POLL: Best 80s female artist before Madonna

Pat Benatar (1982):

Bananarama

"You Should Hear How She Talks About You" reached #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in September 1982 to become Manchester's highest charting record.

Irene Cara, 1983:

Laura Branigan (1982):

Pat Benatar, obviously

Sheena Easton (1981):

Kim Carnes (1981):

Bonnie Tyler (1983):

Juice Newton (1982):

Cyndi Lauper (1983)

R11, Cyndi arrived after Madonna. I also did not include Streisand, Ross, and Summer who were successful in the 70s.

Olivia Newton-John (1981). "Physical" rose to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in November 1981 and stayed there for 10 weeks (the most of any single in the 1980s, remaining until the second half of January 1982.

Looking at these artists you can see why Madonna was so explosive and ran these girls out of business.

Where the fuck is Toyah?

And Kim Wilde >>> half of these bitches.

The British women were really killing it then.

R14 But at least none of them released photos trying to show off their BBL while desperately looking for that favorrite actress oscar award under the bed. The award that she only received in her dream but her staff fears her too much to tell her the truth.

As much as I love Olivia, she was likely the biggest victim from Madonna;s success. She should have released a big album in 1983-1984, with top songs and the best songwriting and production teams.

Soul Kiss was released in 1985 and was a surprising flop.

R14 Looking at these artists it is obvious that when Hagdonna made her debut the demureness and class that female pop stars had went out the fucking window.

Stevie Nicks!

Madonna’s popularity and success has been still unmatched by any female artists until nowadays, so I could see why.

Sheena Easton was the future of Female Pop music in 1981:

R19 Yeah they were like old ladies. Who cares about class and demurenss? It totally died with them for the most part.

Whitney and Mariah brought that back and it sold but it certainly didn’t last with them. And there was Celine.

But they’re irrelevant to pop culture in the long run of the pop landscape.

Don’t get me wrong I love all these women but ever since I was a kid I always watched them thinking they were in their 40’s. I don’t know how old Pat Benetar was but she always looked 40 to me.

I can see how someone like Madonna coming along looking like the bad babysitter had an impact.

R18 Olivia was tired of the showbiz life. She was already in her mid 30s and wanted to be a mom, so after Two of a Kind she kinda entered on a semi-hiatus. She didn't tour for many years.

That being said, I still think Soul Kiss and The Rumour are nice albums.

R23 I forgot the most important thing these women had TALENT unlike Hagdonna.

Debbie Harry, who inspired Hagdonna, from the look to the rap.

It is impressive that Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse has 850 million views on YouTube. Love her raspy voice. Is a shame she didn't have many more hits.

Some of op’s poll choices are one hit wonders

Sheena's lead song from her 1983 "Best Keot Secrets" album was a #9 US hit.

In1984, Sheena released "Strut" and then chose to release more explicit material.

This video is interesting because it has 1981 teens ( some of them look over 30 though) mentioning their favorites most who are not in this poll for some reason, i:e Deborah Harry, Diana Ross and Donna Summer.

R26 and Madonna has mentioned Debbie a million times in interviews as an influence and someone she idolized

There’s a famous quote from Debbie from the 90s where she said Madonna invited her to her 35th birthday party and she went and she was “very sweet to me” and she has mentioned me as an influence numerous times “however, a check would be nice!”

So what’s your point?

I still remember watching a Casey Kasem show counting down the "Ladies of the Eighties".in 1983/early 1984.

It was all Sheena, Kim, Pat, and Olivia. He had no idea that Madonna, Tina, and Cyndi were about to hit big.

Benatar's career never declined because of Vadge, stupid cunt. She had a horrible music contract where she was forced to release a new album every nine months. Of course most of her output will be pure crap because of that. Benatar has always maintained her fanbase. She never used sex like talentless ho Vadge did to stay relevant.

I can’t name a second song of Kim, Juice or Joan. Irene has at most two.

R34 Kim had a number one song in 1987, cunty!

R25 R26 But a lot of their music was crap.

Only an old queen or old frau could sit through an Olivia Newton John album from the 80’s. I love ONJ but hell no I’d never listen to an entire album I’m not 100 years old.

Debbie Harry’s solo albums in the 80’s were crap too.

Damn Madonna sold more records worldwide (over 360 million) than all those 10 female artists COMBINED

I looked them and Madonna up

That shit is fucking crazy!

R34 Wait did you mean Carnes or Wilde?

R36 Hagdonna’s music has aged about as well as she has.

R33 How did she maintain her fan base when her singles and albums declined by the end of the 80’s?

T39 it’s all a matter of opinion , her streaming numbers are incredibly strong for an over 50 female artist especially compared to Cher, Dolly Parton, Janet Jackson etc

Olivia is the greatest vocalist of her era. She has a beautiful, expressive voice and a lovely personality

R40 Pat Benetar hasn’t and it’s ashame because she really dominated 80-85

Pat had a #1 album in 1981 and it wasn’t until Madonna’s Like a Virgin went #1 in early 1985 that a female artist had another #1 album

That’s how male dominated the music industry was back then

Tell me Kim Carnes was not a one hit wonder. And a cover song at that too

R40 Benatar was never a pop tart like all the other talentless 80's cuntbags. She had an incredible range. Most of her 80's output was crap but she can still sell out smaller venues as her fanbase has always been consistent. She is an artist with talent who can actually fucking sing. Most of the other 80's pop tarts can't say the same.

