Whitney Houston dead at 48!

[Angela]

Didn't We Almost Have It All, another great one I forgot about completely.

MTV showing music videos?

I changed the channel hoping to see this miracle of miracles and instead saw Jersey Shore.

I think they dedicated a day of music videos to Michael Jackson after his death. Maybe they'll do same for her on Monday or the day of her funeral.

[dragonflies]

Yeah it was like an hour, heaven forbid they not show that crap Jersey Shore *eye roll*

[SFK]

SNL just flashed a still of Whitney when she did the "Supahstah!" skit with Molly Shannon.

[dragonflies]

VH-1 is airing Whitney videos now

[Angela]

Thanks, I just turned it on at the end of IWALY.

Damn, that voice was beyond butter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN2Mp6gu8N0

[Mr. Vixen]

Wow - I can't even believe this. I haven't been near a computer all evening, but I've been so curious to see what you all would have to say about this. She truly was the greatest singer of all time. She had such a sad life in recent years. This is such a tragedy, and I hope she is in a better place now.

RIP Whitney.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

Setting here listening to "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" which, was always my personal favorite of her's.

[Mr. Vixen]

Sitting here listening to "I Will Always Love You" crying a little. As a singer, I always aspired to be even just half as good as her. Her talent was unreal.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Seriously, the era of 80's/early 90's pop icons is very special to me. People like Michael, Madonna, Prince, Whitney, George Michael, and Janet weren't just your averagerun of the mill pop star, they were inescapable and you couldn't help but stop and watch/notice them for one reason or another.

That was the last great era of pop artists, and I don't care if that makes me sound old.

Edited February 12, 2012 by Y&RWorldTurner

[Mr. Vixen]

+1. I could not agree more.

[dragonflies]

+2

[quartermainefan]

This has a lot to do with the collapse of top 40 and the fracturing of radio. When Wham! had a hit with "wake me up before you go go" it was heard everywhere and people young and old would be exposed to it, and from all demographics. And the beauty of top 40 was you could get Madonna and then suddenly Barbra Streisand right after her because everyone had to duke it out on the same chart and the stations played it no matter what the genre. That's how I, a jewish kid with no exposure to rap, hip hop or anything similar growing up (except Blondie's "Rapture") can still word for word go through "Planet Rock" and just as easily sing "you light up my life". And kids just don't get that today. I think the last songs to truly saturate culture were probably "I want it that way" "iivin la vida loca" and "smooth" by Santana. LMFAO did have that really popular song last year but that would be like 1/100th of the radio airplay something like "Every Breath You Take" got. Now that was a song there was just no escaping.

Edited February 12, 2012 by quartermainefan

[Angela]

We're children of the 80s (and some 70s), but... They're really the last class of singing superstars that really had an INCREDIBLE impact on the industry. They were the last really strong class of creators. Almost every singer today takes something from one of them or the other in their art. Their shadows have been hard to break free from. I don't know if we'll remember that much of Justin, Christina, and even Beyonce 20-25 years from now.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

I think this is the only celebrity death that I have ever cried over. Seriously, this was so unexpected and sad.

[SFK]

Seriously. I wish somebody would try to state that Christina could even touch a Whitney. I believe the word Madonna used recently when asked about Lady Gaga was "derivative". Christina is a VERY derivative singer, her style is completely learned, borrowed, all ear, all throat, mimicked soul. Madonna does not have the greatest voice but she was unique and she totally captured a moment. Folks are quick to dis the eighties, and I may be biased, but it was one of the most pop culturally rich decades EVER. So iconic, from music, to movies, to TV shows, to freaking TOYS. Image has always played a part in the music industry, it was no different in the eighties, but Whitney could sing her ass off in a doo rag and house coat. Too many of the pop stars today merely have passable vocal ability, and they are completely built up by the externals. The Beyonce stans annoy me to no end, but what she lacks vocally she at least makes up for with an artist's eye and mind. One could say the same for Gaga but personally I see more business acumen than artistry. She knows who butters her bread and she targets that audience. George Michael is up there with Freddie Mercury in terms of the greatest high tenor male singers of our time. He didn't just sing pretty but he connected. Timberlake imo has always been too pleased with himself and although I think he's written and sung some great, catchy songs, there is that darned stank of affectation.