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Is Madonna more visual than musical?


Guest seancannon

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Guest seancannon

After looking at all the 1000s of photos over the years and after looking at the calculating genius that has been her art in music videos and pan-handed magazine covers, do you think Madonna will be remembered for her visual artistry or her actual music? Does her visual image upstage her talent in being varied musically? Does one work against the other? Is this why she's had to work so hard to receive the artist achievement she did when she took him 5 grammys for ROL? Although I'm a huge fan of her music, I think it's a tough call to say which "art" means the most in terms of her legacy.

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I Would Say Visual.

The Music is Iconic, Catchy, and WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED!!!

But when I hear Madonna's Name, I usually don't think of a particular Song.

I think of an Image. Thats How I distinguish her career, through her Images.

The Wedding Dress, The short Blonde Doo, The S&M, the Cowgirl, Disco Queen, The Candy-Store Wrestler, so on & so on...

But the Music and the Visual compliment each other.

ex. "Like a Virgin" ,the song, Paired with the LEGENDARY VMA Performane made an artistic Smash!

So both are very important. I Just prefer the Visual (Music Videos, Performances, Photo Shoots, you name it).

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I think she d be remembered mainly as a musical icon. Her videos sucks since 2001, but she is still the queen of pop.

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Guest Pud Whacker

the music was first. its hard for some to understand because MTV came along. i had the madonna/madonna cassette but i had no clue until 7 months in and borderline came on MTV. so, her music will withstand but at the same time she is a visual artist. its all combined.

i was actually thinking the other day, without THAT FACE and the videos, would she have withstood the test of time?

holiday - cherish - yes

i dont think oh, father would have charted, at all.

after, i think some would and some wouldnt. but we cant remove the MTV factor. its like saying would marilyn be famous had she only done radio serials?

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I think she's BOTH and equally visual and musical. She wouldn't be the ultimate show woman she is on stage without both of those traits.

Excellent question Sean!

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Guest Pud Whacker
I think she d be remembered mainly as a musical icon. Her videos sucks since 2001, but she is still the queen of pop.

darling, videos suck now. its not that day. she will always be remembered as THE PREMIERE video artist. the best of the best.

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Pud, videos suck, but at least Rihana, Kylie, Justin are actually making some and if they make them, they invest more than her. I ll not excuse her LASINESS. NOt after Vogue, LAP, BS, TPOG, Frozen etc...

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Guest Pud Whacker
Pud, videos suck, but at least Rihana, Kylie, Justin are actually making some and if they make them, they invest more than her. I ll not excuse her LASINESS. NOt after Vogue, LAP, BS, TPOG, Frozen etc...

you dont have to excuse it, but dont forget those nothings you mentioned NEVER made a vogue, lap, bs, tpog, frozen, etc...

so - EAT IT!!!

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She has made some outstanding music in her time...if this were the late 90's I'd say she was equally talented both visually and musically...however her most recent work has been lacking in musical skill or ability (i.e. - 'Lard Shandy' which she Fed-Exed over to the most popular music producers of the moment in her absence).

She's resorted to being blatantly gimmicky with her recent visuals such as the OAP female boxer and the military/Che Guevara looks. At least the Satan's bride look for Like a Virgin was interesting and complemented the sexually suggestive pop music.

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the music was first. its hard for some to understand because MTV came along. i had the madonna/madonna cassette but i had no clue until 7 months in and borderline came on MTV. so, her music will withstand but at the same time she is a visual artist. its all combined.

i was actually thinking the other day, without THAT FACE and the videos, would she have withstood the test of time?

holiday - cherish - yes

i dont think oh, father would have charted, at all.

after, i think some would and some wouldnt. but we cant remove the MTV factor. its like saying would marilyn be famous had she only done radio serials?

very well put PUD! :thumbsup:

i feel that very early on in the game, she found that balance between visual & muscial,

and has managed to maintian that position by carefully utilizing both mediums.