Anne Murray was all over the radio in 1980-1981 in my town.. The public demanded more and Madonna was there to provide it.

R31 Fuck Debbie though, Madonna doesn’t owe her shit. If Debbie was anything like Madonna, there would have been no Madonna.

She was blonde Marilyn Monroe look a like who sang punk. I love Debbie Harry.

But no. Hell no. You can listen to Madonna’s early 1981 demos with Bray for “Everybody” and “Burning Up” and it had nothing to do with Blondie. They were completely edgy and different.

[quote[ Some of op’s poll choices are one hit wonders

R28 blocked for idiocy. All of these artists had multiple hit singles and albums.

Madonna is no rocker. Meh

Madonna came at the right time, whether you think she has talent or not or whether you think her music has aged well or not is a matter of opinion , which of course we’re all entitled too, but it doesn’t change the fact that it was a huge shift in the music industry and women artists started to be taken seriously and on par with male artists , prior to Madonna, the thinking was even successful female artist couldn’t sell as many records as men and couldn’t possibly have long careers like men etc.

Madonna was also smart that she did every type of music genre, she’s sung Olivia Newton John type ballads, Pat Benetar rock, R&B, of course dance/pop, showtimes etc

Oliviia killed it. Twst if Fate, Heart Attck, Liviing in Diffrerent Times

R49 yea she isn’t but she started out in a punk rock band and played at CBGB’s, Max’s Kansas City, Mudd Club etc and has occasionally done full on rock songs, always as album cuts and not as singles

Can you name some of Madonna’s rock songs ? R52

R49 I disagree. And she was in 2 post-punk bands before she went solo. If she had made it in The Breakfast Club or Emmy and the Emmys, you wouldn’t have said that.

I just finished the Ahmet Ertgeun (Atlantic Records) bio. Was surprised to learn that Laura had a sexual relationship with Ahmet. Was this well known in the music industry?

R53 Burning Up (which was an actual single), Candy Perfume Girl, I Love New York, her whole 2003 American Life album is mostly all folk rock with her playing acoustic guitar on every damn song bar a few etc

R50 She ended all of these people’s favorite singers careers. They resent her just a lot like their favorite artists do.

You can look up any of these artists in the “why did their careers go down the shitter” threads and Madonna pops up on all of them repeatedly.

Lol.

Olivia, Pat Benatar, and Donna Summer recorded enough iconic hits at their peak that they could tour them forever. Someone like Donna Summer benefitted because her songs never really went out of style or seemed dated. I Feel Love was and remains a hugely influential song. She Works Hard for the Money is an anthem still heard in commercials. Last Dance is a wedding staple. Hot Stuff and Bad Girls are played at weddings and retro nights.

I think Donna could have continued to be successful but becoming Born Again and dealing with David Geffen in the '80s hampered her career. But when she came out with a song with a catchy melody (She Works Hard for the Money), she could really hit it big.

I think Donna's Bad Girls album is pretty much the blueprint of the '80s and '90s diva albums -- uptempo numbers with strong ballads with some sexiness thrown in.

R56 You named just a few of Vadge's horribly crappy songs that don't fit in any genre. I love New York was written by a retarded 5 year old.

I’m, OP, you forgot the most successful one before Madonna- the one who Madonna actually dethroned

R59 aha did I say they were grr songs?

I actually hate the American Life album , it was Madonna trying to be a serious folksy singer/songwriter , but she recorded it nonetheless

I remember critics who had loved her previous two albums ripping AL apart , and Madonna’s overdressed, buttoned up image at the time, because they missed the fun, sexy dance/pop Madonna of the 80s and early 90s, they wanted her to bring the sex back

Little did they know….

R61 You have no argument when you name some of her worst songs claiming they fit as rock songs. You need a tampon for all the shit coming out yo mouth, girly.

R62 bro I said they were rock songs

I didn’t say they were GOOD songs

Madbot is infesting this thread with bullshit.

R62 and I like hard rock music, Metallica and Pantera are two of my favorite bands

I have diverse music tastes

R65 Clearly you have zero idea what a rock song is if you equate Vadge's horrible shitty songs with Metallica. Jesus fuck, bitch.

R66 it seems like you want to pick a fight bro

I said they were folk rock and I’m not a fan of her doing them, it seems fake

Considering I was a drummer for a rock band, we lost gigs with COVID and recently disbanded, I think I can have that option about music

Shit I’ll give you the Spotify link to me band and songs man…

Thread derailed!

There have been few good female rockers . Period.

Kim Carnes' much anticipated followup to her big hit only reached #29 on the US chart:

As a bisexual man, Pat Benetar was also sexy as hell to me and I don’t even like short hair women

My favorite Benetar song is Invincible

How can you have Irene Cara and Laura Brannigan, and not have the person on whose sound their popularity was based?

