Is Taylor Swift the biggest music star in America since Michael Jackson?

[Steve Johnson]

Yes.

Btw @Protocol i haven't seen you here in so long. Where were u?  

[liam13]

12 minutes ago, Dr. Alexander said:

Michael Jackson was able to appeal to the Black and white demographic. That’s why he was so big in America.

 

Basing off of how white and beige her concert attendance is, Taylor is nowhere near being the biggest artist since Michael. 

 

Too unseasoned. Only appeals to white consumers. That’s her market.  Beyoncé is the biggest as she’s been able to build a foundation within both markets. 

pls

[Inhwan]

1 hour ago, Dr. Alexander said:

Michael Jackson was able to appeal to the Black and white demographic. That’s why he was so big in America.

 

Basing off of how white and beige her concert attendance is, Taylor is nowhere near being the biggest artist since Michael. 

 

Too unseasoned. Only appeals to white consumers. That’s her market.  Beyoncé is the biggest as she’s been able to build a foundation within both markets. 

* Acting as if Asians & Hispanic do not exist 

[Badgalbriel]

1 hour ago, Dr. Alexander said:

Michael Jackson was able to appeal to the Black and white demographic. That’s why he was so big in America.

 

Basing off of how white and beige her concert attendance is, Taylor is nowhere near being the biggest artist since Michael. 

 

Too unseasoned. Only appeals to white consumers. That’s her market.  Beyoncé is the biggest as she’s been able to build a foundation within both markets. 

Having black or white fans is irrelevant. The amount of records sold is what determines how big an artist is. 

[Yakult]

Commercially - yes.

 

Culturally - no. Though I’d say that has more to do with the fact people are listening to a more diverse selection of music now (compared to when MTV/TRL/radio had the country in a vice), than Taylor’s MOR sensibilities.

 

Hit songs just aren’t inescapable like they were in the 90s/00s. I feel like everyone knew a top 5 single back in 2008 or whenever, but these days there’s #1s even that don’t have that same omnipresence.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Yakult

[Feanor]

Yes.  

[Cbreezy]

No. 

 

And it's primarily because that scale of fame is essentially impossible to achieve or come anywhere close to in today's day and age. Not just from a sales perspective, either. 

 

Michael had and HAS a form of universal and most importantly cross-cultural reach and resonance that Taylor can't rival. 

 

He has every single base covered (old, young, Black, White, Pop, and everything in between) and crucially MEANS something to each of them at the apex level. I can tell you for free that, as a POC, there is not a single circle I've ever been in or close to that has given any kind of damn about "Taylor Swift". Know her? Yes. See her success? Yes? Give a damn? Hell no. She's wildly popular...globally huge...but I'd say she has a concentrated resonance with a hyper-specific audience (mainstream Pop lovers and dare I say *mostly* non POCs). Nothing wrong with it, but it's important to note.

 

MJ also crossed countless genres and thus picked up love, praise, and a diverse base from them all: Pop, R&B, Rock, and Dance. That is not Taylor's edit.

 

I'll go a step further and say that MJ's unparalleled status is rendered all the more impactful because he is a POC (spare me the jokes). To bulldoze barriers and be accepted as the  #1 above ALL as a POC (when those barriers were installed to keep you off that exact spot) makes the fact you made it there hit different on so many levels.

 

Taylor, by comparison, actually is the example of what Hollywood tells us is "supposed" to be aspired to and succeed (sound, image, aesthetic). That's not to minimize her journey or success, but it also means that it's impossible (IMO) to put her in the same convo as an MJ. As there are too many ways in which her flavor of success/impact can't compete. 

 

Also, IMO, today's music audience is hyper-fragmented. The Pop fans sit on one table, the R&B fans across the room on another, the Hip-Hop fans close to them (but not on the same table), and the Country fans way over in the corner. That all-encompassing mass audience that consumed music and musicians via the handful of mediums available in the 80s and 90s (like MTV) doesn't exist. As such, it makes it hard for there to ever truly be those universal, appeal-to-all, loved-by-all artists like the MJs and Madonnas ever again.

