Why is Madonna so underrated?

[Melrose95 172]

I usually never let other people's opinions bug me but I went to my cousins wedding last night and somehow the subject of Madonna came up and me loving her at the reception.

 

My Uncle in his early 60s referred to her at the "Justin Bieber of the 80s" and then this girl at our table who I barely know said that she asked her 14 year old niece if she likes Madonna and she said WHO? And her niece listens to Beyonce, Taylor, Nicki Minaj. Which is fine but if she were fans of those 3 she would have to at least know of Madonna's EXISTENCE.

 

They all have referenced her. Taylor sung with her last year. Nicki has released 2 videos with her and Beyonce was in BIM.

 

I'm calling bullshit on that. It seems odd that someone would randomly ask a 14 year old if they listened to Madonna? It seems like she just wanted to be part of the conversation and was making shit up.

 

 

Why do people always undermine her success and are so bitter towards her?

[madgefan 10,152]

The people around you that day were assholes. End of discussion. Have a nice day!! 

[MXRXNCHX 1,126]

@@madgefan I second that.

 

Me and my relatives are completely different in every aspect and actually they tend to critize my music taste  , but they do know who Madonna is and they acknowlegde the fact that she's a legend and enjoy her music as much as I do. 

 

They have issues, let me tell you that.

[scamper 1,998]

Well, I think the problema is the days we're living... I mean, I remember that when I was young they played the "new songs" on the radio but they played some iconic artists too. I remember to listen to Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince... but at the same time they played (of course not as offen) songs by Elvis, The Beatles, ABBA... And on TV the same. I remember watching Tarzan's movies, classics as "Gone With The Wind" or "Casablanca", the Marilyn Monroe's films... and that made me feel much respect for their work and gave me a chance to know things that were not from my time but that it was good to know.

 

Now, you only listen the songs that are new and that are sang by young singers or bands because people say "Only young people listen to us". When you watch TV you only see the films of the last couple of years but you never see "old movies" because "People don't want to see a black or White movie" and stupid things like that.

 

Where I work was a 19 years old guy and one day I was talking with another one about Tina Turner. The young one said "Who's that girl?" and I told him that she's a singer, that she has great songs, I told him the name of some of them and he said "Oh, I never heard about her or her songs." I said "Really??? Well, better not talk about Mozart with you..." and he said "Who??" and I asked "He's the bass player of ACDC" (ironic mode on). And he said "Ah, ok... But who is ACDC?"

 

What I'm trying to say is that people of my age didn't had Internet but they had more culture about music, movies and things like that. You could like pop, heavy, rock music or not, but we knew at least the names of the bands and at least their iconic songs. I have lots of heavy metal lovers as friends and they hate Madonna, but all of them can tell you at least 10 titles of her songs. Now people can get everything thanks to Internet but they're not interested in knowing new things.

 

And of course people now get bored of everything soon. Two weeks ago I was having a drink with a friend at a bar and on the next table were young people talking. One asked if they played "Pokemon Go" and all of them said "No, We played last week and it was cool, but now is something too old for us. We prefer something new".

 

That's the problem now...

 

Well, I'm not sure that I've explained myself right, but hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

[AModSquad 514]

I dont get that same impression - She continues to be referred to as the queen of pop and she still commands and gets attention.  I just dont notice her being underrated.

 

That said, alot of her work outside of the 80's is underrated.

 

A

[kesiak 3,037]

Calling woman who holds titles of the best-selling female artist of all time and the highest grossing solo touring act "underrated" is a bit of a stretch but I get what you're saying ;). 

[PWCCA 2,498]

She's one of the biggest stars on the planet... I'd hardly say she's even close to being 'underrated'. 

[Headless.Headphones 727]

My Uncle in his early 60s referred to her at the "Justin Bieber of the 80s"

 

 

That's hilarious and gross, Britney was the closest thing to reach Madonna pop female status and than she went crazy (loved her more though) and Lady Gaga was aspiring but is too talented of a singer and artist to be the next anyone at this point. But I don't take the young generations ignorance with much weight; watching a video last year and asking teens about Beck and them not knowing him by name at first made me question life and than think I am old aren't I? and keeps happening lol.

