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Greatest artist / WH vs MC (114,126) by Lambi from USA

That's debatable. I'd say Whitney and Mariah birthed most of the vocal pop girlies who came after them, with Mariah having a slight edge simply because she covered more styles. Heck, she even got Aretha to sing Touch My Body.

Lecrae also interviewed Tori Kelly and asked her the same question. Tori picked Mariah, and Lecrae could not handle it. He said, "Someone's going to hate you for that. They're hating on you right now. They're saying you have lost your mind."

Tori doubled down, "That's okay. I love them both but I really was raised more with Mariah Carey. I won a big trophy singing Vision of Love when I was 9 years old, so I'm sticking with Mariah." She was obviously just being authentic.

It's interesting though. I watch these street type interviews, and almost every time a black person is asked, "Mariah or Whitney?" the immediate answer is Whitney which sort of makes me feel like there's a bit of colorism at play because it happens so often.

Their general tone towards Mariah is just kind of like, "She's not even competition to Whitney" which makes me wonder, is her music just not played at cookouts? Why are we acting like she isn't formidable vocally? She arguably did more technically demanding things and has a much broader catalog.

Then when you actually hear from the real black vocal queens like Aretha or Patti, they praise the hell out of Mariah. Aretha famously wanted to sing with MC and MC only during Divas Live, and Patti handpicked Mariah to perform in her tribute despite Whitney being available. She was literally in the same building that night.

I talked to a black friend of mine (who sings) about it, and his take was basically, "Mariah has a reputation as a lip-syncer, a phony," and "The average person will feel stupid picking her if we're talking real singing." I was like, "Okay, fair." I didn't really have a rebuttal because it made perfect sense then it just kind of made me sad realizing how tarnished Mariah's credibility really has become.
(Saturday 11 July 2026; 00:59)


this is a reply to message		114,121

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,125) by Bill from the UK

Yes I agree. Mariah was an astonishingly good singer for the first five or so years of her career, but that was it. She's been a good songwriter for longer, but has stayed to one genre and often one subject matter. Her biggest hits lean heavily on sampled material. Her albums are great, but formulaic and not groundbreaking.

This is why I think I will always say her debut era was the best. Her voice was the fullest, purest, and best it ever sounded. Her live performances were jaw-droppingly good. Her album, so far the only one in her career, was 100% original material. Her compositions with Margulies were all unique, and different in their style, arrangement, production, and sonically too. Her look was natural, original, and effortlessly flawless.

We had a vision of love. And it was all that she turned out to be.
(Friday 10 July 2026; 20:12)


this is a reply to message		114,124

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,124) by Lee from UK

I agree - there was something about Mariah's voice between 1990 and 1994 which just sounded mature, especially in those songs you mentioned; she sounds like a much older singer - in a good way - than someone in her 20s. I know it has a lot do with her style of singing then compared to now. I have said it here before and it's worth repeating. Early in her career, Mariah's voice was full, her vowel sounds carried depth and power. Her more recent vocals have lacked this depth with her vowels sounding scratchy. Her singing voice is more like her speaking voice now as you can hear her accent in her singing. Back in the day, Mariah's singing voice was worlds apart from her speaking voice. I couldn't believe it when I heard Mariah speaking in an interveiw for the first time; how does this monotone low voice produce such range and clarity.
(Friday 10 July 2026; 16:25)


this is a reply to message		114,123

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,123) by MusicfanJ from Germany

For my taste Mariah in her prime had the best/unique voice I've ever heard.

It's hard to describe, but songs like "Vision of love", "Can't let go", "Without you", "Everything fades away", "My prayer" show that certain magic in her tone and melody while singing. The list goes on and on.

She always makes me daydreaming with her voice. But I agree that Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday had an impact that can hardly be beaten. When I listen to them I always think about the time the songs were recorded and it makes it even more stunning. The same with Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald, those old songs have an incredible sound, masterpieces for all the times.
(Friday 10 July 2026; 10:03)


this is a reply to message		114,121

Bonnie Tyler (114,122) by MusicfanJ from Germany

Oh yes, thanks for correction. I was a bit confused yesterday.

(Friday 10 July 2026; 09:40)


this is a reply to message		114,120

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,121) by TheButterflyReturns from United States

I love Mariah, but I don't think she's the greatest of all time in terms of artistry. I'd probably say Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, or Billie Holiday were the greatest in terms of influence. Commercial success is another story. And I'm sure Mariah would probably reserve the "greatest" label for Aretha Franklin.
(Thursday 9 July 2026; 22:08)


this is a reply to message		114,109

Bonnie Tyler (114,120) by MusicfanJ from Germany

Another legend is gone. So sad. I loved Bonnie Tyler since I was a kid. She always gave me good vibes. Her powerful voice will be missed. She was so down to earth, a wonderful warm-hearted person. I'm just listening to "I need a hero", what a sound. I will always love her music. May she rest in peace.

