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*NEW* VH1 100 Greatest Artists of All Time


HolidayGuy

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Just saw it ... man, that was quick! Jim Shearer didn't get to say very much in his intro -- believe me, he would have if he was permitted the time! He and his wife attended Sticky & Sweet in NYC at Madison Square Garden. He respects M.

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Guest nothingfails0603

I think #16 is fair because like it or not, the "male rock establishment" still does not respect Madonna and likely never will (if they respect females, its usually someone like Janis Joplin or Aretha Franklin). The "rockist" types of people try to "blame" Madonna for Britney and others like that. That she ranked higher than any other female says volumes about 1. the sexism amongst male rock fans that the #1 female is #16 but also says 2. that Madonna is one of the greats even if it's begrudgingly.

Nirvana are cited for bringing alternative rock to the mainstream (although people forget U2, R.E.M., Depeche Mode and The Cure were all well established and successful before "Nevermind"), and The Beach Boys pretty much invented power-pop music and the "Pet Sounds" album was influential to many iconic acts (Lennon and McCartney even cited the album as inspiration for Sgt. Pepper, can you really top having that said about you?) so I can see why they are higher than M, because they get something Madonna doesn't get, respect from the rock crowd.

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i totally agree. Nirvana is only as "legendary" as they are because he killed himself. Their 1st album or 2 or whatever were great but they woulda became old and tired like every other 90s grunge band. I couldnt have seen them evolving. Pearl Jam were every but as hot and popular at the time yet dont even close to the kissing ass that Nirvana get. As for MJ I reeeeally think hes beyond overated. He only had like two really good albums (one that was legendary) but thats it lol. After 1983-84, I never got what the fuss and hype was about. It became about his look and freak behaviour more than the music and true evolution/ re-invention (like Madonna). Overall, I actually agree with most of this list but feel Elvis and Madonna most definitely shoulda been higher. Im happy shes the highest female, but still she made more of a mark on music and culture than the Beach Boys, Nirvana (again WHY are they ahead of M?) , Prince and the Who.

With all due respect, how could you NOT see that The Who are WAY more influential to music than Madonna? They influenced everyone from U2, Green Day, David Bowie, Nirvana, Oasis, The Clash, Sex Pistols and countless others. Green Day's "American Idiot" would have been impossible without The Who, by Billie Joe Armstrong's own admission. Yes, Madonna has been an incredible influence on other female artists but, the majority of them are so derivative of each other that they almost cancel each other out. Musically speaking, Madonna can't even stand next to The Who or Prince. Madonna relies way too much on her producers for her sound (Hard Candy or COAD anyone?). Hell, even Lauryn Hill produced her own album. As for Prince, he should rank higher than Michael Jackson. Prince produced, arranged, composed & performed his best stuff by himself. Madonna is my favorite artist but, that doesn't make her the best.

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With all due respect, how could you NOT see that The Who are WAY more influential to music than Madonna? They influenced everyone from U2, Green Day, David Bowie, Nirvana, Oasis, The Clash, Sex Pistols and countless others. Green Day's "American Idiot" would have been impossible without The Who, by Billie Joe Armstrong's own admission. Yes, Madonna has been an incredible influence on other female artists but, the majority of them are so derivative of each other that they almost cancel each other out. Musically speaking, Madonna can't even stand next to The Who or Prince. Madonna relies way too much on her producers for her sound (Hard Candy or COAD anyone?). Hell, even Lauryn Hill produced her own album. As for Prince, he should rank higher than Michael Jackson. Prince produced, arranged, composed & performed his best stuff by himself. Madonna is my favorite artist but, that doesn't make her the best.

But the list is NOT about the "best musicians", it's about the "greatest", and the metrics for greatness should be more comprehensive than just having the best/better musical output. The Who may have been better as musicians(to me an almost reflexive case of rock men trumping pop sirens) but they are certainly NOT GREATER than Madonna.

Also, Pet Sounds was phenomenal and highly influential but is THAT enough for the Beach Boys (who are a nostalgia act for most of their existence) to overcome Madonna's overall contribution? The scope and depth of Madonna's influence and significance as a music/pop culture figure far outstrip those of many artists ranked above her in this list.

