Is Lepa Brena the “Michael Jackson” of the Balkans/Eastern Europe in terms of fame?

Posted by tipoftheiceberg1234@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 206 comments

Is Lepa Brena the “Michael Jackson” of the Balkans/Eastern Europe in terms of fame?

I don’t know anyone else who comes close. And this is not “do you like Lepa Brena”, this is just presence, level of fame etc…

In communist Yugoslavia, she was the best selling solo artist in the country’s history. She sold over 40.000.000 records during the 80s. She gave what is to this day the largest concert in Bulgarian history, with over 110.000 spectators. She was in Romania. All Albanian people who I’ve talked to know her. When I went on my language seminars, all the Polish people there (even the younger generation) were familiar with her. Everyone who knows her likes at least one of her songs, regardless of how much they pretend not to.

It sounds weird comparing a woman to Michael Jackson and ascribing his level of fame to a pop star from Eastern Europe. Almost like it doesn’t belong.

But she did what no one else could.