 

Perhaps controversial to post here, but I'd say the nearest we have to that is probably Beyonce...for much of the reasons I shared about MJ above.

 

Taylor's in her own lane and category and it's iconic and impactful in its own right. 

[TouchinFree]

Lol not even close. And not even before Taylor nor after. MJ's impact can only be compared to legends of other fields such as history, arts and social activists. 

 

Not even a fan of his . But his widespread musical reputation transcends generational attraction. His music is too powerful that each new generation is somehow well familiar with who he is, who he became. And who he was. Not to mention how interesting and intriguing his life is that every generation is able to discuss him.

[NEX]

4 hours ago, Trent W said:

I feel like commercially yes.

 

Britney was closer to him in celebrity and impact.

 

On a surface it appears to be so, but Taylor's is doing everything she can to avoid engaging with pop culture/paparazzi/doing interviews. Britney on the other hand was swimming in paparazzi, actively fueling the obsession with her as a celebrity. Even still, Taylor's celebrity reach is insane and permeated all sorts of layers of culture and society. 

[Nico Robin]

Swifties stop being obsessed with Michael Jackson challenge (failed)

Edited July 5, 2023 by TSwiftie

[Badgalbriel]

52 minutes ago, Cbreezy said:

No. 

 

And it's primarily because that scale of fame is essentially impossible to achieve or come anywhere close to in today's day and age. Not just from a sales perspective, either. 

 

Michael had and HAS a form of universal and most importantly cross-cultural reach and resonance that Taylor can't rival. 

 

He has every single base covered (old, young, Black, White, Pop, and everything in between) and crucially MEANS something to each of them at the apex level. I can tell you for free that, as a POC, there is not a single circle I've ever been in or close to that has given any kind of damn about "Taylor Swift". Know her? Yes. See her success? Yes? Give a damn? Hell no. She's wildly popular...globally huge...but I'd say she has a concentrated resonance with a hyper-specific audience (mainstream Pop lovers and dare I say *mostly* non POCs). Nothing wrong with it, but it's important to note.

 

MJ also crossed countless genres and thus picked up love, praise, and a diverse base from them all: Pop, R&B, Rock, and Dance. That is not Taylor's edit.

 

I'll go a step further and say that MJ's unparalleled status is rendered all the more impactful because he is a POC (spare me the jokes). To bulldoze barriers and be accepted as the  #1 above ALL as a POC (when those barriers were installed to keep you off that exact spot) makes the fact you made it there hit different on so many levels.

 

Taylor, by comparison, actually is the example of what Hollywood tells us is "supposed" to be aspired to and succeed (sound, image, aesthetic). That's not to minimize her journey or success, but it also means that it's impossible (IMO) to put her in the same convo as an MJ. As there are too many ways in which her flavor of success/impact can't compete. 

 

Also, IMO, today's music audience is hyper-fragmented. The Pop fans sit on one table, the R&B fans across the room on another, the Hip-Hop fans close to them (but not on the same table), and the Country fans way over in the corner. That all-encompassing mass audience that consumed music and musicians via the handful of mediums available in the 80s and 90s (like MTV) doesn't exist. As such, it makes it hard for there to ever truly be those universal, appeal-to-all, loved-by-all artists like the MJs and Madonnas ever again.

 

Perhaps controversial to post here, but I'd say the nearest we have to that is probably Beyonce...for much of the reasons I shared about MJ above.

 

Taylor's in her own lane and category and it's iconic and impactful in its own right. 

That's not the question. OP is asking if she's the biggest SINCE Michael. Not of she's as big as Michael. 

[Badgalbriel]

33 minutes ago, TouchinFree said:

Lol not even close. And not even before Taylor nor after. MJ's impact can only be compared to legends of other fields such as history, arts and social activists. 

