Hmmm...in your opinion maybe...but I think I can compare her to who I want in my opinion! Cyndi lauper can reach an amazing scale with her vocals, Ok I accept Shania and Janet might struggle with that kind of vocal range..
They might not be able to hit the whistle register but does not make them amazing or as you say mediocre vocalists in the least.


So moving on.....

Someone above said that he/she does not know anyone who likes Mariah, yet she is so popular on forums. I agree, I lovvve Mariah and have a lot of her albums, but I do not know very many other people who actually like her. My friends say they can't stand her because she is such a diva, she thinks she's brilliant, her voice, the way she goes high in songs and it is impossible to sing along to some of her songs.

Personally I think she's amazing and sales of in excess of 200million shows how many fans she has I think.

I will say one thing though, and it is MY OPINION.......but personally I do not like her hip hop stuff. Stick with pop and rnb

You see, I think she was at a point, and then she ruined it by switching to all the hip hop stuff. She hasn't had a great soul/rnb ballad since Through the Rain or We Belong Together.

I don't think she's ever been considered to be a serious RnB/soul artist anywhere. She's primarily seen as a pop vocalist. I wasn't old enough to go to clubs during her prime so I don't know if she was played in the clubs. I'd imagine most of her material back them wasn't club friendly anyway. Apart from a few remixes and uptempos most of it was ballads which wouldn't have been appropriate.

Mariah Carey Synopsis: In her early years Mariah was known for her amazing vocal range and had a string of massive hits. But then she started to hang about with rappers come producers and her albums became R&B and hip-hop infuenced, losing the essential essence of what she was good at. Her songs have became more frothy and lightweight over the years making her no different from any other pop artist.

It depends though. Maybe the lite end of the r&b market like Kiss considered her r&b or soul but I don't think you'll find the more serious end of the market or the purists would think she was anything of the sort.

She's not liked that much in this country anymore. That is due to her change in image and musical style. I think the general opinion held by most in the UK is that she has lost it and is a washed up diva who threw away her taleht. People seemed to be offended when she went from the girl next door with the golden voice to a slut who hung around with rappers wasting her talent. I don't know where the diva thing came from though. I think sadly her breakdown was the final nail in the coffin as far as the UK were concerned. It's sad but that is exactly what happens when you alienate your fanbase. Britney went through a similar thing in the UK. She started off as the sweet virginal school girl who then turned into a 'slut' in the eyes of the public. Her breakdown seems to have been the final nail in the coffin where the public is concerned.

So yea Mariah was massive in the UK between 93-96. She had lots of fans and was a big deal over here.

I agree. Even in America she isn't really considered to be a real RnB artist. I think people's idea of what RnB is has changed. I think this is largely because of artists like Mariah, Beyonce, Rihanna, Usher etc releasing watered down RNB which is really pop and it getting mistaken for RnB.

I agree. I've been into soul music all my life and I get quite shocked by what some people these days call r&b or soul.

Butterfly is probably my favourite Mariah album i think its definitely her best along with Daydream. And Rainbow is an awful album followed up two more weak albums before a return to form i agree that part of the blame is her chnage in sound and image but the decline in quality has as much to answer for.

There's a song on Daydream called Underneath The Stars, oh gosh I just love that song, THAT was Mariah Carey, not the "I wanna be a rapper" stuff.

She was massive in the first half of the nineties then lost it (in more ways than one) for a few years only to come back and make an albeit brief appearance back on a high in 2005

Mimi was a superb album I just hope she can re-emerge again back on top although as time passes and she gets older I think its becoming more unlikely sadly.

I just can't really see her engaging with a younger audience to be honest,I think another top 5 hit will be a long time coming me thinks

She'll probably end up being a bit of a heritage act (albeit a very famous one) who will still have huge appeal to her established fanbase. Whitney, bless her probably would have ended up the same

Would love to see a real talent like MC come back and show these current singers how it should be done

Yes she was popular but not like she was in the United States.

