(Article) Why Cyndi Lauper is a truer artist than Madonna

[Guest chatty kathy]

(Article) Why Cyndi Lauper is a truer artist than Madonna

By Michael D. Clark

August 12th, 2010

Their debut albums came out within mere months of each other in 1983, yet the careers of fashionista/diva/boy toy Madonna and multi-colored, pop-punk Cyndi Lauper couldn't have evolved any more differently over the past 27 years.

Where Madonna has gone on to sell more than 300 million albums worldwide, Lauper has had to "make due" by becoming only moderately filthy rich by selling close to 30 million albums globally.

(That's still a hell of a lot of records but, for those trying to do the math on your fingers and toes, it's still only about 10 percent of what Madonna has moved which makes Ms. Like A Virgin stupid-rich by any measure.)

Still, Lauper metaphorically turned a few tricks that not even Lady Madonna could manage in those early days. Here's a list to take into consideration as Lauper gets ready to play The House of Blues Thursday night.

1) The monumental success of Lauper's debut album, She's So Unusual, made her the first female singer to have four Top 5 songs from the same album ("Girls Just Want To Have Fun," "Time After Time," "She Bop" and "Money Changes Everything").

In fact, as Lauper and Madonna hits did battle up the charts from 1983-85, it's likely that Lauper with a a little help from Michael Jackson's Thriller was the primary force keeping Madonna from grabbing that title (Madonna would later trump Lauper with five Top 5 hits from True Blue a couple years later).

2) Beginning with the early lace undies and jelly bracelets, Madonna was always a fashion icon boasting a wealthy, society fan base.

Lauper had a neon, multi-length head of hair and a garage sale wardrobe handed down from Punky Brewster and was listened to by young girls in pigtails that grew into working-class moms.

Even worse, Lauper had early ties to wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano (he appeared as her father in the "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" video) and The Goonies that she had to successfully shake before they ruined her career.

Most importantly is...

3) Lauper did it all without the benefit of sex as a weapon.

People squawk about how Madonna has evolved through the years as if she's gone from cave woman to superhero.

Truth is all she did was go from young, desperate skank to filthy rich cougar.

From the time Madonna declared herself "like a virgin," to when she got all S&M in public in the "Vogue," video and right up to until she was playing tonsil hockey with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards ... Madonna has always used a certain level of skankiness to sell her songs.

It is actually Lauper who has truly had a metamorphosis from a garbage can-kicking bag lady at age 30 into a beautiful torch singer at age 57.

For new album, Memphis Blues, Lauper enlists the help of legends from the genre including Allen Toussaint and Charlie Musselwhite — to create one of the most scintillating interpretations of blues by a pop singer in recent memory.

One listen to Lauper pining through Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," (with the help of guitarist Jonny Lang) makes it immediately clear that the music she is making today is far more lasting than any of the techno-pop Madonna has produced in the last decade.

Let's hear it for the not-so-popular girl getting the last laugh.

Source: http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/08-12-10-why-cyndi-lauper-is-a-truer-artist-than-madonna/

While I do like both ladies, I do like M more.

But obvioiusly the author of this article likes Cyndi more.

I don't think there's any beef or anything between the two,

but this is the type of media outlet that trys to make one.

[Flip The Switch]

[FreeMySoul]

[Pera]

there's a lot of nonsense there

[gemini1313]

i wont say CYNDI is a more true artist but she still can hold her own.

she writes her own, shes got major soul and bicth can sang her ass off.

MADGE & CYNDi are both true astists in their own corners.

[SkyHigh76]

Another stupid comparison.I have nothing against Cyndi,but let's be honest....after 1986 or so,she became irrelevent.People only remember her for her 1984 hits.Madonna,on the other hand,continued to grow and evolve and is STILL enjoying alot of success.

[gemini1313]

MADONNA is the queen & CYNDI is a lady in waiting.

[Crystal Coffin]

[Guest nothingfails0603]

I like both ladies, but you can't pretend that Cyndi's recent detours hasn't basically been her throwing darts in different genres to see which one does best. She did the standards album right when everyone was jumping on the bandwagon, then she did the album where she did acoustic covers of her 80's hits after she saw the success of Bon Jovi and The Rolling Stones' albums, and then she did the obligitory gay dance diva album. Now she's doing the blues artist thing.

You can't say she isn't jumping on new sounds hoping to sell just like Madge is always accused of. The whole "I know the gays love me, so lets do a dance album" thing was just as deliberate as COADF was.

[spazz]

I had no idea who's Cyndi Lauper before i joined this forum

[GOD]

I like both ladies, but you can't pretend that Cyndi's recent detours hasn't basically been her throwing darts in different genres to see which one does best. She did the standards album right when everyone was jumping on the bandwagon, then she did the album where she did acoustic covers of her 80's hits after she saw the success of Bon Jovi and The Rolling Stones' albums, and then she did the obligitory gay dance diva album. Now she's doing the blues artist thing.

You can't say she isn't jumping on new sounds hoping to sell just like Madge is always accused of. The whole "I know the gays love me, so lets do a dance album" thing was just as deliberate as COADF was.

I totally agree with you. And dont forget At Last a covers album. Truth is the last album she released that I truly enjoyed was Sisters of Avalon. But all the releases in the past several years were just that, throwing darts. I mean on one hand good for her in trying to come up with different sounds (mimi should take notes) but on the other hand none of these sounds are appealing.