R67 Equating Vadge's most horrible songs with Metallica shows you have zero cred, broheim. Even Benatar was closer to New Wave than hard rock. I doubt fans of hard rock loved Benatar's cheesy pop confections like Love is a Battlefield or We Belong.

[quote] How can you have Irene Cara and Laura Brannigan, and not have the person on whose sound their popularity was based?

Sorry!

I excluded artists like Donna, Stevie, Debbie, Ross, and Streisand from the poll, as their success was already well established. Olivia was peaking so I included her.

Blondie

Out of all those listed, none of them could dance. Madonna could.

Madonna posed nude too. There,

Kim Carnes was a one hit wonder r70

[quote] Out of all those listed, none of them could dance. Madonna could.

Olivia was the top star in early 1982, but after Physical she wasn't on MTV very much. Pat was forced into dancing but it was obviously not something she enjoyed.

[Quote] dealing with David Geffen in the '80s hampered her career.

Poppycock. "Difficult" David Geffen knew that All Systems Go had no hits on it so he hooked her up with Richard Perry, who gave her a hit in the UK.

R77 I think a lot posed nude

Madonna did it when she was a nude model in the late 70s and then Playboy got ahold of the photos and put her on the cover in 1985

[Quote] I excluded artists like Donna, Stevie, Debbie, Ross, and Streisand from the poll, as their success was already well established. Olivia was peaking so I included her.

Poor reasoning. You should have left ONJ out if "established" was a reason for an artist not to appear on your poll.

R79 Pat's "dancing" surely was a million times better than Vadge or Janet.

[quote] Kim Carnes was a one hit wonder

Ridiculous. "More Love" was a top 10 hit.

I like that some of the ladies mentioned here are still influencing the current crop of female singers, some maybe even more so than Madonna.

I know it's been said especially on DL that the Kardashians stole their blueprint for success from Madonna (minus the singing), but I think that is grossly unfair. A lot of people still take Madonna for granted, especially during the 1993 - 2004 era when she was still great, and was pushing back at social boundaries in a way that was radical but not crass, and she still managed to release a lot of very good (but not groundbreaking) music during that time.

R85 Most "singers" these days are 100% auto-tuned and don't count as actual singers. Since 1998 there have been very few actual singers. Rihanna is the poster girl for bitches who can't sing.

R85 I definitely wouldn’t say that, practically every big female artist of the last 30 years has mentioned Madonna as a huge influence even people you wouldn’t expect like Amy Winehouse and Adele (who has called Madonna’s Ray of Light album one of her all time favorite albums)

And as much as I love Pat Benetar, disappointingly I’m still not seeing any Pat Benetar type female rock artists emerging

R84 More Love what ? Nobody ever heard of that song. Bette Davis Eyes wasn’t original either. Meh.

R88 is right. Carnes was a one hit wonder. Bette David's Eyes was one of the biggest songs of that year though.

I wonder what these talented women thought when that talentless Italian hooker looking thing sold as much as she did. I am glad today’s generation views Hagdonna as the NO talent hack she truly is

R90 Exactly. And selling X number of units means absolutely nothing. It generated billions for the record companies. So fucking what.

Silly boys.

R92 Who are you calling boys, you fucking cunt.

Sassy boys.

R43- Stevie Nicks’s Bella Donna hit #1 after Precious Time. That was the last album by a solo female artist before Like a Virgin hit the top spot in 1985. The Go-Go’s and Fleetwood Mac had number one albums in the interim but obviously… not solo projects.

[quote] I think Donna could have continued to be successful but becoming Born Again and dealing with David Geffen in the '80s hampered her career.

She turned down songs that ended up being major hits - Flashdance, What's Love Got To Do With It, Take My Breath Away, I've Had The Time of My Life. Tragic.

Giorgio Moroder was quoted as saying that Geffen didn't want Donna to work with him. But that could have been down to asking price.

"What's Love Got to Do With It" was a song found languishing in a publisher's office. Bucks Fizz demoed it before Tinta Turnter.

Tinta Turnter always hated that song (What's Love Got to Do...). She never got why it was a hit. I agree. It was always an annoying weak song.

Nah. It's a good song. The production is on the twee side, but that's probably a large part of why it was a hit.

R100 It wasn't twee at all, dummy. Do you even know what that word means? It was just a shitty over-produced song that even Tinta herself hated.

The little riff is twee as fuck... What was the instrument?

[Quote] It wasn't twee at all, dummy.

The production, dear. The production. Not the song.

Where's Kim Wilde on your list?

Stupid fuckers don't know what twee means. What about the song is twee: excessively or affectedly quaint, pretty, or sentimental. Nothing. The song is hackneyed, cliched, over done with crappy 1980's production that hasn't aged well at all.

Why are you acting obtuse? I have said multiple times that the song is not twee. The Tina version has twee production flourishes. Do you understand? If you don't, read the sentence again.

Sheena Easton didn’t go away or fade away after Madonna’s debut.

R79 I remember seeing Olivia’s post Physical videos on MTV - Heart Attack, Twist of Fate, Soul Kiss in heavy rotation.

