Arguably, the three biggest stars in pop music in the $1980$s were Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince.Bob Stanley appears to agree, devoting two chapters to the trio in Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! $($chapters $46$&$47).$ Based on our look at the $1980$ s and on your reading of these two chapters, rank Jackson, Madonna and Prince in order of importance to the world of pop music, and briefly explain your reasoning. Notably, all three decidedly fall within the category of 'Pop Music' rather than 'Rock & Roll.$\text{'}$

For $1$ bonus mark, what does this fact tell us about the state of popular music in the mid$1980$ s$?$