If Madonna is a ten...

[Rampage]

This thread is something I was thinking of while we were discussing the AMA's. My premise is that we rate female stars of past and present and debate the rating. As a benchmark, we use Farrah's fave, MADONNA!

So the way this works is by saying this:

If Madonna is a 10 then <Insert Star Here> is a <rating> and here's why. Then you state your case and we debate it.

Someone start it off, lessee what happens. If no one else does by tonight I will give it a shot.

 

[Karma]

It's hard for me to answer this @ the moment b/c (& this is w/ all bias aside)- its widely agreed or arguable that Madonna set the standard for one or two generations of female pop stars. Sure there were others before her but none quite like her & what she did. Something to do w/ the time she came along, her own unique presentation & chutzpah & other factors played into her phenomenal impact & effect.

The only other person that I could say is MADONNA's template & standard bearer is Cher b/c she did everything Madonna did before Madonna set foot on a stage.

I'll revisit the thread after I see some input from others though

 

[Rampage]

I figured as much from you. In reality there is no way to do this wrong. Personally, I can think of some 10s due to me accounting for the different times and some differences in focus.

For example.

If Madonna is a 10 then Aretha Franklin is also a 10 and here's why.

You will never be able to compare the two is certain things. Aretha is not as pretty as Madonna. Aretha did not live in a time when people sold NEARLY as many records, she dealt with racism, and she could not take advantage of media the way Madonna did.

But Dear God, her voice!!

Aretha Franklin has one of the iconic voices and songs that have lasted 50 years. Madonna cannot compare to that (she hasn't even been singing that long) and, in that regard, I consider Aretha clearly past her. But on the level, Madonna is a better ENTERTAINER, is definitely an iconic and successful singer. So in my opinion I would rate Aretha also at a ten, definitely in the Pantheon of real Diva greats in music.

 

[Karma]

I can agree w/ Aretha being a 10 :nod:

She & Madonna have lots to compare & contrast. But one thing that stands out about both of them is their status as living legends.

Madonna's got almost 30 years in the biz...@ the top of the biz so give her time & she'll be able to match Aretha's longevity :nod:

If Aretha's a 10 then Cher is a 10. Cher has been going strong since the mid 60's & hasn't stopped yet. She's had a chart topping song in each of the last 4 decades, she's an oscar winning actress & again, she's Madonna's template. She's got the longevity that Aretha has & when it comes to album sales, she's right up there with Madonna.

Cher has an amazing, strong voice & even in her earliest days when she was doing back up vocals for Smokey Robinson, her voice was so powerfull, that they kept having to move her further back from her mic.

Her "i don't give a fuck" attitude is legendary. From wearing outrageous outfits to the oscars, to giving Donald Trump a massive verbal smack down on the media for his racist behavior, Cher truly says what she thinks & unlike many of her peers & contemporaries, she's far from fake.

 

[Rampage]

Now you are catching the hang of it.

 

[Persephone]

Well of course it's easy to say "so and so is a 10" who has been in the business for 30+ years. They're legends and no one can argue that.

However, I think it's a lot harder [especially for Farrah lol] to name someone who's in the music industry now that can be considered a 10, or will be considered a 10 given a few more years.

Longevity aside, are there current artists that you consider a 10? Because obviously Cher, Madonna, Aretha, and Smokey all had to start somewhere in order to gain their legendary status.

That's a better challenge.