Love Tina’s What’s Love Got To Do With It. Great song.

R106 Nothing about you is twee, just extremely cunty. Cunty twee.

I think the difference between Madonna and the other women is these women knew how to push singles, Madonna knew how to push albums.

She saw the big picture in music videos and MTV and was able to wrap and package everything in a bow to sell her album.

She re-enacted the album cover to “Like A Virgin” at the MTV Awards and made a big splash with that imagery before it hit stores. Everyone recognized it when it hit the record stores.

That was Madonna’s genius.

She almost fucked up the first album image wise in my opinion. Her debut was going to be called “Lucky Star” and she went with this very early 80’s that, while pretty, was so “basic bitch” early 80’s. And she ended up choosing the punky black and white cover which was much more different and impactful.

It’s what separated her from the other women here mentioned in my opinion.

I voted for Olivia because OP left out Linda Ronstadt as well as Dolly Parton.

Linda Ronstadt just threw that glorious voice of hers at anything and everything in the 1980's wonderfully.

Dolly Parton did that seminal interview with Barbara Walters back in the day where she basically said; "Watch my smoke, bitch" when asked about her hillbilly background in regard to the very beginning stages of her crossover success by Barbra Walters herself.

Olivia, though, she had something for everyone. A pure soprano voice for pop, not opera- there's a huge difference. Gorgeous good looks. And, a bit of humor about the whole thing.

Before Madonna, Olivia was truly the top female pop singer in the 80s. She had the marquee value and was very multi-media : music, music videos, TV specials, concerts, movies.

[Quote] Nothing about you is twee, just extremely cunty. Cunty twee.

Cunty Twee? Witless You.

Irene Cara really benefitted from Donna Summer's professional parting with Giorgio Moroder. Irene's 'What a Feelin' album could have essentially been a Donna Summer album. Flashdance, Why Me?, Breakdance, Romance '83, etc. all sound like they could have been Donna Summer songs and could have worked quite well along with some of the the tracks Moroder produced for Donna's shelved 'I'm a Rainbow' album. Donna and Irene are both really talented singers, but Giorgio Moroder had the Midas touch in terms of production in that era (late 70s-early 80s) and really crafted some brilliant pop music.

If Bette Midler had taken a different career path she could've really hit the stratosphere in the early 80s. As it was it seemed her whole career nose dived. I saw her in December 1982. She was great, but there was something missing from the performance. I would almost say sluggish. Sluggish is a relative term for Bette Midler. It was almost like something hit her too much too soon and she was trying to work it out.

Irene didn't benefit that much. She signed a bad contract and was pretty much blacklisted. Her drug habit exacerbated the destruction of her professional reputation, of course.

If Bette coulda been, she woulda been.

Irene should have tried the R&B route. Many black singers did so successfully.

Linda Ronstadt

Irene went on to be produced by George Duke.

I loved Irene Cara growing up but watching her in Sparkle and watching her live performances she lacked something. Lonette McKee completely steals Sparkle from Irene. Lonette was sexy and you couldn't take your eyes off of her. Irene was fine but she didn't stand out. Her live performances are dull. She was missing that something extra to push her to a higher level.

She was good in Fame.

Pat Benatar leads with a third of the DL votes, followed by ONJ, and Sheena Easton.

Sheena, For Your Eyes Only:

What a sorry bunch.

Sheena Easton

The biggest female one-hit-wonder of the 80s:

"Mickey" - Toni Basil

Joan Jett was not a solo artist. All of her big 80s hits were with the band Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.

Debbie Harry was huge in this era too, but her solo career never took off. So many people today call her "Blondie," but that was her band's name, She never used it as her own name.

I don't think you can talk about Madonna's impact on popular music and women's role in it without mentioning Debbie Harry. They were very different women with different styles and sounds, but Debbie was like a proto-Madonna in some ways. She was the funky downtown white chick before Madonna left Bay City. She was IT. Until she wasn't.

Irene Cara:

Sorry Irene wasn’t da best.

Olivia Newton John was the first pop star to successfully reinvent herself and do a 180, going from innocent girl next door who sang country songs to a pop vixen who flaunted sexually suggestive lyrics with double entendres.

She created the template that Madonna and Britney (just to name two) copied.

[quote]I don't think you can talk about Madonna's impact on popular music and women's role in it without mentioning Debbie Harry. They were very different women with different styles and sounds, but Debbie was like a proto-Madonna in some ways. She was the funky downtown white chick before Madonna left Bay City.

Teena Marie was the one whom black audiences claimed as their own. None of them came close to being beloved and accepted as she was.

But I agree. Madonna's blueprint relied heavily on Debbie, Grace Jones and Olivia. It's disingenuous to act like she was so revolutionary. She was mainstream. There's a difference.

People Magazine said Olivia Newton-John in the 80s was a kinder, gentler version of Madonna. A multi media pop singer.

Sheena Easton was one of the decade’s most versatile pop singers.

ONJ? Hardly. Donna Summer was more influential.

Multi media? ONJ couldn't buy a hit on the big screen after Grease. And even fucking Lynda Carter had a series of TV specials.