Really, she's just #16 coz: 1. she's POP, not "rock"; 2. she's a WOMAN (who's unladylike); and 3. perhaps because she's also WHITE. Yeah, these gripes may be cliched but they are nonetheless true.

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Guest nothingfails0603

I think another reason Madonna is high but not amazingly high is because she's still doing it. Once you've died, broken up or semi-retired (Bowie hasn't toured in ages) it's easier to look back and remember how great you were over the years, it's the whole thing of yearning for things past while taking current things for granted. Of the artists higher than Madonna, only Dylan, Prince, Stevie Wonder and The Stones are still active and have done anything in recent years, but unlike Madonna, their days of being seen as relevant CURRENT artists are well behind them (I am not slighting Prince... I think he's done some great stuff this past decade, but Sign O' The Times and Purple Rain sells concert tickets, not LotusFlow3r and 3121), so it's easier to look at them where they belong because they are so many years removed from their apex, whereas Madonna can still come back with another hit record. Maybe in twenty years she'll be in the top 5.

Just look at MJ, who was in the 40's in 1998, and #2 in 2010. Did he do anything spectacular in 1998-2009 to merit such a rise? It was once he died suddenly everyone took a look back and realized what a great entertainer and performer he was and almost overnight he was immortalized as one of the all-time greatest.

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Guest Coked Up Baby Boy

MADONNA DESERVES TO BE TOP 10 IN THIS FOR TALENT, LONGEVITY AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE...

Indeed. As an overall artist she should easily be top 10.

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The list was compiled by votes from other musical artists. Madonna is loved by lots, but she certainly isn't liked by all. Many of them being musicians.

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Just look at MJ, who was in the 40's in 1998, and #2 in 2010. Did he do anything spectacular in 1998-2009 to merit such a rise? It was once he died suddenly everyone took a look back and realized what a great entertainer and performer he was and almost overnight he was immortalized as one of the all-time greatest.

I have to get this off my chest. After Michael died, I purchased a DVD called Michael Jackson LIVE in Bucharest; The Dangerous Tour. I was BLOWN AWAY by how BORING it was. He seemed to stop halfway through each song to STAND STILL while his fans went nuts. WTF!!?! His vocals were half-assed at best. Yes, his Thriller & Off The Wall albums are great; but he put out a bunch of shit starting with BAD in 1987. That GOD-Awful "You Rock My World" is just that. His stuff in later years all sounded like B-sides from Bad. Yes, I know, he was a brilliant dancer & his legacy is undeniable. I just never understood his appeal. He never rocked my world the way Madonna or Prince have.

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Guest nothingfails0603

I have to get this off my chest. After Michael died, I purchased a DVD called Michael Jackson LIVE in Bucharest; The Dangerous Tour. I was BLOWN AWAY by how BORING it was. He seemed to stop halfway through each song to STAND STILL while his fans went nuts. WTF!!?! His vocals were half-assed at best. Yes, his Thriller & Off The Wall albums are great; but he put out a bunch of shit starting with BAD in 1987. That GOD-Awful "You Rock My World" is just that. His stuff in later years all sounded like B-sides from Bad. Yes, I know, he was a brilliant dancer & his legacy is undeniable. I just never understood his appeal. He never rocked my world the way Madonna or Prince have.

I actually agree with you. Dangerous was when Michael started to lose some of his magic IMO, I actually did like Bad.

But between the big three 80's icons, I would rank him a distant third whereas Madonna and Prince usually alternate between my top 2 depending on mood, but he'd still be in my top 10 easily.

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As a few have mentioned, female acts in general never fare as well as male artists in these things. In the 1998 poll- which had even fewer female acts- Aretha Franklin (the highest-ranked female) placed No. 21. So, Madonna's ranking at 16 is pretty much as good as it's going to get, especially when polling other musical acts (and some music "experts").

If talking about entertainers/icons, we've seen Madonna fare even better than she did on this particular VH1 list.

I started compiling a bunch of lists like this (including viewer-vote lists when the outlet itself didn't come up with the rankings- i.e. VH1 UK's lists) and will come up with an ultimate listing of acts culled from best/greatest artist lists. Kinda like Acclaimed Music, but just artist lists (not albums and tracks).

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