Prince (October 25, 1984) – “Prince Is Giving Michael A Run For The Money” Feature - Southern Illinoisan
This substantial Southern Illinoisan feature by Nancy Weil examines Prince's extraordinary rise during the Purple Rain phenomenon and asks whether Prince could challenge Michael Jackson's position at the top of American pop music. The article compares the two performers' audiences, personalities and commercial appeal while documenting the continuing success of the Purple Rain album and film and the rapidly selling forthcoming Prince tour.
Publication: Southern Illinoisan
Date: October 25, 1984
Country: United States
Published in the Carbondale Streets section under the dramatic headline “Prince is giving Michael a run for the money”, Nancy Weil opens by asking whether Prince could “dethrone the king of Pop?”
The feature presents Prince as taking an increasingly prominent position within American popular music through the combined success of the Purple Rain album and film.
Michael Jackson provides the obvious comparison. The article notes that Thriller remained extremely successful, but argues that Prince had developed substantial momentum of his own.
Record-store manager Steve Emery discusses the similarities and differences between the two artists. According to Emery, marketing and timing had played important roles in the success of both.
The article also identifies a difference between their audiences. Michael Jackson is described as possessing a broader appeal across multiple age groups, while Prince's particularly loyal audience is characterised as ranging from the early teens into the mid-twenties.
PURPLE RAIN
The commercial success of Purple Rain forms the central evidence for Prince's growing position.
The article reports that the album was selling briskly, while Jackson's Thriller records continued selling from store shelves.
Prince's latest release from Purple Rain is identified as the biggest seller at Emery's shop, although sales are described as beginning to decline as the initial novelty faded.
The accompanying film is also central to the discussion. Prince's success is presented as extending beyond records into cinema, helping create the wider cultural impact surrounding Purple Rain during 1984.
THE REVOLUTION AND FORTHCOMING TOUR
The feature looks ahead to Prince's national tour with The Revolution.
Tickets are described as selling extremely quickly. Prince was scheduled to perform in St. Louis during early December, illustrating the strong demand surrounding the tour before it had even begun nationally.
The article contrasts this touring activity with Prince's reserved public persona. Despite enormous visibility through the record and film, Prince is described as reluctant to participate in interviews.
Both Prince and Michael Jackson are portrayed as comparatively private performers who tightly controlled their public exposure.
PRINCE AND MICHAEL JACKSON
The article repeatedly returns to the question raised by its headline: could Prince genuinely overtake Michael Jackson?
Rick Bird, a radio disc jockey, argues that a direct comparison is difficult because the two artists appeal to audiences in different ways.
Jackson's popularity is associated with the enormous international impact of Thriller, while Prince's strength is presented as coming from the combination of recordings, Purple Rain, The Revolution and rapidly increasing public interest.
Bird also places the comparison within a broader historical context. The feature references earlier major-selling albums from artists including Fleetwood Mac and Carole King, noting that even exceptional commercial achievements are difficult to repeat.
The conclusion is therefore more cautious than the headline. Prince had clearly become a major challenger within American pop, but the extraordinary scale of Thriller remained an extremely high commercial benchmark.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Two large black-and-white photographs dominate the page.
The Prince photograph is reproduced from Rolling Stone and consists of a tightly cropped portrait.
The Michael Jackson photograph, credited as an AP photo, shows Jackson during a public appearance.
The two images are positioned side by side, visually reinforcing the article's central comparison between the two performers.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
Published during the height of the Purple Rain phenomenon, the feature provides a useful contemporary snapshot of the moment when Prince was increasingly being discussed alongside Michael Jackson at the highest level of American popular music.
Importantly, the newspaper does not simply declare one performer more successful than the other. Instead, the article examines differences in audience demographics, record sales, marketing, touring and public personality.
The clipping demonstrates how extraordinary Prince's rise appeared in October 1984. Within the space of the Purple Rain campaign, Prince had moved into a position where American newspapers were openly asking whether Prince could challenge the commercial dominance established by Michael Jackson.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Comparison of Prince and Michael Jackson at the height of Purple Rain
Era: 1984 Purple Rain era
Tone: Analytical, commercial and comparative
Writer: Nancy Weil
Photography: Large Prince portrait alongside a Michael Jackson photograph
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Prince presented as a major challenger to Michael Jackson's position in American pop
• Continuing strong sales for the Purple Rain album
• Discussion of the audiences attracted by Prince and Michael Jackson
• Thriller used as the commercial benchmark for comparison
• Tickets for Prince and The Revolution's national tour described as selling quickly
• Prince scheduled to perform in St. Louis in early December
• Discussion of Prince's reluctance to give interviews
• Side-by-side photographic presentation of Prince and Michael Jackson
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
Comments