Beyonce & Kelly Go Where Diana & Any Supreme Couldn't

[jobeterob]

I found this posted elsewhere and I haven't verified it, but I guess Kelly Rowland and Beyonce are topping the charts:

"This week on the Pop Album Chart Kelly Rowland[[Motown/Universal Republic) has the #3 album and Beyonce the #4 album; decades ago Mary was never able to achieve the success as Diana had a stronghold in the hearts and minds of the American public. Now, taking it one further, both divas have Top 20 pop singles. Does anyone know if two members of a female trio have had simultaneously top 10 albums and top 20 singles hits?"

It looks like this might be one for the record books. I don't think even Eddie and David managed anything close to this.

[REDHOT]

I'm so happy for Kelly and Beyonce,they seem to be very nice young ladies,i hope nothing but success,for them.
Please stay positive

[smark21]

In the UK, I believe all of the members of the Spice Girls had scored solo top ten hits and top ten albums at various times. That's the closest I can think of. But it's very rare for any member of a female group to score a solo success.

[marybrewster]

In November, 1999, Geri Halliwell's "Lift Me Up" charted at #1; at #2 was Emma Bunton's "What I Am".

Having the number ONE and number TWO single? Not even Beyonce or Kelly can compete with that.

[RossHolloway]

It must be an exceptionally slow news day today...

[carlo]

*big yawn*

[marv2]

Double yawn leading to a semi-comatose state! LOL!

[jobeterob]

Mary, did the Halliwell/Bunton thing happen in the USA? Or UK?

Chart subtleties always make big news and cause controversy and argument.

As noted by Smark, success by any solo female out of a group is rare.

[detmotownguy]

Not really sure what the motivation behind this topic is, but an accomplished career consists of more than hit records. Longevity or staying power is one. History has yet to prove that either of the two aforementioned ladies will be singing 40 years from now as have Mary and Diane. The Supremes influenced so many girl groups who succeeded them such as the Emotions, En Vouge, and most likely Destiny'd Child. We can only hope that Kelly and Beyonce go where Mary and Diane have, they both are talented. I am not sure they will have the same impact of the Supremes on popular music. Time will tell......

[jobeterob]

Agree with detmotownguy.

This is nothing more than a "chart fact"; fun, but who knows what it means.

I see Billboard is reporting some story this morning showing Rhianna, Beyonce and Britney Spears now having the most Top 10 singles amongst women; what happened to Diana, Aretha, Dionne, Whitney or even Cher?

[detmotownguy]

I am from a different generation and of course was socialized with the professional Motown stars. Little of today's music does nothing for me. Heck even movies and commercials seem to still rely on the "older", well let's say more established music. It just seems that the older music has the staying power. In the old days, for the most part, the stage was a blank canvas that required the performers to be artists. I find the fireworks and lazer lights annoying and distracting. There is nothing like watching the J-5, Sups, Temps, Martha, and all the rest on stage dancing and interpreting the music. Enough said, just my opinion and getting old.... lol

[arrr&bee]

i am from a different generation and of course was socialized with the professional motown stars. Little of today's music does nothing for me. Heck even movies and commercials seem to still rely on the "older", well let's say more established music. It just seems that the older music has the staying power. In the old days, for the most part, the stage was a blank canvas that required the performers to be artists. I find the fireworks and lazer lights annoying and distracting. There is nothing like watching the j-5, sups, temps, martha, and all the rest on stage dancing and interpreting the music. Enough said, just my opinion and getting old.... Lol

yeah...what he just said!!

[loveblind]

I am from a different generation and of course was socialized with the professional Motown stars. Little of today's music does nothing for me. Heck even movies and commercials seem to still rely on the "older", well let's say more established music. It just seems that the older music has the staying power. In the old days, for the most part, the stage was a blank canvas that required the performers to be artists. I find the fireworks and lazer lights annoying and distracting. There is nothing like watching the J-5, Sups, Temps, Martha, and all the rest on stage dancing and interpreting the music. Enough said, just my opinion and getting old.... lol

Those people had charisma, something that's lacking in far too many of today's artists

[ms_m]

LOL....so I'm guessing you guys weren't down with Parliment or even Bohannon huh?

[smark21]

Agree with detmotownguy.

This is nothing more than a "chart fact"; fun, but who knows what it means.

I see Billboard is reporting some story this morning showing Rhianna, Beyonce and Britney Spears now having the most Top 10 singles amongst women; what happened to Diana, Aretha, Dionne, Whitney or even Cher?

