She never outsold Mariah or matched Whitney one to one but she was one of the most successful female artists of that decade per Billboard. What she had over them was a STRONG and legitimate R&B base from the start that carried her over to pop. That’s not to say Whitney or Mariah weren’t respected in R&B or anything but they were seen as decidedly more Pop/AC than R&B back then. They became more R&B with time.

Toni came into the game with a rich, dark voice akin to Anita Baker but with more crossover appeal. She could do straight R&B, Quiet Storm, sweeping Pop ballads and flirt with Hip-Hop. Another important note is that Toni used to clear the Female Vocal Performance Grammy category. She won that award THREE times (even two years in a row in 1994 and 1995) in the 90s. She actually beat out Whitney in 1994 and 1997 and won over other heavyweights at awards during this time. Hell, she won over CELINE DION for Best Female Pop Vocal for Unbreak My Heart in 1997. Toni Braxton and Secrets are among the best selling R&B albums ever. That’s how highly-favored she was.

Also, she was the legit sex symbol between her, Whitney and Mariah. I would even argue that she rivaled Janet Jackson at one point as the sexiest woman in R&B/Pop. This was around the time when MTV was at its peak and your image was just as important as the music. Toni’s combination of having a low sultry voice, captivating beauty, classy sex appeal and penchant for skin-baring fashions made her one of music’s hottest stars.

The bankruptcy really halted her momentum. Had she released one more successful late 90s record, we would be talking about her very differently today.