slop101

Madonna may be an icon, but she has little to no artistic merit. Sure, she's popular and has sold a bunch of records, but she is completely and utterly irrelevant as a genuine artist with something to say. If we never had someone like Elvis, the music/rock&roll landscape would be very, very different. If we never had Madonna, things would be pretty much the same - actually, they might even be better as we may not have as many inconsequential diva-like pop stars. Basically, while Madonna may have been influential, she influenced product, not artists.

Michael T Hudson

MadonnasManOne

You are wrong. So very wrong. It's people like you, who obviously do not appreciate her, and what she has contributed to the world of music, that are blind to her artistic merits. It's because you refuse to see her as anything other than a pop star, when she is so much more than that. You don't have to like her, but, you can't just write her off as being irrelevant. You can deny her impact all you want, but, that doesn't change the fact that she has shaped the landscape of music, just as Elvis did. I am so tired of people writing Madonna off, just because they don't like her. Don't like her, fine. I could really care less. However, don't try to say she hasn't been a defining force in music. Don't be blinded by your hatred.

By the way, tell the many artists who list Madonna as their influence, that she hasn't influenced them. That's the most ridiculous statement that I've ever read, that Madonna hasn't influenced other artists!

Howiefan

Damn, the Madonna fans are intense. I miss digi

The Cow

I know it's mostly a personal preference, but has she influenced any good artists?

LiquidSky

Me too! I love me some Digi!

Sonny Corinthos

Thank you Bus. Like another poster said, I didn't know madonna's husband posted on dvd talk.

Comparing what Elvis did in career compared to madonna is like comparing a 1957 Chevy to an 1983 Ford pick up truck. Nobody in the history of music was doing the kind of music and dancing until Elvis came along in the 1950s. He changed music forever. Madonna, while she has had a lot of success in her career, will never be to music what Elvis did and is still doing 31 years after his death. How many artist give Elvis credit for getting them interested in going into the music business?

slop101

Madonna has certainly had an impact and influence, but I can't for the life of me recall any of it being for the betterment of music, art or culture. Almost everything she has contributed to our culture has been for the worst - from her whorish, self-important demeanor to her vapid music, nothing of substance has ever come from her presence - nothing.

LiquidSky

I love me some Elvis but didn't he pretty much lift from unknown Black musicians and made it "mainstream" for white teens? Not trying to start an argument. Real question.

rw2516

Yes. They pretty much all did at first. I've got a version of "Hound Dog" from 1946. Also Elvis didn't hit it big until 1956. Bill Haley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry were already scoring Billboard hits in 1955 before Elvis charted. Rock Around The Clock was the number one selling record of 1955 and "mainstreamed" rock and roll for white teens probably first.

LiquidSky

Thanks for the info. I love that version of "Hound Dog". Isn't it Big Momma Thornton?

rw2516

I was in error. The song I was thinking of from 1946 is "That's All Right" by Arthur Crudup. Both Big Mama Thorton and Betsy Gay recorded Hound Dog in 1953.

MadonnasManOne

See. Right there it is. Your dislike/hatred of Madonna is very obvious, and therefore, you can't see past it, to see that you are VERY wrong. Madonna has certainly contributed a great deal of substance to the world of music, and her presence has been very inspiring to many artists, not to mention millions of fans and lovers of music the world over. In fact, universities teach courses on her, her influence, and the genious of her ability to market and reinvent herself. If that isn't influence, then I don't know what is?

Regardless, it is clear to me that you will not be able to see any of that, because of some sort of dislike/hate that you have towards her. Therefore, your opinion really doesn't matter.

slop101

Just because I don't like Madonna doesn't mean I hate her either - I just truly nothing her. She's a product marketed for consumption, plain and simple, like Doritos - some people may like them, some don't, but they don't necessarily inspire any passion in anyone, and it would be dumbfounding if they did, hence my view on those that love Madonna so much: she's sold a lot of meaningless pop and dance songs, but what is it that she stands for? What does she represent? And has she ever inspired an artist of any worth and merit? She hasn't because she has none herself - how can she when she's simply a product created for mass consumption?

Sonny Corinthos

Yes you are right. Every record company at the time was looking for a white man who could sing and dance like a black man. Sam Phillips and Sun records found that man when a young teen-ager named Elvis Presley walked into his studio and wanted to make a record for his Mom.

It took about a year and a half for Sam to get Elvis to come out of his shell and become what we know him as today. At the time, Elvis was very shy and only sung ballads. Sam was on the verge of kicking Elvis and his boys out of Sun records because he didn't want or need another person who only sung ballads. After about thrity minutes after that, Elvis knew this would be his last chance so he and the guys turned it loose. And the rest is history.......

BTW, I not a Madonna hater. I liked her music in the 80s. After the 80s, she became very weird and I stopped listening to her. I can't think of anybody that's worth a dime other than people like Britney Spears and that crowd of nothings that madonna would have had an influence on.

auto

Dude, you are arguing with someone with the user name MadonnasManOne. Hehe. I think you're fighting a losing battle.

MadonnasManOne

At this point, it really doesn't matter what her detractors say. They've been proven wrong for over 25 years, now. They said that she would only have 15 minutes of fame, when she first arrived on the scene, and she proved them all wrong. She has influenced many artists, who are across a wide range of music, she has changed the landscape of music by creating music that is merely more than just bubble gum pop, and she has paved the way for other women to be able to be proud of their sexuality, to stand up and say, "It's alright for women to express their sexual desires". She has influenced fashion trends, music trends, and sexual trends. She has won numerous awards across movies and music. She has written successful books. She has been a trendsetter as far as the medium of music videos go. Her iconic status isn't merely that of knowing how to market herself, but, that she truly does have talent, even though her detractors refuse to see it.

There's no point in arguing about it. There will always be detractors, and that's fine. They are wrong, but, they are out there.

The Cow

I'll ask again.

Anyone that is good?

MadonnasManOne

Well, everyone has a different opinion of what "good" is. However, I'll list just a few of the notable artists who have stated that Madonna has influenced their music.

Bjork (who co-wrote Madonna's song, "Bedtime Story"), Tori Amos, Gwen Stefani, Kylie Minogue, Alanis Morrisette, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, just to name a few.

It's possible that you might find one or more of those to be "good". If not, it wouldn't surprise me.

The Cow

Yeah, I covered that, thanks.

And I like some tunes from a few of them, but I can see the struggle, those are all here today gone tomorrow.

That is what the slop guy was getting at. Every one of those you mentioned were/are pop radio blips. It's not a Madonna hate that you keep going after.

MadonnasManOne

The Cow

Yep, that's exactly what I figured.

I will leave this thread to the totally unbiased "MadonnasManOne" now. Have fun.

Tarantino

MadonnasManOne, what did you think of Swept Away? Oscar caliber?

= J

atlantamoi

Holiday came out when I was 18. I've heard most of her albums all the way through. I'll never picture her as an album artist. Singles all the way. I love her first singles collection. It's quite good from start to finish, but I really won't ever think of her as much more than that despite whatever women she influenced to go out there and slut it up.

MadonnasManOne

I had nothing else to say to you on the matter. You and I are obviously not going to agree.

You are wrong, it's as simple as that. You don't think that you are. So, what else is there to say, except for me to respond to you, the same way you respond me.