She's definitely a household name in the UK, my 85-year old gran knows who she is and so does my 6-year old niece but I don't know how popular she was at her peak as in 1993-1996 I was between the ages of 1 and 5 and the first record of hers I can recall hearing was Heartbreaker in 99 when she performed it on Top of the Pops (for the record I actually really like Heartbreaker along with Fantasy, Emotions, Without You and Hero it's about the only song of hers I like)

My mum LOVES her though so my view may be somewhat tainted as I grew up listening to her

Her new song from the Oz film sounds good

Yes and my point was MY OPINION...

Sorry, you're right, its silly of me spouting out about having my opinion when I'm giving off to someone who's equally just entitled in sharing theirs - sorry Mark AnthonyNo hard feelings

This thread has made me pretty nostalgic with Mariah - I've been you tubing a lot of her songs - gosh I had forgotten about the brilliant I'll Be There cover she did, or Someday and and Get Your Number.

I may have to buy a few albums and hoke out my old ones

This is probably the most ignorant thing I've ever read on the DS forum. I'm a straight male and have been a major Mariah fan since I was 12. There is no sexuality attached to loving great vocals and a specific artist's music.

Hmm, she's definitely always been a household name. Though in my eyes as a 22 year old she only became 'relevant' again in my living memory in 2005 with the terrific Emancipation Of Mimi. Before then I associated her with All I Want For Christmas, and considered her a bit of a joke to be honest.

It's a shame with the following two albums she lost sight of what made 2005 so successful for her; not just appealing to the kiddies with the genre or sexiness, but a genuinely strong album.

I don't think it's that ignorant. I'm straight, and I like Mariah, but seriously, most of my friends absolutely never listen to ANYTHING by a female singer. They joke that I'm gay because of my music tastes (and I listen to mostly hip hop anyway).

I'm a straight guy that likes Mariah, but I'm aware I'm in the minority. It's no different to how most gay people don't listen to 50 Cent for example.

If you don't believe me, go on a hip hop forum, and start a poll asking members what their sexual orientation is, then go on a dance-pop forum and start a poll asking members what their sexual orientation is.

Were not all that thick Erick. Give us some credit

I love that you love Mariah!

eh? where did i say shes a nobody or dismiss her popularity?

now theres two things here, was the op talking about her uk popularity or worldwide popularity? i thought as we are mainly uk based the op was refering to that as the header clearly states! .... i know that shes big especially in america... but so what?

back to my point..... her uk sales prove that she has a large fanbase, but as i and others have moved in (or been aware of) 'trendy' circles for nearly 50 years, theres no love for her there. do you think that the grunge fans, rave, indie, britpop, dance/trance, rock, even pop fans over her career like her?... im sure theres a very small minority that do, but generally amongst the trendy music fans not.

i cant comment on her r n b appeal, i dont know many people who like that, so i dont know how r n b fans view her.

so who are her fans?... probably the mass public who tbf dont actually care much for music per se, but do indulge in 'safe' artists. abit like 'release me' getting to #1 above the beatles.... indeed like engelbert humperdink and tom jones dominating music in 1967 the summer of love, or like the film soudtrack to the sound of music being one of the biggest selling albums of the 60's.

so no, i dont think she was big with music fans, i think she was / is big with joe public.


did you read my quote? i made it perfectly clear that i was 1) asking a question, and 2) said im sure there are (straight male fans), but as a %.... ie if 5% (or whatever) of the population are gay, is mariahs fanbase made up of a similar % or has she, like other divas, got a higher % gay following then the % of gay people in the general population...

its ignorant because i dont KNOW the answer, thats why i asked the question.

Speaking of her golden oldies I was listening to sent from up above and all in your mind yesterday. I love those songs. She has a great catalogue of songs. Luckily I have all her stuff on my iPod as my CDs are all in crates stored in the loft.

To be fair though, it's not that ignorant as a lot of her male fans are gay. I am a gay male and anytime I put a Mariah record on I usually get " uhhhh your so gay" all in good jest of course. Most guys I know who like Mariah are gay too. I don't really know a lot of straight guys who like her, or will admit to liking her to put it another way.

There's nothing wrong with being straight and liking her, she's brilliant!

The most played song on my iPod is the Heartbreaker remix

thank you