 

Not even a fan of his . But his widespread musical reputation transcends generational attraction. His music is too powerful that each new generation is somehow well familiar with who he is, who he became. And who he was. Not to mention how interesting and intriguing his life is that every generation is able to discuss him.

That's not the question 

[TouchinFree]

9 minutes ago, Badgalbriel said:

That's not the question 

I will simplify it for you Badgalbriel: 

 

NO. Not ever. 

 

I hope that is clear enough for you. May the earth blesses you with a good day

Edited July 5, 2023 by TouchinFree

[Avenger]

No, Garerth something is there Eminem is there etc etc etc. She's definitely bigger but not the biggest after MJ.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Avenger

[Avenger]

1 hour ago, Badgalbriel said:

Having black or white fans is irrelevant. The amount of records sold is what determines how big an artist is. 

No, that also matters greatly it shows your consumption is widespread if just records sold is one factor then Adele with like 4 albums has sold more than 70M pure albums and she also debuted in the late 2000s. 

MJ appeal was for all groups, it's not close. 

[AxelFox]

Y'all gotta stop with these fallacious statements.

 

Especially in regards to miss Taylor swift. 

[Badgalbriel]

20 minutes ago, TouchinFree said:

I will simplify it for you Badgalbriel: 

 

NO. Not ever. 

 

I hope that is clear enough for you. May the earth blesses you with a good day

That's still not the question. You're comparing her to him. The question is if after him, she's the biggest in America. And she is. 

[Cbreezy]

36 minutes ago, Badgalbriel said:

That's not the question. OP is asking if she's the biggest SINCE Michael. Not of she's as big as Michael. 

Fair point. But I’d say much of my post articulates why it’s kind of a flawed question to begin with…and a total mismatch.

[SlowGinFizzzz]

Swiffers stop being delusional challenge. It takes more than just sales and streaming numbers to become a universal legend like MJ (as @Cbreezy excellently explained above). Nobody has ever reached or will ever reach his level (which to a certain degree also has to do with how much the media landscape has changed since his prime), but the artists that came closest to it are obviously Madonna and, after her, probably Beyoncé. 

[Badgalbriel]

10 minutes ago, Cbreezy said:

Fair point. But I’d say much of my post articulates why it’s kind of a flawed question to begin with…and a total mismatch.

It still a completely unrelated answer. She's not bigger than him. But she's the biggest SINCE him

Edited July 5, 2023 by Badgalbriel

[Badgalbriel]

2 minutes ago, SlowGinFizzzz said:

Swiffers stop being delusional challenge. It takes more than just sales and streaming numbers to become a universal legend like MJ (as @Cbreezy excellently explained above). Nobody has ever reached or will ever reach his level (which to a certain degree also has to do with how much the media landscape has changed since his prime), but the artists that came closest to it are obviously Madonna and, after her, probably Beyoncé. 

That's not the question. No one is asking if she's as big as him. 

[SlowGinFizzzz]

Just now, Badgalbriel said:

That's not the question. No one is asking if she's as big as him. 

Read the last sentence of my post and there's your answer. 

[Badgalbriel]

Just now, SlowGinFizzzz said:

Read the last sentence of my post and there's your answer. 

Your first 10 sentences are still completely unrelated to the question then. And Beyonce is not and will not ever reach the level of success Taylor Swift had in America. Madonna is still ahead for a few years. 

[SlowGinFizzzz]

2 minutes ago, Badgalbriel said:

Your first 10 sentences are still completely unrelated to the question then. And Beyonce is not and will not ever reach the level of success Taylor Swift had in America. Madonna is still ahead for a few years. 

My post only consists of three sentences overall, though, and I included the first two of them to illustrate why it's a flawed comparison in the first place, regardless of whether you think Taylor or Beyoncé is bigger. But again, other users have already explained that more eloquently and you still refuse to see the point, so I'll save myself the energy and settle for "agree to disagree".

[btoafy]

the solo Beatles

alltime billborad

she‘s No2 right now