Madonna Singles

I like how none of the Rihannas and Britneys and Pinks have yet to match the understated timelessness of her early stuff. It's like every new song and video that comes out has to be louder and glitzier and more over the top.

"Crazy for You" has that remarkable moment where Madonna, never much of a singer, lowers her voice down from its chirpy default to a more seductive rumble. That's the point where she shifts from kids' stuff to something richer.

"Live to Tell," though, is an amazing song, not least for its ambiguity. I love its haunting use in "At Close Range." I also love the Bill Frisell cover.

Also thoroughly love "Into the Groove," "Open Your Heart," "Borderline," "Burning Up" and that Bjork song. "Bedtime Story?" Some of those lost years ballads are pretty good, too, like "Rain."

And Patrick Leonard=best writing partner? Oh, he also did "Who's That Girl!" Loved that one as a kid myself.

Shep Pettibone was her best writing partner.

Yes, I've always liked 'Live to Tell'.

I like how none of the Rihannas and Britneys and Pinks have yet to match the understated timelessness of her early stuff. It's like every new song and video that comes out has to be louder and glitzier and more over the top.

― redmond, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 9:53 AM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

was just thinking if only someone (if not madonna herself) would go back to this early sound.

"Crazy for You" has that remarkable moment where Madonna, never much of a singer, lowers her voice down from its chirpy default to a more seductive rumble. That's the point where she shifts from kids' stuff to something richer.

"Live to Tell," though, is an amazing song, not least for its ambiguity. I love its haunting use in "At Close Range." I also love the Bill Frisell cover.

OTM. I published an essay on these very qualities.

*discussing these very qualities.

Stating the obvious here, but what a fantastic run of singles. No duds at all until 'Express Yourself'

um, Express Yourself is so gooood

And even that's not bad, just kind of charmless

geez no way! charmless my foot

let's talk about Dress You Up for a second

the crispness of that vocal line, the way it cuts

ouch

"Angel"!

just listened to it!! so great

ALL OVER ALL OVER

i ~love~ 'dress you up'

the crispness of that vocal line, the way it cuts

yeah it just SLICES into the chorus

still love that B-more break mix of 'Angel' i got from palm out ages ago

my top 5 (in no order):
1)borderline
2)live to tell
3)lucky star
4)crazy for you
5)into the groove.

all of those are among the best pop songs of all time.

swap 'like a prayer' for 'crazy for you' and still ^^^

HOLIDAY!!!!

and also into the groove. But seriously, why so few mentions of holiday?

I have to go for "Dear Jessie", but out of the more well-known ones, "Holiday" is definitely a good call. Love "Lucky Star" too. And "Music" even though it isn't much of a song harmonically.

"Crazy for You" has that remarkable moment where Madonna, never much of a singer, lowers her voice down from its chirpy default to a more seductive rumble. That's the point where she shifts from kids' stuff to something richer.

"Live to Tell," though, is an amazing song, not least for its ambiguity. I love its haunting use in "At Close Range." I also love the Bill Frisell cover.

OTM. I published an essay on these very qualities.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, martes 9 de diciembre de 2008 15:13 (Yesterday)

That's a very nice writeup Soto!

Thanks!

Alright I've been looking everywhere for this groovier - into the groove 12" - mentioned upthread and I still can't find it. ysi anyone?

have we not done a madonna singles poll?

like top 10 in rank order or something?

into the groove wins obv, but then--?

she probably has too many singles to fit into an ilx poll

POX is also impossible: ranking only her 10/10 flawless all-time classic singles gives me the following -

deeper and deeper
die another day
burning up
bad girl
open your heart
like a prayer
into the groove
everybody
vogue
music
frozen
take a bow
justify my love
hung up
ray of light
dress you up
oh father
live to tell
don't tell me
beautiful stranger
like a virgin
borderline
papa don't preach

i consider it a real mark of her greatness that my three favourite madonna singles come from three separate decades

look at those songs! even if she (likely) never releases anything truly great again she can still say she has the greatest catalogue in pop music.

there's going to be a tracks poll, but it's quite far down in the queue so it won't take place till 2013/14.

Today, coincidentally, I have to write an essay on Madonna and choose a Top 10 which mixes hits with a couple of surprises. The essay's easy, the list is hard.

there's still room for someone to sign up to do a proper Madonna ballot poll

what was your top 10 in the end DL? and indeed where is your essay?

My top fifteen postedhere. But here's ten:

Angel
Where's The Party (Dub Remix)
Burning Up
Crazy For You
Vogue
Deeper and Deeper
Live To Tell
Into the Groove
Like a Prayer
Open Your Heart

Cherish because even my dad loves it (I caught him humming it once. It was kinda weird.)
Borderline - first Madonna song I heard
Like a Prayer
Frozen
Oh Father
Bad Girl
Burning Up
Ray of Light

I hate Vogue. I can admit it's a decent song and I can understand people liking it, but it annoys the hell out of me.

Writing it for next issue of Q. I don't think of myself as a big Madonna fan but I loved writing it and found myself working from a shortlist of 30 brilliant songs - I love it when work forces me to re-engage with an artist and realise how much I like them. It's not quite my personal top 10 because that would be all singles and I was asked to pick out a couple of "deep cuts" to mix it up a bit but anyway it's this:

Borderline
Into the Groove
Live to Tell
Oh Father
Justify My Love
Deeper and Deeper
I Want You
Skin
Don't Tell Me
Hung Up (SDP Extended Vocal)

Regrettable omissions: Burning Up, Ray of Light, Music, Bad Girl, Express Yourself, Crazy For You, Everybody, Beautiful Stranger.

it's pretty much impossible not to put together a solid gold top 10, isn't it.

my fav two remixes are prob

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL4NPftrcr0

immense synth line grinding itself into your face forever - mdna for REAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWNu3Un7_5Y

terrifying* and mental version of "justify my love" where she starts reciting the book of revelation like a possessed woman

*esp at 6am in an, er, altered state

deep cuts off the albums - she got way better at these in the '90s, i think (or maybe just picked the best songs as singles in the '80s)

secret garden
in this life
love tried to welcome me
to have and not to hold
sky fits heaven
impressive instant
inside of me
push
waiting
thief of hearts

If it's just limited to singles (and making an effort to spread it around chronologically, instead of just listing everything from 1989-1993):

Lucky Star
Live to Tell
Open Your Heart
Vogue
Erotica
Fever
I'll Remember
Nothing Really Matters
Don't Tell Me
Get Together

i love thief of hearts.

you'll do it, you'll take it, you'll screw it, you'll fake it, undo it, you'll break it, you're over, you can't take it

Someone joked to me once that song was about me and now I just can't even listen to it anymore.

Because it makes me sad that he was only joking.

deep cuts off the albums - she got way better at these in the '90s

Cuz she recorded better albums-as-albums.

"Skin" is such a great great GREAT song, I wish she'd done a full Underworld pastiche album

"thief of hearts" matches up really well to something i remember reading in some gossip rag that sandra bernhard had said about madonna, that "she'll steal all your friends." i like to imagine that song as madonna's song about herself from the pov of haters.

Nice pairing with "Bad Girl," then.

"thief of hearts" is totally her gayest song imo

Nice pairing with "Bad Girl," then.

― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, February 24, 2012 11:58 AM (14 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

totally! that fucking album, so great.

It's an album to aspire to in its entirety.

"You're just jealous CUZ YOU CAN'T BE ME