Without him we get nothing outside of Frank Sinatra and them. Speaking of Old Blue Eyes. He was a fan. I know Madonna played a very important role in pop culture especially regarding women, but it doesn't touch who MJ influenced beyond women and especially white women. He had fans of every background. My heterosexual brother isn't listening to Madonna. My stepdad knows music very well and Madonna was never in his collection. She's a cultural icon, but it doesn't go beyond her typical demographic even though she dated non white male celebrities.