ONJ’s Soul Kiss is a weird collective of songs that has great production and musicians. The title song trying to push her as a sexy vamp, but it just didn’t go over with the public. I like it for the camp value.

This song would get cancelled today.

Sorry bitch Olivia was popular and multimedia popular prior to Madonna. Plus she was pop on an international level.

And Lynda Carter didn’t have hit singles, hit movies, hit music videos, hit arena tours, hit TV specials internationally.

R139 Soul Kiss was #20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1985

Olivia’s 80’s hits include

Magic

Suddenly

Xanadu

Physical

Make A Move On Me

Heart Attack

Twist of Fate

Sheena Easton’s 80s (US) hits include

Morning Train (9 to 5)

Modern Girl

For Your Eyes Only

You Could Have Been With Me

We’ve Got Tonight (w/ Kenny Rogers)

Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)

Almost Over You

Strut

Sugar Walls

Do It For Love

U Got The Look (w/ Prince)

The Lover In Me

Laura Branigan’s US hits include

Gloria

Solitaire

How Am I Supposed to Live Without You

Self control

The Lucky One

The Power of Love

I do like Sheena Easton’s non-hit singles “Machinery” and the Prince-written “Eternity”.

Branigan's best song

Irene Cara was really just a stand-in for Donna Summer when Donna got all about Jesus and wouldn't sing the sexy stuff anymore.

Madonna and Gaga can suck my dick!

I can’t help myself, I’ve always had a soft spot for Laura Branigan.

I always liked "Angel of the Morning" so I voted for Juice Newton

Well she is a sad excuse

This ONJ concert is fabulous. She wears the same outfit as in OP’s video at some point.

Stevie Nicks should be on this list - her peak years as a solo artist were 1981 to 83, just before Vadge swept in.

Laura Branigan had a high kick!

R142 Olivia also has a duet with Andy Gibb which was a top 20 hit.

Olivia didn't dominate both sides of the Atlantic as Madonna would. "Twist of Fate" wasn't even a hit in the UK!

Don’t forget this!

There are many artists who are more beautiful and talented than Madonna ever could be. ONJ and Donna are good examples. But they seem to lack Madonna's street smarts, ambition, business sense and overall narcissism to last as long as she had in the mainstream.

R156 For some strange reason, Britain never loved Olivia like America, Australia and Japan did. Some of her biggest American hits either had moderate results (Physical) or were basically ignored (Magic, Let Me Be There, Have You Never Been Mellow...) there. Grease was a big exception, of course.

Or, ya know, quality control r158...

If MTV had grabbed hold of the public earlier, Olivia might have done better in the UK.

R152- that was my first concert at the tender age of 6. It about blew my damn mind. I remember being outraged that my mom wouldn’t buy me the program which I’m sure was wildly overpriced. My favorite part was the opening montage which took the audience through her career. I levitated during the Grease and Xanadu parts.

Benatar. My god that bitch can rock.

Her greatest hits album is wonderful. Heartbreaker, Invincible, Hell is for Children, Fire and Ice… all of it

Yes, Pat had some amazing songs. They still sound great today.

R148 I agree.

R158 Fuck off, narcissism troll. There is no such thing.

No Debbie Harry?

Blondie did the video album thing before ONJ.

People think of Stevie Nicks as a 70s star, but she deserves to be in this list. Her solo album was released in 1981, and it included the huge hits "Edge of 17" and "Leather and Lace". And she also released "Gypsy" with Fleetwood Mac in the early 80s.

I voted for Melissa Manchester. A lot of the women in this poll are great, but some of them had just one or two hits and quickly disappeared.

I didn't include Stevie Nicks or Tina Turner as I feel they were not competing with Madonna for airplay. No one stopped listening to Stevie once Madonna started having hits.

ONJ was successful before the 80s, but she was arguably most harmed by Madonna's success.

In a way, ONJ was harmed by Tina's success. "Toughen Up" is so clearly a Tina castoff, like Aretha's "Another Night," and the public were not buying it.

"We Belong" was made popular by American rock singer Pat Benatar after being released as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Tropico (1984). It matched the success of "Love Is a Battlefield" on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States, peaking at #5.

It was released two weeks before Madonna's "Like A Virgin" on October 16, 1984.

Melissa Manchester re-recorded her "Come in From the Rain" for her 1982 album "Hey Ricky":

Melissa Manchester had 7 top 40 hits and 3 Top 10s. Only one in the 80s.

Several of the women in this poll had at least that, if not more.

Pat Benatar - 15 Top 40 hits

Laura Branigan - 7

Irene Cara - 6

Kim Carnes - 11

Sheena Easton - 15

Joan Jett - 9

ONJ - 11 (in the 80s)

Juice Newton - 7

Bonnie Tyler - 2 (in the 80s)

I'll say Pat Benatar from the choices provided. HOWEVER, Cambodia by Kim Wilde is a better song than any song by any of these other women.

R176, I love Cambodia. Hadn’t thought about it for a while until they played it in an episode of Yellowjackets.

I hate hagdonna but this is a pretty cool remix . Maybe the hag will manage to stay somewhat relevent with the tik tok generation?