[Melrose95 172]

The 14 year old who said "Who" when asked about Madonna could of also been sarcastic. Like she knows who she is but isn't a fan. I mean thus 14 year old is a big Lady Gaga fan so consider the source

 

And how can you possibly be a big Gaga fan and not even know of the EXISTENCE of Madonna

 

Which is why I call bullshit on the whole story.

[Headless.Headphones 727]

The 14 year old who said "Who" when asked about Madonna could of also been sarcastic. Like she knows who she is but isn't a fan. I mean thus 14 year old is a big Lady Gaga fan so consider the source

 

And how can you possibly be a big Gaga fan and not even know of the EXISTENCE of Madonna

 

Which is why I call bullshit on the whole story.

 

You or Scamper need to change your picture, i'm so confuzzled.

[kanto_kid 35]

she's definitely underrated!! & I have that argument all the time with people.. especially when comparing her and Michael Jackson. in my opinion, she's had a better career. but everyone wants to disagree. & what's funny, is the amount of haters she seems to have and people saying they dont like her.. yet she is STILL selling really well and is very relevant and current.

[Rotzheimberg 1,230]

It's just plain envy

[Headless.Headphones 727]

It's just plain envy

 

[Jackie 8,075]

Well to be brutally honest madonnas demographic isn't 14 year old girls - we love madge but we also need to accept she's 58 and teenage girls can't relate.

[Melrose95 172]

Well to be brutally honest madonnas demographic isn't 14 year old girls - we love madge but we also need to accept she's 58 and teenage girls can't relate.

 

Exactly. But a 14 year old girl who follows pop music at least knows who she is which is why I call bullshit.

 

So this woman at the table HATES Madonna and sees her niece and they talk about music and she randomly asks her 14 year old niece if she listens to Madonna?

 

It doesn't make sense. Obviously I'm a massive Madonna fan and I wouldn't ask a 14 year old if they listen to her.

[LikeAMelody 728]

Like scamper said...when I was younger they played a wider variety of music on the radio. There was one station that would feature full albums, known and not so known. I discovered so much. We wanted to know though. It seems like more information is available today but less of a yearning to be more knowledgeable. Like having the Statue of Liberty in your back yard.If it's something you have around you all the time you don't bother to visit it. The internet is available all the time. You really do not have to seek anything out.

 

I also think there has been a steady decline in respect for what is older till now when even tv and radio programmers aren't even allowing older artists.

 

What's weird is that as laws are improving and acknowledgement is improving culturally we are becoming more divisive. "I am not part of your world and you are not part of my world and I can't do what you do and you can't do what I do." We are limiting ourselves and setting up "the rules" for who we are and not venturing outside of that or even wanting to.

 

As for Madonna, thank goodness for record keeping because they reflect just how good she really is and I am sorry but I think being a woman has even limited her success.

 

I think there is an underlying respect for her among casual fans and non fans who do not hate her because I have heard them say things like "there is no way anyone is the Queen of Pop but her." These are people who are not that passionate about her but they know. They might be able to just name Like A Virgin, Vogue or Like A Prayer as her songs but they quietly know her status and haven't listened to the noise about her over the years.

 

Then there are the ones who are easily influenced who recite the script of how you should feel about Madonna that has been fed to them for years with occasional revisions. A relatively recent add on is that now you are to feel Madonna is too old to have anything to say. These people often like similar artists to Madonna who have been influenced by her musically but these artists "are amazing and Madonna is just good at marketing herself." If you ask me it is the other way around but they and even some of her fans will not stray from "the script."

 

I do blame the lack of attention towards her work on programmers who showcase other older artist's work but I also blame Madonna a little for her "underrated status." She herself does little to promote her more artistic side which is why it drives me crazy when people say she just knows how to market herself. She seems to prefer people becoming attracted to her work on their own.

 

There is also an excerpt from a reprint of an article (I think) I just read. It says:

 

"The grueling experience of confronting her demons in such a public forum purportedly proved too much for Madonna, whoaccording to Ferrara “killed†the film by badmouthing it. It’s a shame, because the film proves that although Madonna is frequently heralded as the mother of reinvention, it’s her ability to dig deep and connect emotionally with her audience which has made her records, if not her films, endure."

 

Madonna in my opinion is much more controlled by her emotions than by her need to promote herself. I think she has had so many missed opportunities because of this. She is an artist but I think she can be very guarded.