[Guest nothingfails0603]

I totally agree with you. And dont forget At Last a covers album. Truth is the last album she released that I truly enjoyed was Sisters of Avalon. But all the releases in the past several years were just that, throwing darts. I mean on one hand good for her in trying to come up with different sounds (mimi should take notes) but on the other hand none of these sounds are appealing.

Sisters Of Avalon was great. I wish she had stayed in the singer-songwriter direction of that and Hat Full Of Stars. They were her lowest selling albums but I felt like she had really proven herself as an artist there, except she was still lumped as an 80's act and it wasn't yet time for the nostalgia and gay obsession that her recent work has had.

[redhot]

[Guest nothingfails0603]

Who says Cyndi didn't use sex? The "I Drove All Night" video premiered around the same time "Express Yourself" did and it had Cyndi balled up naked while footage of a car driving was projected over her nude body. Maybe it wasn't Justify My Love but it wasn't G-rated either. Plus let's not forget her "glamorous" makeover with the True Colors era where she went for a more conventional blonde hairstyle and was marketed in a more attractive way in her videos than she did when she first hit.

[Guest Genie]

Bring Ya To The Brink (horrid title) was a great album, I love both artists.

[GOD]

Sisters Of Avalon was great. I wish she had stayed in the singer-songwriter direction of that and Hat Full Of Stars. They were her lowest selling albums but I felt like she had really proven herself as an artist there, except she was still lumped as an 80's act and it wasn't yet time for the nostalgia and gay obsession that her recent work has had.

I loved those 2 too.

[GOD]

Bring Ya To The Brink (horrid title)

OMG I KNOW~!

Should be titled: Genie likes my disco clit.

[Guest]

I like Cyndi but she is a has been and is basically only remembered for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. The author of the article is obviously bitter that Madonna made it while Cyndi failed. And Madonna did Like A Prayer enough said

[Guest Genie]

Genie likes my disco clit.

[GOD]

[loomer]

I like Cyndi but she is a has been and is basically only remembered for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.

What an awful thing to be remembered for

[gemini1313]

I like both ladies, but you can't pretend that Cyndi's recent detours hasn't basically been her throwing darts in different genres to see which one does best. She did the standards album right when everyone was jumping on the bandwagon, then she did the album where she did acoustic covers of her 80's hits after she saw the success of Bon Jovi and The Rolling Stones' albums, and then she did the obligitory gay dance diva album. Now she's doing the blues artist thing.

You can't say she isn't jumping on new sounds hoping to sell just like Madge is always accused of. The whole "I know the gays love me, so lets do a dance album" thing was just as deliberate as COADF was.

i totaly agree...however just bcuz Cyndi hasnt hit it very popular on the mainstream charts it doesnt mean that she

is still not a gifted songwriter/ singer/ poptart.

[gemini1313]

watch this and then try to tell me that CYNDi is not a true artist.

[GOD]

watch this and then try to tell me that CYNDi is not a true artist.

I dont think NothingFailsNoMoreQueefs was arguing that.

[Guest nothingfails0603]

I dont think NothingFailsNoMoreQueefs was arguing that.

Thanks, you're right. Cyndi is fabulous in every sense, but I just don't like that people attack Madonna for trying new things to "stay trendy" when at least she hints at the new direction from 100 miles away (Push on COADF, Mother And Father on AL, Gone on Music, Bedtime Story and Sanctuary on BS, etc...) while Cyndi will jump into standards, then dance music, then blues, and so forth, when I do think part of it is that she's looking for a formula that will do well for her.

[gemini1313]

I dont think NothingFailsNoMoreQueefs was arguing that.

im sorry if it came across as arguing...thats not what i meant at all.

i think u got me all wrong...

i was simply giving CYNDI props.

[gemini1313]

Thanks, you're right. Cyndi is fabulous in every sense, but I just don't like that people attack Madonna for trying new things to "stay trendy" when at least she hints at the new direction from 100 miles away (Push on COADF, Mother And Father on AL, Gone on Music, Bedtime Story and Sanctuary on BS, etc...) while Cyndi will jump into standards, then dance music, then blues, and so forth, when I do think part of it is that she's looking for a formula that will do well for her.

i agree with u 100%

[Guest Genie]

Cyndi balled up naked while footage of a car driving was projected over her nude body.

Oh god I hope Celine didn't do the same

[GOD]

i agree with u 100%

Im sorry it seemed to me because you responded twice after NothingFailsNoMoreQueefs that you were responding to him and I didn't get the impression that he was dissing Cyndi but he made a good observation of what she has been doing in the past 10 years or so and you seem to agree so it's all good.

I love Cyndi, or shall I say i did and her best work to me was A Night To Remember/Hat Full of Stars/Sisters of Avalon. Ever since then I've been really hoping for a comeback not commercial success but something as great as those 3 albums. There is no doubt that she is talented but perhaps she needs to make better decisions.

[lori]

Thanks, you're right. Cyndi is fabulous in every sense, but I just don't like that people attack Madonna for trying new things to "stay trendy" when at least she hints at the new direction from 100 miles away (Push on COADF, Mother And Father on AL, Gone on Music, Bedtime Story and Sanctuary on BS, etc...) while Cyndi will jump into standards, then dance music, then blues, and so forth, when I do think part of it is that she's looking for a formula that will do well for her.

It just seems that a lot of people in the press still can't get over the fact that Madonna was not a one hit wonder & can't forgive her for really fulfilling her dream to rule the world. So they just have to slam her every chance they get. Whether it's an article about Cyndi or Gaga or Guy Ritchie, there is always a dig at Madonna. For God's sake, it been almost 30 years & they still can't bring her down. Give it a rest already.