Boy, the whole "hagdonna" thing sure is funny!

Favorite; ONJ, because she went to...

...A place! Where nobody dared to go!

Least favorite: Irene Cara, once I saw her hideous raisin titties!

Irene didn't have the charisma to remain a star. I know there's all that talk that she had recording contract issues but I think even without those issues, she still would have lost momentum.

Both Benatar and Branigan still made good albums even after Madonna came on the scene. They both had big hits in 1984. I was the biggest Madonna fan but I also loved Pat and Laura and would buy their albums and listen to them multiple times even if they didn't release any big hits. Both of them released albums in the early '90s that I loved but they generated no hits but the music was still good. I know Benatar's True Love got poor reviews but I thought it was a pretty solid album and it helped me get into the blues. Branigan's Over My Heart album had some strong production but it got little promotion.

Branigan had an incredible multi-octave voice. No one came close to her superiority. Not even Celine Dion. But she always had horrible production and terrible choice of songs that never really showcased her voice. Her failure was her own for not having proper management. Celine Dion is worth 800 million dollars. What was Branigan worth when she died? Probably nothing.

Celine Dion was a covers queen who often had megahits with those covers. Outside of "Gloria" and "Self Control," Branigan tended not to have megahits from her covers. There's your bank balance difference.

Branigan was a train wreck. She killed her husband by not treating his cancer properly with chemo instead choosing to treat him with "all natural" supplements. Then she killed herself with her aneurysm by not getting help for two weeks! If you have a mind-numbing headache for two weeks and do nothing about it, you are killing yourself. Branigan killed her career, her self, and her husband. Celine was not a "covers" queen, you stupid twat. Most of her songs were not covers.

Most of her biggest hits were indeed covers ("All By Myself, "The Power of Love," "It's All Coming Back to Me Now," "If You Asked Me To").

R185 Fuck off. She's had about 200 hits worldwide. Half of them in her native French language.

Why so ornery? Celine hasn't had all that many massive hits. She solidified her career in the most important music market by going the covers queen route. If it was good enough for Linda Ronstadt...

R187 If I could kick you in the ovaries, I would asshole. You are wrong. Celine is a global superstar. Branigan was a nothing and died a nothing.

"Stephanie Milzzz"

Mary!

R159, Olivia Newton John was constantly on TV, especially on Cliff Richard’s show, in the UK in the 70s, and even represented the UK in Eurovision. She was very middle of the road. My parents loved her. This was well before Grease.

"If I could kick you in the ovaries, I would "

Fuck you, R188. If I could kick YOU in your testes, I WOULDN'T.

Instead, I'd cut them off and make them into tiny little earrings.

[quote]ONJ was successful before the 80s, but she was arguably most harmed by Madonna's success.

Olivia got married in 1984 and semi-retired to have a family. She herself said she lost interest in her musical career and was more focused on her daughter and Koala Blue during this period.

She really wasn't harmed by anything,

How was ONJ harmed by Madonna's success? She aged out. She (or John Farrar) made the wrong musical choices.

R191, you wish you had testicles

I doubt ONJ was ever focused on Chloe. Chleo would have better self esteem if that were the case.

Janbot is triggered.

Soul Kiss was intended to be a full video album a la Physical, because Olivia had no intention of touring for it. The Physical tour at the time was her farewell tour. But by the time it came to filming the music videos, Olivia was too far along in her pregnancy to do the concepts they had for some of the songs, so they only filmed five videos. The original title for the album was going to be "The Right Moment".

Either Toughen Up or Soul Kiss was offered to Tina Turner first for what was to be Break Every Rule, but she rejected it.

Yeah, Olivia only returned to touring in 1998. She barely released anything when Chloe was a child.

It's not like Soul Kiss was a career-killer. It was an underperformance, yes, but still a gold-certified album with a top 20 single.

I learned about Soul Kiss in my Catholic high school, along with Master & Servant, Relax, and other evil songs.

Did Toughen Up refer to her nipples after breastfeeding?

R196 is Janbot trying to deflect from her own sad black ass. We see you, Janbot.

"Toughen Up" referred to Olivia's journey from lipstick to soft butch.

Olivia wanting a threesome. I wonder what was the pre-pregnancy concept for this video...

[quote]Melissa Manchester had 7 top 40 hits and 3 Top 10s.

That's a lot more than many other people have had.

[quote]Irene didn't have the charisma to remain a star.

She was also a mega-bitch who everybody hated working with.

Was Donna Summer eclipsed by Madonna or was her downturn in popularity more of her own doing?

It was a combination. Moroder claims that Geffen didn't want them to work together anymore. But I think Donna didn't want to Moroder's muse anymore.

*didn't want to be Moroder's muse anymore.

R205 Donna was already struggling when Madonna started to have her first hits. All her Geffen releases were considered underperformances/flops.

The Bad Girls album was the beginning of the end for Donna's 15 minutes. The only good song off it was Sunset People. The rest were disco rejects.

Bad Girls was a solid album. The title track is a classic.