However, we must also factor in that she is an intrigueing personality as well,

and by exposing her sassy & clever complex persona she has become eternaly captivating. :bow:

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Guest seancannon

I think she's definitely one that has relied on both image and sound to "create" the "image". For Marilyn it was just her look- she never depended on a song or movie to create the enigma. I just think Madonna's perfectionism has worked for and against her and people have simply become immune to not seeing her as an artist because her knack for shifting her image seems too calculating and thought out. I mean, if Madonna didn't have the super creative team around her- make up artists, set designers, image consultants/PR firms, etc., etc. I wonder how she'd orchestrate her evolution on her own accord? I mean, if we all earned the money she has over the last few decades, wouldn't we all be able to comfortably reinvent ourselves, too? :thumbsup:

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Guest Pud Whacker
I think she's definitely one that has relied on both image and sound to "create" the "image". For Marilyn it was just her look- she never depended on a song or movie to create the enigma. I just think Madonna's perfectionism has worked for and against her and people have simply become immune to not seeing her as an artist because her knack for shifting her image seems too calculating and thought out. I mean, if Madonna didn't have the super creative team around her- make up artists, set designers, image consultants/PR firms, etc., etc. I wonder how she'd orchestrate her evolution on her own accord? I mean, if we all earned the money she has over the last few decades, wouldn't we all be able to comfortably reinvent ourselves, too? :thumbsup:

i dont know, ask michael jackson, bruce springsteen, diana ross or any other popular artist with bank.

madonnas reinventions are innate. by the time she landed in new york from michigan to the time she signed with sire, she had already undergone many metamorphosis'. (and if you really want to do your homework, go research photos of her in michigan and youll see the same thing - PRE MONEY). anyway, from the first album to the second, different look. from there to true blue, different look. true bue to prayer, different look. and so on. she laid the template.

you see, heres the thing. when someone that potent and powerful comes along, everyone wants to monkey see, monkey do. pre-madonna, stars WERENT OBLIGATED to change the way they are now. its because of madonna. like it or not.

carol channing was always carol channing, mae west was always mae west. but after madonna, the press would say things about cyndi lauper and boy george (DUE TO MADONNA) like, oh they havent changed with the times. what times? its only been two years not two decades!!! :rotfl:

if madonna was a painter, she would have still made the cover of TIME in 3 years after being discovered. its her energy. because she was this potent and powerful being, it was after her that the world wanted to be a pop star.

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The thing is that Madonna never set out to be a musician. And it's apparent to me it was all about being "visual" for Madonna. Madonna came along just as MTV was busting out the seams. She embraced that and molded herself in this visually stunning artist. Along the way, she proved she could produce catchy tunes. But even in her earlier work when people didn't know her as well... before she exploded on the scene, it was about creating an image... a visual. We can definitely see that in many of her appearances before she became famous. Each time she came onto stage for these appearances, she always made sure she and her dancers would have this certain look and attitude. They all had orchestrated the dance moves down to a tee. The persona she was creating had this specific look (which ties into being visual) which eventually every girl and even some guys wanted to adopt.

As the 80's progressed, she made it more and more visual and used the music as a "soundtrack". At the time, VIDEOS were huge, so it was evident she would embrace that. But I must say along the way, she has managed to separate the music as well. And now that she's older, it's becoming harder and hard to be visual since people are having issues with her age. I don't agree with it, but it's pretty much a fact that most people seem to be disgusted at a 50 year old woman wearing the outfits and parading around on stage, accusing her of trying to be younger than she is.

For me, she's an over all entertainer. She'll always be VISUAL, and that is how many people will think of her. Lucky for her, she's had several iconic songs, so people very well may be able to hear the song before coming up with the image, but I think they pretty much go hand in hand when one thinks of Madonna!

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i dont know, ask michael jackson, bruce springsteen, diana ross or any other popular artist with bank.

madonnas reinventions are innate. by the time she landed in new york from michigan to the time she signed with sire, she had already undergone many metamorphosis'. (and if you really want to do your homework, go research photos of her in michigan and youll see the same thing - PRE MONEY). anyway, from the first album to the second, different look. from there to true blue, different look. true bue to prayer, different look. and so on. she laid the template.

you see, heres the thing. when someone that potent and powerful comes along, everyone wants to monkey see, monkey do. pre-madonna, stars WERENT OBLIGATED to change the way they are now. its because of madonna. like it or not.

carol channing was always carol channing, mae west was always mae west. but after madonna, the press would say things about cyndi lauper and boy george (DUE TO MADONNA) like, oh they havent changed with the times. what times? its only been two years not two decades!!! :rotfl:

if madonna was a painter, she would have still made the cover of TIME in 3 years after being discovered. its her energy. because she was this potent and powerful being, it was after her that the world wanted to be a pop star.

loon!