Or Madonna? I suspect the focus of the story is top ten singles in this century, which would make it quite plausible that Britney, Beyonce, and Rhianna are far ahead of singers whose heyday were the 60's-90's.

[jobeterob]

Yes you are right; as I recall 18 top 10's for Rhianna, 14 for Beyonce and maybe 12 for Britney; apparently Britney Spears has some other giant hit out there now.

Ha.........I don't know any of the songs of these women; I think Rhianna might be on some Gym CD I have; and I know that Rhianna got assaulted by some Chris guy; I know Beyonce loves Tina and Diana; and I know the Britney song where she wants us to F - U - C - K Amy [[If you Seek Amy).

Madonna ranks far above them all. I'll take Diana Aretha and Dionne any day.

[carlo]

Sorry, but I don't see how this discussion has anything to do with Motown.

Billboard charts mean little to nothing these days. Apparently Beyonce's new album has barely hit the 200,000 copies mark and is declining...and that constitutes as a top 5 album.

[marv2]

Sorry, but I don't see how this discussion has anything to do with Motown.

Billboard charts mean little to nothing these days. Apparently Beyonce's new album has barely hit the 200,000 copies mark and is declining...and that constitutes as a top 5 album.

Oh you beat me to it! I was just about to say that. What does his have to do with Motown?

[Roberta75]

No...the subliminal message in the song is not about "Amy". If you sound it out properly, it's F-U-C-K Me...not Amy. lol.

Carlo and jobeterob is this type of language really necessary?

Roberta?

[carlo]

lol. I apologize, Roberta. This is a popular Britney Spears song. It was played on the radio non-stop, with those exact lyrics.

[Roberta75]

lol. I apologize, Roberta. This is a popular Britney Spears song. It was played on the radio non-stop, with those exact lyrics.

Apology accepted sweet Carlo. Well if this is the type of language they are playing on popular radio stations today, I'll stick with my tried and true Praise and Soultown which are both on Sirius Radio.

[jobeterob]

I was introduced to the Britney Spears song through a gym CD. For several weeks, I honestly thought the song was If You Seek Amy; and it is very catchy. I can recall humming and singing the refrain and my youngest son said to me......"do you know what you are saying?" And I didn't. And then it came to me.

But this is the kind of song that is played on radio these days.

And unfortunately, the connection to Motown here is that Destiny's Child is besting the Supremes. Although, I have to agree.........they can keep besting them because half of these records mean nothing much anymore.

[144man]

For what my opinion is worth [["Not a lot" do I hear you say?), I think it's a legitimate topic here bearing in mind the thread title.

[marybrewster]

I think [[no offense to rob) that this topic is a big stretch.

Once again we're trying to compare apples to oranges. Beyonce and Kelly Rowland have the benefit of Facebook and MySpace and Twitter and YouTube and iTunes. Add to it their own personal websites and fan websites. Beyonce could fart and it would be a number one hit.

Diana Ross had the benefit of a company President who was willing to put EVERYTHING on the line for her to become a success. The looks; the talent.....there's no way she could lose.

Mary Wilson had the benefit of a foolish husband who got her a solo contract, if only for her to drop her lawsuit against the company that she, and several others, helped build. Very little promotion followed, and once her LP dropped, she was dropped from the label. IMO, it's only been within the last decade or so that Ms. Wilson has come into her "own" as a soloist.

[jobeterob]

I agree with your post Mary.

Except for maybe the comment about Beyonce farting. She has had some incredible success but she seems to be facing the inevitable slip right at this time; so even Beyonce won't always sell.

As I've said elsewhere, I listen to Mary Wilson sing on the reissued High Energy and the voice was there by that time. With the right material, producers, and proper promotion she should have been able to be a success. Perhaps the rise of the disco era and the demise of the Supremes, the feeling out there that they were "old", conspired against her, along with Pedro and Motown, to sabotage it all.

[Ramone Verona]

Very True!
Mary should write another book: "It's Taken Me A Lifetime!"

[smark21]

A few years ago, another former member of Destiny's Child scored a hit album and hit R and B single: LaToya Luckett, who had been let go from the group at the end of 99 just as the group's career was about to go to the next level. However Luckett and LaTavia Roberson got into a dispute with Matthew Knowles and after a lot of behind the scenes drama, they were let go and replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. Franklin lasted 6 months and was asked to leave as she couldn't keep up with the schedule and finally the line up was locked in with Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle. Luckett resurfaced a few years later with a solo album that did pretty well, though perhaps it might have been anti Beyonce fans who propelled her album to number one. She released a follow a couple years later, but it did nothing and she's pretty much returned to obscurity. But unlike Flo, she at least got a taste of solo success.