos I worship the guy. I'll just ban you. Kidding, of course. I'm not THAT deranged that I can't accept someone rates one of the greatest, most popular, critically acclaimed popstars in the planet over another.
So - Prince or MJ? CHOOSE!
Has there ever been two pop stars that are so closely related? Both became huge solo stars in the 80s (MJ started in the 70s as part of a group, of course), both had massive, genre defining albums, both are mysterious, eccentric figures, they're both the same age - and both MJ and Prince helped break black musicians onto MTV.
So who's the best? You'll notice that there's only two options here (no cop-out "they're both great" options on this website). It's not such an easy answer (although everyone I've ever asked has immediately went down the MJ route), so let's break it down in a few categories. Obviously sales and hit records are a no-go; MJ blows Prince out the water here, but then he pretty much blows everyone out the water. But at the end of the day - sales don't matter. Is Britney Spears a better artist than Bob Dylan because she's had more number one singles?
You could argue over who had the best patch in the 80s till you pass out; Thriller and 1999 were both released the same year (Billie Jean vs Little Red Corvette. Beat It vs 1999? Good luck with that decision) Although let's remember MJ didn't have another album out for 5 years, while Prince pretty much broke the mold with Purple Rain, then there was Around the World in a Day the next year(with Raspberry Beret and Paisley Park) and Parade after that (with Kiss and Girls & Boys).
1987 saw both Bad and Sign O' The Times released, and, again, it's another "either/or" when it comes to deciding the best record there. You've got Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal, I Just Can't Stop Lovin' You, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel AND that awesome title track on one disc, while Prince's double album is forever labelled as not only his best album but one of the best albums ever made. Heads or tails - it's too close to call. But do keep in mind that The Black Album, another one of the Best Albums Ever - was shelved around this time and wouldn't surface till 1994)
So while Prince released 3 more records (Lovesexy - with Alphabet St), the Batman soundtrack and Graffiti Bridge (with Thieves in the Temple and New Power Generation), it wouldn't be till 1991 till MJ brought anything else out.
And the 90s is where, in my opinion, Prince steals the show from MJ totally. For while Dangerous had Black or White, precious little else is worth mentioning, while Prince's 1991 effort, Diamonds and Pearls, had the title track, Cream, Thunder, Money Don't Matter 2Nite and Gett Off all becoming hits.
And MJ would take another four years off while Prince released the Symbol album (with My Name is Prince and Sexy MF), the "death of Prince" Come album and the finally surfacing Black Album, it's not till 1995 where we can compare records again.
HIStory, then - a greatest hits set from MJ with another disc of new songs. And the new songs would become major smashes - Scream, Earth Song, You Are Not Alone and They Don't Care About Us. Prince released (my personal favourite album) the Gold Experience (Gold, I Hate U, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World) to good reviews but nowhere near the sales of MJ. Well, he didn't have a 20ft statue of himself floating down a river, I suppose. Oh, and it would be six YEARS before Mike releases anything else, not including a crappy remix album in 1997.
Not that Prince is in favour during those six years. In fact, he becomes (in the media's eye, anyway) a bit of a joke, releasing "Prince is Dead" records to poor sales and no interest. Chaos and Disorder followed the Gold Experience, and after that the triple(!) album Emancipation and the really rather poor Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (and the now v.expensive NPG Club only Rave IN2 the Joy Fantastic)
That was the 90s. 2001 saw Michael release Invincible, a poorly received album that didn't do half the numbers expected of it. First single You Rock My World (otherwise titled "I like girls and sex, no really, I do") was like a MJ parody, and the least said about disastrous (and last) single Cry the better.
Still, it sold better than Prince's Rainbow Children, but that was clearly never intended for radio play. A record that required about 10 listens to work out what the hell its all about, it was a bizarre, intriguing concept album that, while not making big bucks, certainly helped restore faith in Prince as an artist as the critics loved it. And it made Radiohead look like the Backstreet Boys.
And even though Prince released 7 more albums between then and now, Invincible would be MJ's last. So you can make your own mind up who wins out in the album stakes.
Then there's the actual musician side. While MJ can play some piano (and bongo's, I've been told, stop the press), the famous "all songs written, produced and performed by Prince) can be found on the majority of Prince records. While MJs hits can often be contributed to the production genius of Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley etc (and later the likes of R Kelly - I bet they had a few things in common, ahem) It's hard to imagine Prince letting anyone near his songs or saying "yeah.. I think it would sound better this way."
Nowadays, there is NO competition. Michael is a broken, ill guy who's re-released the same songs on different discs for about six years running, whilst Prince has released commercially successful, critically applauded records and made history by selling out 21 nights at the O2 in London (effectively selling out Glastonbury in under two hours). Prince still has IT. MJ clearly does not.
Finally, there's the pop star status of both. In today's climate of white-toothed grinning eager to please simpleton's from Cowell's conveyor belt being passed off as "pop stars", MJ and Prince look like something from another planet. And while MJ is easily more iconic than Prince (the glove, the moonwalk, the slanted hat, the Owwws), beyond that is a fairly tragic, lonely figure. Bubbles the monkey, the oxygen tent, the white skin, the plastic surgery, the sexuality, the fake marriage, the paying someone to have kids, the kiddie fiddling.. yes it's all very tabloid worthy, but it's not exactly the stuff heroes are made of.
Prince is one of the dying breed of celebrities that doesn't welcome the press into their lives. His associates and staff have to sign "secrecy" deals where they won't sell their stories to the press. So while he can be seen as "weird", there's precious little scandal about the guy, save for the name change stuff and the new found Jehovah's Witness religion. He does, however, seem infinitely more grounded and clued-up than MJ. I have live shows on CD that show a smart, funny guy who clearly loves the life he leads.
OK, I'm biased a little, but the reason I've written this much is to try and show a fully rounded argument, one you just can't present in person. MJ is (was?) a fantastic pop superstar - an enigmatic, ultra-talented guy who made amazing songs and inspired generations with his dancing.
But, and here's the crucial part - Prince is better.
But that's my take - what's yours? I've given you all a fairly unbiased career retrospective of both guys, and please don't feel any "loyalty" in choosing Prince over MJ just 'cos I worship the guy. I'll just ban you. Kidding, of course. I'm not THAT deranged that I can't accept someone rates one of the greatest, most popular, critically acclaimed popstars in the planet over another.
So - Prince or MJ? CHOOSE!