(Webmaster: The song is called "Holding out for a hero".]
(Thursday 9 July 2026; 18:03)

TAOM (114,119) by Lainsky from Philippines

The Adventures of Mimi is the last recorded concert where her vocals are more or less 75% live, her energy is high, she's dancing, and she's moving in sync with her vocals. In short, this was the best live performance she had before she became an immobile diva, struggling to belt out notes with great difficulty.

I could be mistaken, but that's simply my initial impression after re-watching TAOM last night for the first time in a long while. During that time, I've watched most, if not all, of her concerts from around the world that are available on YouTube. With enough rest, I still believe that she can deliver; she still has it, the je ne sais quoi, at least for her age.
(Wednesday 8 July 2026; 15:13)

I Still Believe (The Kings Mix) (114,118) by Billy from Greece

In case anyone wanted a reminder, this goes hard, like, real hard.
(Wednesday 8 July 2026; 12:26)

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,117) by Lambi from USA

It's more Madonna fans that'll probably dunk on you. Whitney (RIP) was a talent, but she only really becomes relevant when the question, "Who is the greatest female singer?" is asked.

Artistry is so nuanced though. I respect Mariah because when you listen to her songs, you can be like, "Yup, I know that piano chord progression," or, "This is so Mariah coded."

You can also tell she's actually a fan of the people she collaborates with: Bone Thugs, Boyz II Men, and The Clark Sisters. Their work together show it; it's more true camaraderie than clout.

She also does it well whenever she dabbles in other styles: Help Me Make It Through the Night (country), Out Here on My Own (musical theater), and Cruise Control (reggae).

Plus, a lot of her albums are infused with disco, funk, and jazz instrumentation. It's literally all her taste, and there's a real sense of integrity to it.

She's also more than capable of doing other styles (a whole ass grunge album), but she knows that was mainly to combat her lack of freedom and the incessant push to be prim and proper.

She's aware it was solely therapy (for laughs) and shouldn't seriously be considered part of her discography. That should tell you she knows her place and cares deeply about how her artistry is perceived.

I actually love that she didn't jump on the annoying EDM/trap or country bandwagon and just kind of stuck to what she really likes. Production got a little stale in the early to mid 2010s but she eventually caught up. Caution and HFIA both had the hottest producers.
(Wednesday 8 July 2026; 11:46)


this is a reply to message		114,109

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,116) by Lambi from USA

It's a bit nuanced. Let's say these artists are painters. Mariah primarily specializes in realistic paintings, while Beyonc� dabbles in other styles like abstract, minimalism, or oil painting.

That doesn't necessarily mean Beyonc� is greater. She just tried more styles, probably on a whim. In fact, the majority of her later albums are made up of fillers. Lemonade was subpar, and the country albums were so-so.

Madonna just challenged culture visually and constantly went against the grain. Taylor is a decent writer, but everyone knows her success is also a product of heavily financed marketing.

As far as great songwriting and true artistry go, Mariah is far ahead of any of them. Some of her album production may have become dated, that's pretty fair (2012-16), but melodically, she beats them all by a mile.

Her pitch was "The Best Selling Female Recording Artist in History" around the early 2000s. It sounded so official during her Super Bowl national anthem performance. It was probably a slap to Tommy, too.

But honestly, "The Greatest Singer-Songwriter Of All Time" would probably mean more to MC. That's literally who she is.
(Wednesday 8 July 2026; 04:19)


this is a reply to message		114,113

MC's best bridge (114,115) by Xavier mariohmix from Spain

This is the song of my life.

