born2pluck

I ask you all the following;

Who is the better vocalist?
Who is the better front for a band?
Who is the better live performer?
Who is the better general musician?
Who is the better sex symbol?
Who is the most in tune with their audience/fans?

Neapolitan

Are you comparing MJ to this band?

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Rickenbacker

I see the similarity.

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last.fm
rym
Talk About the Passion - R.E.M.'s Discography Reviewed

LoathsomePete

I'm not really sure what to make of this, I mean on one hand it seems like a valid, albeit, odd question. Then on the other hand it I can easily see this spiraling into a stupid debate. This is like comparing apples to oranges, Michael Jackson was a pop singer who created some incredibly catchy and well written songs, then went all crazy, then died. Danzig was always kind of crazy, he wrote some incredibly good songs, fronted one of the biggest pioneer punk bands of all time, and is still alive. I mean if we're talking in terms of "who's still breathing and able to tour" then Danzig would win that hands down, however if we're talking about just mainstream exposure and record sales then Danzig is nothing more than a spec of dust in Jackson's ass. I'm not sure if you can really break it down much more from there without going into some of the questions which you asked, so lets do that:

Who is the better vocalist?

Both men have an amazing vocal range, however I think Jackson was able to do more with it, or at least get more exposure due to his voice (although in his later years it was, sadly, for other things). Jackson I think has "spoken" to more people through his music, and again that's due to his extreme popularity in the mainstream market. I'm sure there's thousands of people out there waiting to be "spoken" to by Danzig, but are unwilling to go searching for that kind of music or have had somebody expose them to it. So with this I'd have to say Michael Jackson would win this one. One point to MJ

Who Is the Better Front For a Band?

Not counting The Jackson 5 (because I know absolutely nothing about them) I'd have to give this to Danzig for the fact that he's fronted two bands (that I know of). The obvious choice for this question would be Danzig... for the fact that he's fronted bands... So that's one point to Danzig

Who Is the Better Live Performer?

Again this is going to be based solely on personal taste, if you prefer rock and metal to pop music then you're more likely going to prefer head banging at a rock show then watching a man dance around on state and vice versa if you're into pop music rather than rock and metal. I've never seen either of them so I can't really say, but the fact that I prefer Misfits and Danzig over MJ makes it an obvious choice... oh yeah the fact that I can actually see Danzig play puts a point in his favor so that's two points for Danzig.

Who Is The Better General Musician?

Again this is a question that's entirely based on preferences, MJ is really only known for his vocal work whereas Danzig has played many instruments, notably vocals, piano, bass, and guitar. So with that it's a pretty obvious choice, Danzig, but at the same time if you're more into pop music then you'll most likely choose Michael Jackson out of... I dunno... loyalty perhaps? Regardless, this point goes to Danzig, so that's 3 points for Danzig and 1 for MJ

Who Is the Better Sex Symbol?

Is this one even worth arguing? Bah fuck it I'll do it anyways. Danzig wins this one hands done based on the fact that well.... his nose didn't fall off. There was a time when I'm sure women would have flaunted themselves onto MJ but as these questions are being asked in the present tense I'd like to think that women (and *** men) would rather flock to a person who's alive rather than a corpse... however MJ has some die hard fans... Anyways this goes to Danzig for the fact that he's still alive and the question was asked in the present tense, so that's 4 points for Danzig and 1 for MJ.

Who is the most in tune with their audience/fans?

Cult followings are a funny thing, it really does show how loud a small group of people can get, however MJ had the best selling record of the 1980's. Then again it doesn't necessarily mean every person who bought Thriller felt that each song spoke to them personally, a lot of people just buy stuff like that and listen to it as background music or as fun music to listen to but not take in any of the deeper meanings. I'm also sure if Danzig were to drop dead today he wouldn't be in the news for months on end. That said, I'm not sure how many crappy bars MJ has played in, being within mere feet of the fans so you do have a more personal feel in that type of environment. Both have a devoted group of fans so this one is kind of a toss up. I could be a dick and just give it to the person still alive, but even then I still think Michael Jackson is more in tune with his fans even beyond the grave because his death brought so many people together. I think Michael Jackson really does deserve this point, so that's 2 points for MJ and 4 for Danzig


In the end I'm not sure if it's really worth it though, I mean you're seriously comparing to very unlike things to see what's better.

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101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

sidewinder

+ Samhain

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Psychomyth

When these questions are asked, I like to put them in perspective rather than answer form. What were comparing and why.

The best vocalist?
When comparing these two genres, you have to ask yourself; Who stood out for the corrosponding Genre? Micheal Jackson compares to other pop stars, as where Danzig compares to the older rock sound. You also have to consider actual throat work, vibrato, and sustain plus many other things as well. The potential may be there, but again when comparing two different styles, who had the most overall voice work? The definition of "Best" vocalist in my book reads more versatile and original. So, where do you stand?

Better front for a band?
There is a fine line between a rock singer and a pop singer. At a rock show you enjoy all aspects of the band. At a pop show, you typically have a solo singer, dancers, and other showmen/women. Also, consider the sales for each show, not only for these two bands alone, but to their corrosponding genres as well. The signers are the faces of the groups.

Better live performer?
Things to consider here are not just the appeal of the singers, but the lights, the effects, and the sales. Which is not entirely the group alone. Rock shows differ from pop shows even today. Danzig has a full group, while Jackson has some wicked dancing and has fame from it. One show could also be better than the other, so to say is REALLY opinionated. Again, the only facts you could present here are sales.

Best general musician?
Again, the distinct difference between a rock group and a pop singer. Im unaware how much of the music Jackson involved himself in, but a rock group usually creates the material themselves. So consider the actual writing process and how much involvement each of the frontmen had.

Better sex symbol?
Generall when I think of sex symbol, I think of who had a peak in their time. Comparing Elvis Presely to Bob Dylan isn't quite fair. Pop singers have to do more than sing, they have to have movement, and provide something for the crowd to soak into. Danzig had a good image for the time as well. Jackson was known later for many other things as mentioned, but during his time what would you hae considered when comparing?

Better attuned with their audience?
What you can consider here is again, how involved in the writing process the artists were, and who was the better showman. Crowds love hearing praise for their local area during shows, right? Too many things to consider here, but I will say it has a lot to do with the people backing them. People such as producers, tour managers, merchandise teams, and so on.

My opinion
Micheal Jackson while not being a preferance of mine to Danzig, left a HUGE mark on the music industry and many other things. During his prime days, him and those who backed him made some of the largest leaps into music the world has seen. So while my opinions are staying a secret in terms of reason, this is where I stand. Both are great at what they did, but for overall sales, markings, and influential moves made, Jackson wins hands down.

The Unfan

It's pretty hard for MJ to be better at much of anything considering the fact that he's dead. You might be able to make an argument for sex symbol if you're into that sort of thing though.

Psychomyth

Just because he is dead doesn't mean he didn't impact anything, unless thats not what your trying to say.

The Unfan

I wasn't saying that at all.

Norg

Who is the better vocalist?- Umm MJ
Who is the better front for a band?- MJ
Who is the better live performer?-MJ
Who is the better general musician?-MJ
Who is the better sex symbol?-MJ
Who is the most in tune with their audience/fans-MJ

well Jackson clean sweeps it