 

Also alot of artists lead the cheers on their abilities or greatness along with the media's shaping the opinion of the public. A good example of this are a lot classic rock bands. I love a lot of them but honestly you would think they were gods of some sort when you hear what is said about them. That's their script. Ironically these guys are praised for their "cool confidence" while Madonna who most of the time displays way less confidence is seen as an egomaniac.

 

Also throw in some jealousy of her success which could contribute to people dismissing her.

 

So I think ultimately that people don't seek knowledge on anything or anyone as much as they used to and Madonna needs to open herself up to more soul searching. She has always been more open on the physical aspect of being human but is more guarded on the emotional side. Sometimes she has been more guarded than other times.

[Melrose95 172]

A lot of straight men CONSTANTLY dismiss Madonna

 

I'm a bisexual male and practically ALL my good friends are straight guys and there always like "Why do you like her so much, she's so old" or "the 80s are over" or I never heard of a man listening to a female pop star" or " She sucked Dick to get where she's at".

 

And yet they all LOVE Michael Jackson and Prince

 

MOST men are emasculated at the thought of a powerful woman.

[Anselme_Cristian 1]

Madonna is in the top pantheon of music Hall Of Famers; with such contemporaries @ The Beatles, Elvis Presley,Michael Jackson and Prince respectively. She is among the most decorated artists to ever grace a musical studio @ well as stage. God has bestowed her with His deep reservoir of artful talent. With a rich sumptuous voice correspondent w/ an impetuous spirit yearning to eviscerate the walls of oppressive status quo/ societal norms. 

 

Quite simply don't let people's ignorance of her/ or their preconceived notions detract you from your affection for her. Applause for Madonna conceding she is a human being with flaws. Not many (if any) artists; or people are willing to humble themselves avowing personal failures. Madonna isn't so much underrated as she is grossly underestimated; not just as an artist; also as a human being. Glory to God for navigating her to victory through the innumerable storms she has faced both professionally and privately. Great to see  her maturation and kittenish smile   as she is a champion  in life. Her mind is one of a bold lioness   abidingly roaming the jungle of opportunity dreaming, working and conquering through the mossy thickets. 

 

Madonna is a good decent human being; in which God is her judge and jury. Not man. Thankfully she is a robust beacon of redemption. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fighter 28,798]

She exists in a plane of being both underrated and overrated, depending on who you talk to. At the end of the day she has been successful as fuck no matter what anyone has said... without her being underrated she probably wouldn't have had so much drive to continue and to push herself.

[Headless.Headphones 727]

People it's simple she turned 50 everyone female or male has this issue, Paul McCartney had huge radio play because he was on a song with Kanye and Rihanna and he was a flipping Beatle! Madonna has been fairing better; because of music genre and style. I mean who of her peers is getting any play really?

[madbella 596]

Every generation has their own idols.

 

Surely in 2030 we will find fans from Rihanna, Beyoncé or Justin living with young people who they dont know who they are.

 

But as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince or Rolling Stones, they will be considered music icons.

[Melrose95 172]

^ funny how people keep adding Prince Into the all time legends list. Because he died?

 

A year ago no one would be mentioning him in the same list

 

And Prince has NOWHERE NEAR the commercial success of the Beatles, Elvis, MJ or Madonna the top 4 biggest selling acts ever worldwide.

[Alibaba 1,519]

Culture shifts. Pop music is a capitalist's marketing dream. The consumer is defined from the onset, and there is a limited shelf life for the product that sometimes lasts longer for some than others. Madonna is fantastic and in a league of her own, but that will only be obvious in several generations. In the meantime, with the ever-quickening of trend replacement and recycling, prepare to see her legacy diminish drastically in the coming decade. That's just how the system is rigged. Her artistry could continue to flourish, but the number of people paying attention with historical knowledge and context will shrink. Let's also not forget that Madonna was essentially a corporate dream in the 1980s. Many more "serious" artists and their fans had complete disdain for her. 

[Melrose95 172]

^ see I don't think so. Her legacy will FLOURISH if anything if Madonna ACKNOWLEDGES it more. Which is what she's been (finally) starting to do.

[Fighter 28,798]

We don't know the future tbh. She's not as appreciated now as she was 6,7,8 years ago. But things come back and as Madonna fans we know that.    at this moment there was an overkill of Madonna and other artists took away the attention, while she wasn't paying too much attention to her current music. This could be totally different in the next decade or it could continue this trend.