(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 22:06)


this is a reply to message		114,102

MC's best bridge (114,114) by Bill from the UK

Do you even realise
The sorrow I have inside
Every day of my life
Do you know the way it feels
When all you have just dies
I try and try
To deny that I need you
But still you remain on my mind

And, of course:

I've realised a dream
And I visualised
The love that came to be
Feel so alive
I'm so thankful that I've received
The answer that heaven
Has sent down to me
(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 19:47)


this is a reply to message		114,110

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,113) by Dave from USA

Mainly because, she isn't. You now have Beyonce and Taylor who have emerged as actual artists. Even numbers wise, Madonna at 67 is having a resurgence and looks to open with more first week sales for her latest album than MC's latest. All these women have one major thing that Mariah doesn't. Growth. Mariah just does the same boring predictable music. Her last true form of art was Butterfly. She showed such a change in her music, her persona, and her art as a brand. She is stuck on the same music and unrelatable diva image. You can't play the diva thing if you can't deliver the goods, that being her voice. It's literally gone now. She just doesn't evolve.
(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 19:33)


this is a reply to message		114,109

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,112) by TJ from Norway

When they started claiming that, she wasn't the greatest female artist of all time. Both Nana Mouskori and Barbra Streisand (and I also guess Madonna) had sold more albums at the time, but MC was in the wind at the moment.
(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 17:46)


this is a reply to message		114,109

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,111) by MusicfanJ from Germany

First it was pure envy. Because she was married to the label boss, was always looking absolutely perfect like a princess, clean image, a natural beauty with money and fame and a voice that was out of this world. It was almost too much. People are okay if a person has one "thing", but Mariah really did have everything during the 90ies until 2001. Then the image changed, in 97 there was the new Mariah, most people still liked the sexy "new" Mariah with more RnB and Hip Hop influences because there were still the ballads and her looks were still great.

But the last 10 years, the image went down sadly. Most people just see a diva nowadays, who always cares about her looks and expensive things but not about the music. The diva thing overshadowed the music. Celine and Adele are also "divas" but when they talk they seem more down to earth. I just say it seems so for the average people who don't know much about Mariah.

I think no one has a problem that Mariah mixed the genres, at least I've never heard it. Mariah is the Queen of Pop-Soul, but yes she can sing everything. Some other thoughts why she doesn't get more recognition nowadays?
(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 14:49)


this is a reply to message		114,109

MC's best bridge (114,110) by MusicfanJ from Germany

One of the best for sure. Here's another favourite:

And I will breathe for you each day
Comfort you through all the pain
Gently kiss your fears away, mmm
You can turn to me and cry
Always understand that I
Give you all I am inside
(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 14:24)


this is a reply to message		114,102

The greatest female artist of all time snub (114,109) by Bobby A from United States

Why doesn't the music industry recognize MC more as the greatest female artist of all time? We all know that she has definitely earned the title. I think the music industry doesn't want to recognize her as the versatile artist that she is because it would cause an uproar among Whitney Houston's fanbase and stir up the whole debate of MC being the female artist who started the trend of merging pop, R&B and hip hop together.

(Tuesday 7 July 2026; 03:50)

One hundred percent (114,108) by Zachariah from Croatia

Don't you ever
Be discouraged
Let nobody take your courage
If you gonna pray don't worry
If you gonna worry don't pray
You just keep the faith and listen to me

(Monday 6 July 2026; 07:47)

Oh Taylor (114,107) by Edward from USA

Taylor made history in 2023 by becoming the first musician to reach billionaire status solely through her music, songwriting, and touring revenue, largely thanks to the historic Eras Tour.

I think it's time for her to take a well deserved break, just like Rihanna did. Have a few babies, disappear for a while, and then come back when nobody remembers her.
(Monday 6 July 2026; 03:27)

Wedding (114,106) by Bobby A from United States

MC would never attend Taylor's wedding. Taylor and MC don't have the same circle of friends.

(Monday 6 July 2026; 02:32)


this is a reply to message		114,105

Wedding (114,105) by TJ from Norway

Do you think or know if Mariah was invited to TS wedding?
(Sunday 5 July 2026; 15:27)

MC's best bridge (114,104) by MusicfanJ from Germany

Don't say, "She takes it all for granted"
I'm well aware of all I have
Don't think that I am disenchanted
Please understand
(Sunday 5 July 2026; 12:14)


this is a reply to message		114,099

MC's best bridge (114,103) by MusicfanJ from Germany

I'm addicted to the bridge of "All I ever wanted". I often repeat it while listening.

Her bridges are the best. You allready mentioned so many good ones. Here's another one.

You were the only one (only one)
That I allowed inside my heart
Now I'm just holding on
To something so far gone
Oh, where did I go wrong?
(Sunday 5 July 2026; 12:04)


this is a reply to message		114,101

MC's best bridge (114,102) by Edward from USA

I can't pretend these tears
Aren't overflowing steadily
I can't prevent this hurt from almost overtaking me
But I will stand and say goodbye
For you'll never be mine
Until you know the way it feels to fly

Honorable mention

And it's hard
And it's hard
And it's hard
(Sunday 5 July 2026; 05:44)

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