Both artists came on to the scene at about the same time. They had vastly different levels of talent. Whitney Houston is unquestionably one of the great voice talents of her generation. Madonna has very little voice talent. Nonetheless, 25 years later, who has been the more successful entertainer? Madonna.I see this all the time with hugely talented people who believe their gift is enough to carry them into a career. Your gift is a great starting point, and it's valuable, but it can't stand up against a marketing genius with great business sense.
This is the lesson that we can learn from Madonna and Whitney: no matter how great your innate talent, make sure that you support it with solid business and marketing decisions.