Getting all Jesusy also hurt Donna's career. She didn't want to sing the sexy stuff anymore.

I quite like the ten tracks chosen for the rel-release of "I'm a Rainbow" - not the new mixes, though - the mixes released in 1996.

Donna's entire 70s catalog was amazing, the album tracks were just as good as the singles. Her 80s catalog, however, was pretty hit and miss.

She never should've stopped working with Giorgio Moroder but when she got all Born Again it really aggravated him. He did an interview several years ago where he talks about it.....

[Quote] And she really did not like gays — her attitude was sometimes difficult in the ’80s.

Well, there you have it.

R213 Yes, right from the whore's mouth.

Giorgio Moroder's full comments about Donna Summer from the article:

[quote]The Moroders have been living in this rented space for three years, having sold the Ice Castle when the mansion began to feel forbiddingly large. Candy Spelling, the widow of television mogul Aaron, is now a neighbor, although a reported $600 million fortune isn’t enough to make her smile at Francisca in the lobby.

[quote]For two years before she died (in 2012, from lung cancer), Donna Summer lived here, too, a couple of floors down. She and Moroder had grown apart after she’d switched labels. “David Geffen pushed her to make music that wasn’t right for her. It was a big mistake in my opinion,” says Moroder, who produced two slightly commercially disappointing Geffen albums for Summer before Quincy Jones took control on 1982’s Donna Summer.

[quote]Divergent personal beliefs turned that professional fissure into a fault. “Donna became quite religious,” says Moroder, as he strides past a wall of gold and platinum records. “She made me record a dance song about Jesus, dear God. And she really did not like gays — her attitude was sometimes difficult in the ’80s.” (Summer has denied ever making anti-gay statements.) “We were never ‘estranged,’ but for a long time we did not have the relationship we once did.”

[quote]Towards the end of Summer’s life, Moroder says that they would talk and text often after she moved into the building. “I saw her more in those two years than I had in the previous 20. It was lovely.”

Kim Carnes wrote a song that was a big hit on the country charts - "Make No Mistake, He's Mine" - she originally recorded it as a duet with Barbra Streisand but the hit country version was by two male stars, one was Ronnie Milsap I think. She has written other country hits too. She had a Top Ten song with Kenny Rogers "Don't Fall In Love with a Dreamer", and she wrote a pop hit (not top ten but a hit) called "You're a Part of Me:". Also her drastically changed cover of Smokey Robinson's "More Love" was Top Ten. So she's not really a one hit wonder. Also someone posted that Cyndi Lauper came after Madonna but she had an album with Blue Angel in early 80s and She's So Unusual pre-dated Madonna's first album.

"Madonna" was July 1983. "She's So Unusual" was October 1983.

"The Bad Girls album was the beginning of the end for Donna's 15 minutes. The only good song off it was Sunset People. The rest were disco rejects."

You must be the stupidest person on this thread. You might say something like that about any of her Geffen albums but to say "Bad Girls" had just one good song indicates your opinion has no value on this topic.

R120 Linda sucked during most of the 80s.

Where are the Terry Gibbs fans???

Sylvia

Kim Carnes

Evelyn Champagne King

The Pointer Sisters

Pat Benatar had a new wave MTV hit in 1982:

R218 Has no taste. Disco was dead shortly after. Shit albums like Bad Girls were the reason.

I wanted to re-create this album photo for my senior portraits but my mom wouldn’t buy me a riding crop.

She wouldn't be allowed have that flat ass today.

R226, no, it was the backlash created by straight white men who hated music that was too gay, too black, and too female

Probably only about 10% of the population were into disco. Tiny minority.

Nonsense. It wouldn't have taken over pop music like it did if that were the case.

Bad Girls was a fantastic album, pay no mind to the troll.

[quote] Out of all those listed, none of them could dance. Madonna could.

She could? There are those who would beg to differ.

Even with Donna's album products by Quincy she had a couple good Travis in the, she release the wrong ones as singles. Instead of Woman In Me and State of Independence, she should've released Mystery of Love, with a nice remix that would've been a hit in the clubs

"Livin' In America" sounds like a single.

No mention of Ann Wilson? She could out sing just about anybody in that poll.

R234 did somebody pour a bottle of vegetable oil on her head?

Donna's "Donna Summer" album was very good imho. It should've done better.

R234, that always seemed like a surefire hit, with the right promotion. Donna's team gave her very bad advice in 1982.

R230, that's totally wrong. Just look at the singles chart in the late 70s

Bad Girls wasn't just disco, it had rock, pop, even a little coiuntry thrown in the mix. Casablanca had just signed Cherilyn Sarkisian, and wanted Donna to give half of her Bad Girls songs to Cher, many of them were written by Donna, and she refused. Getting back to Kim Carnes, her four follow up to Mistaken Identity albums are all good, somewhat progressive for pop/rock, and she deserved a few more hits. I think the problem was she wasn't a very good performer, her voice works in recordings but not onstage. Her albums are very entertaining because they span genres and mix originals and covers.

[quote] The Bad Girls album was the beginning of the end for Donna's 15 minutes. The only good song off it was Sunset People. The rest were disco rejects.

