My friend says "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell...

[Beakertwang]

is objectively as good or better than "Billie Jean", and that Soft Cell didn't gain the popularity of Michael Jackson only because of Michael's financial backing. And he adamantly and unequivocally defended his position.

Discuss.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

The original kind of stinks:

 

[Flyin' Brian]

Disagree vehemently. But opinions aren't wrong.
My response to him would be "ok".

 

[Simon]

Apples and Oranges? But I would say He is wrong, Soft Cell could have had all the backing in the world and they never would have reached MJ's stature as a artist, shoot! He'd already kicked more ass by the time He was 10 then they ever did.
Tell him to play that song live and ask who did it? Hardly anyone knows or remembers.

 

[iamdavea]

I think there's hundreds of '80s songs better than "Billie Jean." Though I'm not sure that "Tainted Love" is one of them.

 

[Beakertwang]

The original kind of stinks:

I wasn't aware it was a cover. And to me, this is much more listenable than the Soft Cell version.

 

[Stike]

is objectively as good or better than "Billie Jean", and that Soft Cell didn't gain the popularity of Michael Jackson only because of Michael's financial backing. And he adamantly and unequivocally defended his position.

Discuss.

“Tainted Love” might be better than “Billie Jean” (according to your friend) but I’m pretty sure Soft Cell never had anything as good as “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.

 

[slybird]

I think your friend is wrong. Coil's version of Tainted Love is way better than the one from Soft Cell.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I’m pretty sure Soft Cell never had anything as good

Yeah, but what about Gloria Jones' string of hits?

 

[jimijimmyjeffy]

Soft Cell was way better in their genre than Michael Jackson was in that genre.

In related news, we put a man on the moon, but have not, as a species, developed a tongue in cheek emoticon. https://www.google.com/search?q=ton...X&ved=0ahUKEwiX_YyKnbnbAhWr7YMKHSt7CMMQ_AUIBQ
https://www.google.com/search?q=ton...X&ved=0ahUKEwiX_YyKnbnbAhWr7YMKHSt7CMMQ_AUIBQ

 

[willyboy]

Wow I didn't know Tainted Love was a cover. Gotta say the original version is really cool

 

[massacre]

The original kind of stinks:

I disagree about the song
But that video is terrible

 

[tiktok]

is objectively as good or better than "Billie Jean", and that Soft Cell didn't gain the popularity of Michael Jackson only because of Michael's financial backing. And he adamantly and unequivocally defended his position.

Discuss.

There is no idea so wrong that at least one person can’t be found to defend it.

 

[3waytie4last]

is objectively as good or better than "Billie Jean"

One person's opinion is inherently not objective, but subjective, and therefore the argument is null.

 

[S. F. Sorrow]

Always thought the magic to SC's Tainted Love came from producer Mike Thorne. He produced Wire's early LPs too.

 

[Shredtrash]

Love the original and cover versions of "Tainted Love" but neither tops one of the marquee songs on one of the best pop records of all-time.

 

[I Am Misery]

The original kind of stinks:

i actually hadn't heard this before. pretty cool, but misses the heavy emphasis on those two beats (in the space between "i've got to" and "run away/get away" in the verse), which i think totally "makes" the Soft Cell version.



...ahh, i can see that they got that idea from this 1976 version that she did (produced by Marc Bolan):




as for the OP, i think the real question is "would 'Billie Jean' be as popular if it wasn't a Michael Jackson song?" this has more to do with the (already huge) popularity/reputation of Michael Jackson than it does the financial backing of Soft Cell. either way, while i really enjoy 'Tainted Love' (and especially the segue into 'Where Did Our Love Go' on the extended 12" version), i'd agree that 'Billie Jean' is a better song overall. they're really too different to "compare" though. i actually just heard that again yesterday, the production on that one still amazes me.

 

[mikebat]

I really like Soft Cell, but come on. There is no way that song or that band could reach the masses like Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. They did not have the image, mystic, track record, momentum, live performance, generational TV moments and ground breaking (although I will controversially say mechanic) production that MJ did.

For the record, I much much prefer pre Thriller MJ, and that there are two or three songs after Off The Wall that I would ever listen to on purpose.

 

[MrSteve]

Marc Almond never moonwalked on the Motown 25th anniversary special. I do wonder what a Michael Jackson Hendrix medley would do and like.

 

[Bluedano1]

The original kind of stinks:

I never knew it was a cover, but I did always think that it was trying to evoke an early '60's ' girl group' sound, especially on the chorus...
I like the original ( now) too!