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Guest Pud Whacker
The thing is that Madonna never set out to be a musician. And it's apparent to me it was all about being "visual" for Madonna. Madonna came along just as MTV was busting out the seams. She embraced that and molded herself in this visually stunning artist. Along the way, she proved she could produce catchy tunes. But even in her earlier work when people didn't know her as well... before she exploded on the scene, it was about creating an image... a visual. We can definitely see that in many of her appearances before she became famous. Each time she came onto stage for these appearances, she always made sure she and her dancers would have this certain look and attitude. They all had orchestrated the dance moves down to a tee. The persona she was creating had this specific look (which ties into being visual) which eventually every girl and even some guys wanted to adopt.

As the 80's progressed, she made it more and more visual and used the music as a "soundtrack". At the time, VIDEOS were huge, so it was evident she would embrace that. But I must say along the way, she has managed to separate the music as well. And now that she's older, it's becoming harder and hard to be visual since people are having issues with her age. I don't agree with it, but it's pretty much a fact that most people seem to be disgusted at a 50 year old woman wearing the outfits and parading around on stage, accusing her of trying to be younger than she is.

For me, she's an over all entertainer. She'll always be VISUAL, and that is how many people will think of her. Lucky for her, she's had several iconic songs, so people very well may be able to hear the song before coming up with the image, but I think they pretty much go hand in hand when one thinks of Madonna!

yes, she was a dancer and then found her voice and realized she had more to express than just body movement. dancers are visual.

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yes, she was a dancer and then found her voice and realized she had more to express than just body movement. dancers are visual.

I actually agree and with your above comments as well regarding her being quite "potent and powerful" and she paved way for future entertainers.

I often wonder if her agenda in the early days when wanting to dance was to go on broadway and get into movies. She tells it as if it just all fell into place and I guess it did, but she did some productions at school too, so I wonder if dancing was just more of an excuse to get to New York and do something more.

But no doubt her ambition and determination to be someone famous was the real key here. She was looking for an outlet and it's possible that she really did know exactly what she was going to do, but she was determined to be big at something.

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Guest seancannon

I agree with what most of you are saying, and above and foremost, there will only be one MADONNA. Never again will such a force of nature enter the world with such tenacity, such conviction, and such drive. NEVER.

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Guest Pud Whacker
There will only be one MADONNA. Never again will such a force of nature entire the world with such tenacity, such conviction, and such drive. NEVER.

yes, exactly. THE NEXT MADONNA (a powerful otherworldly creation) will enter an entirely different field. it will not come from music.

just as there has never been another monroe in film.

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Without the visual side Madonna would not be where she is today. She has not got a good voice but in the young days ie the Virgin Tour she had this energy which makes you enjoy the whole experience. She has had to rely on visual images very heavily to put her point across ie in a bridal dress, burning crosses, sexual activity. The tunes are great but they would be nothing without the video.

Watching Madonna perform its not the voice your impressed by, nor the fact that she may play an instrument but the spectacle that will put on.

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Guest Johnkm

She is a mix of the 2, for example Hung Up is as much about the song as it is about the pink leotard. But the likes of Dont Tell Me is remembered more for her walking down the road as the cowboy than the actual song.

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Guest Coked Up Baby Boy

Visual.

It doesn't matter what came first, fact is, it's the image of her that people will remember before her music. That isn't a bad thing either.

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Without the visual side Madonna would not be where she is today. She has not got a good voice but in the young days ie the Virgin Tour she had this energy which makes you enjoy the whole experience. She has had to rely on visual images very heavily to put her point across ie in a bridal dress, burning crosses, sexual activity. The tunes are great but they would be nothing without the video.

Watching Madonna perform its not the voice your impressed by, nor the fact that she may play an instrument but the spectacle that will put on.

thankfully thats your opinion!

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Guest bluejean

Part of Madonna's longevity is based upon growing as an artist and doing great music that has wide appeal.

But I think she will be remembered more for visual artistry. She will be celebrated as one of the most iconic and charismatic performers of all time.

Great pop songs come and go, as do the pop stars that sing them. But it is Madonna's energy and charisma that has made her huge. It's the same for Elvis and many others since.

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Only someone under 25 (or with the IQ of 25) could possibly think of her appeal as just visual. Madonna and her "gifts" have always astounded and confounded fans and foes, because the visual and musical aspects of her career have been so intimately conjoined. She's the sum of all of her parts, and people will be humming along to vogue, and dissecting her looks long after she's gone.

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Well, personally, I listen to Madonna's music all the time. I don't really sit around looking at pictures of her or watching her videos. I mean, a viewing of the video comps once or twice a year, certainly, but that's about it.

Whereas, the music : always a part of my life.

Interesting question, and she certainly has worked with video and image better than most, but that's all just a bonus. At the end of the day, it's the songs.

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