If you think Donna had 15 minutes, I'd love to know how long you thought Debbie Gibson and Tiffany had. Hot Stuff, Bad Girls, Walk Away, Dim All The Lights, Our Love and Lucky were NOT disco "rejects"

My Baby Understands, written solely by Donna, is very powerful and rocks.

R242, that's an obvious, and pathetic troll. The vast majority of DL already had this cretin blocked.

"Sometimes Like Butterflies" is pretty dreadful. Dusty must have been under the influence when she chose to record it.

Well ONJ must not have held a grudge since she sold a Malibu mansion to one Mr and Mrs Penn

R244 So says Janbot. Fuck off.

I don't think Donna didn't like the gays, according to Moroder. Working in an industry filled with gay men, in the 70s, that hate would be apparent early on. I think the issue was her being born again. Back then once you became a Christian you had to make a choice to turn away from the things "of the world" and live a more "Puritan" type of life. Regarding homosexuality, it might have been a "hate the sin, love the sinner" sort of stance she took that many Christians use to rationalize their bigotry. But I don't think she hated gays, unless she used derogatory terms to refer to us.

I would suggest that you like the music, which causes you to rationalize away what Moroder said.

What R249 said. Moroder didn't mince words. Go back and read it again, R248.

[quote]Working in an industry filled with gay men, in the 70s, that hate would be apparent early on.

Have you ever known a homophobe? Have you ever worked along side of one? If they need something from you, or if you're useful to them in any way whatsoever, they are very good at masking their hatred when required. Of course she wasn't going to walk into a recording studio, concert venue or record company meeting preaching fire and brimstone against the gay people you'd encounter in those situations. She was a homophobe, not an idiot. Honestly, you sound very naive. I hope you're young, but since you're posting on this thread and trying to defend Donna Summer, I fear not.

[quote]it might have been a "hate the sin, love the sinner" sort of stance she took that many Christians use to rationalize their bigotry.

It's shocking that you rationalize this rationalization. It's the epitome of two-faced homophobia. Are you even gay?

I do believe Donna made those remarks. She was just lucky enough to not have said them during the social media age.

She seemed to keep her gay fans at arm’s length; didn’t openly embrace them or speak out against homophobia but would release the occasional club anthem to keep them dancing and get some pink dollars for herself.

R251 No one gives any fucks what Donna said 50 years ago. Bitch be fucking dead, assholes. Move on.

R252, you realize this is a gossip board, right? If people can gossip about Eisenhower era starlets why the hell can't the gossip about Donna Summer?

R253 Donna Summer had 15 minutes of brief fame in the 1970s, then it was over. Fucking move on. No one cares.

[Quote] No one gives any fucks what Donna said 50 years ago. Bitch be fucking dead, assholes. Move on.

If we were waxing lyrical about her fabulous wigs, you wouldn't be getting so pissy.

R254, you must be new. There have been tons of threads about her over the years

R250 wow such an angry eldergay. I didn't rationalize anything, that's the rhetoric they (Christians) use. I was simply referring to how they thought and rationalized their bigotry as religious conviction. All these black disco divas coming from the church most thought similarly. Even Gloria Gaynor was involved in a similar controversy week after the Donna Summer fiasco, you don't think Thelma Houston, Loleata Holloway and the others had similar mindsets? I grew up watching people like this, I'm not naive about anything. You're applying 2022 standards to 70s/80s values. Even Barbra Streisand was caught on film using the F word. I don't believe Donna Summer hated gay people, HATE is a strong word, it means you despise them, wouldn't want to be around them, etc. ... she worked with them, performed in front of them, partied with them.

Did she make those comments or did some queen (looking at her being born again as abandoning the community at the time) spread rumors? I don't know. But she held a press conference and wrote letters and gave interviews to gay media denying she had said it.

There are club performances of Loleatta on YouTube. One is in a lesbian club and she flirts with the audience.

[Quote] Even Gloria Gaynor

Didn't Alicia Bridges claim that she and Gloria got down?

[Quote] Did she make those comments or did some queen (looking at her being born again as abandoning the community at the time) spread rumors? I don't know. But she held a press conference and wrote letters and gave interviews to gay media denying she had said it.

She waited years to do so, when her recording career was on its last legs.

What reason does Giorgio Moroder have to live? Did Bruce Sudano come out (no pun intended) to deny the claim?

*What reason does Giorgio Moroder have to lie?

[quote] I do believe Donna made those remarks. She was just lucky enough to not have said them during the social media age.

Lucky!? She was still punished. And there's not a single shred of evidence she even made the remarks.

And yet she waited years to finally address those comments. Where there's smoke, there's fire...

She should've rebutted those remarks immediately, but she waited nearly a decade! Really bad move. Of course, it didn't help that her idiot husband was also her manager. She really needed a top-notch, professional management firm out of LA but god only knows why she didn't have that.

For the record, I LOVE the gays.

Laura Branigan's biggest international hit:

i liked Kim Carnes, Rosanne Cash, Cyndi Lauper, Patty Smyth, Cher all before I bought a Madonna record. First one I bought was True Blue album.