Don't go for second best, baby. Put your ILM ARTIST POLL #31: MADONNA to the test.

horseshoe so otm about everything upthread re madonnas ownership of the vectors of desire that criss cross early madonna, the way she exits the equation.

swap 1 and 3 and i'm fully on board. borderline is so definitively her best song tho, one of my favourite songs of all time, kindof a meaningful song for me for so many reasons. i remember pissing off my ex so bad singing it at the top of my lungs cycling around Ghent at night when we were on student exchange together. Everything on like a virgin just seems a little paler than everything on s/t, the undercurrent of longing so much more present in that first album. Something in the way you love me won't let me

― plax (ico), Monday, March 11, 2013 9:25 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^^

definitely the song that makes me feel the most things

My ballot -- no albums/videos/remixes.

Borderline - 40
Ray of Light - 36
Into the Groove - 33
Lucky Star - 30
Material Girl - 28
Candy Perfume Girl - 26
Holiday -25
Crazy for You - 24
Vogue - 23
Who's That Girl - 22
Shanti/Ashtangi - 21
Like a Virgin - 20
Dress You Up - 19
Live To Tell -18
Burning Up - 17
Express Yourself - 16
The Power of Good-Bye - 15
Drowned World/Substitute for Love - 14
Justify My Love - 13
Open Your Heart - 12

i love how much you love borderline also, its a thing i consider in my love for it!!!

everything though, that pause: Borderline.... feels like i'm going to lose my mind.

me too Plax!

but actually regarding Like a Virgin The Album, i think it's tough to compare. i wouldn't say "paler", myself, just different - and i love them both a lot. but in terms of pure feeling, yeah, i would prob give it to debut

its partially projection i mean, that gutsy girl with just enough steeliness. not just some knockout, a real firecracker. maybe im just imagining it but i feel it, that extra push it needed. she was always going to be a star.

and gave Confessions a lot of listening time which I really enjoyed

Poll served its purpose imo.

and this is some corny shit but usually if ppl ask me who my favorite band is (somehow the question is always preloaded for rockism w/ 'band') i say roxy music or the rolling stones depending on how i feel (or if i think i'm gonna have to explain who roxy music were) and if you were to total up who i've listened to the most in my life it's probably prince and according to last.fm the acts i've listened to the most over the past whatever years are eno and miles davis but in reality in my heart i know that my fave, the one i'm a biggest fan of, the one whose music has been the best closest friend to me over the years the artist i'd most want to hug if i met them and tell them thank you for being a part of my life is madonna. now and forever girl.

1. Hung Up - 40
2. Human Nature - 36
3. Borderline - 33
4. Beautiful Stranger - 30
5. Justify My Love - 28
6. Secret - 26
7. Ray of Light - 25
8. Where Life Begins - 24
9. Deeper and Deeper - 23
10. Like A Prayer - 22
11. Erotica - 21
12. Lucky Star 20
13. Holiday 19
14. Music 18
15. Rescue Me 17
16. Dress You Up 16
17. Crazy for You 15
18. Rain 14
19. Like A Virgin 13
20. Papa Don't Preach 12

Videos:
1. Hung Up
2. Justify My Love
3. Like A Virgin
4. Papa Don't Preach
5. Crazy for You

but in reality in my heart i know that my fave, the one i'm a biggest fan of, the one whose music has been the best closest friend to me over the years the artist i'd most want to hug if i met them and tell them thank you for being a part of my life is madonna. now and forever girl.

otfm

Great work as always Johnny Fever!

Delighted to see Burning Up so high. Had no idea Deeper & Deeeper would be so high.

1. Burning Up 40
2. Secret 36
3. Till Death Do Us Part 33
4. Oh Father 30
5. Everybody 28
6. Material Girl 26
7. What It Feels Like For a Girl 25
8. Take a Bow 24
9. The Power of Goodbye 23
10. Borderline 22
11. Lucky Star 21
12. Little Star 20
13. Into The Groove 19
14. Frozen 18
15. Deeper & Deeper 17
16. Live To Tell 16
17. Think of Me 15
18. Sanctuary 14
19. True Blue 13
20. Love Song 12

1. Madonna/First album
2. Like a Prayer
3. Bedtime Stories
4. Ray of Light
5. True Blue

I would already make a few changes to my list, I'd bump Oh Father up to number two and Take a Bow should have been in my top five.

i didn't vote open your heart as high as i should have

i didn't vote open your heart as high as i should have

same

tracks:
Borderline
Like A Prayer
Cherish
Express Yourself
Vogue
Till Death Do Us Part
Don’t Tell Me
Secret
What It Feels Like For A Girl
White Heat
Into The Groove
Physical Attraction
Waiting
Material Girl
Everybody
Love Song
Human Nature
Open Your Heart
Drowned World/Substitute For Love
Die Another Day

remixes:
Express Yourself (Shep Pettibone video mix)

albums:
Like A Prayer
Madonna
Bedtime Story
American Life
True Blue

videos:
Express Yourself
Cherish
Material Girl
Secret
Vogue

Great poll/great rollout/great images, JF!

yeah i thought drowned world would place, i think it was my #2!!

After yelling TOO LOW at "Dress You Up," I went back realized I didn't even vote for it. Can't believe it. Anyway, great poll, great pix!

Into the Groove - 40
Like a Prayer - 36
Take a Bow - 33
Express Yourself - 30
Open Your Heart - 28
Crazy for You - 26
Borderline - 25
Ray of Light - 24
Material Girl - 23
Cherish - 22
Deeper and Deeper - 21
Secret - 20
Frozen -19
What It Feels Like for a Girl - 18
Don't Tell Me - 17
Lucky Star - 16
Bedtime Story - 15
Angel -14
Live to Tell - 13
Who's That Girl - 12

Tracks

1. Borderline: 40
2. Live to Tell: 36
3. Deeper and Deeper: 33
4. Secret Garden: 30
5. Till Death Do Us Part: 28
6. Papa Don't Preach: 26
7. Crazy For You: 25
8. Cherish: 24
9. Erotica: 23
10. Express Yourself: 22
11. The Power of Good-bye: 21
12. Open Your Heart: 20
13. Oh Father: 19
14. Like a Prayer: 18
15. Ray of Light: 17
16. Rescue Me: 16
17. Love Song: 15
18. Jimmy Jimmy: 14
19. Waiting: 13
20. I Love New York: 12

Albums

1. Like a Prayer
2. True Blue
3. Madonna
4. Erotica
5. Ray of Light

Great poll, fine with 'Into the Groove' as #1.

Lucky Star - 40
Live to Tell - 36
Oh Father - 33
Into the Groove - 30
What It Feels Like for a Girl - 28
Cherish - 26
Secret - 25
Take a Bow - 24
Swim - 23
Crazy for You - 22
Deeper and Deeper - 21
Borderline - 20
Angel - 19
Sanctuary - 18
Think of Me - 17
Material Girl - 16
Till Death Do Us Part - 15
Burning Up - 14
Human Nature - 13
Open Your Heart - 12

Albums:
1. Bedtime Stories
2. Madonna
3. Like a Prayer
4. Ray of Light
5. Music

After listening to it again I think Erotica should have been #5 on my albums ballot.

I'm giving "Love Tried to Welcome Me" a critical listen right now because of the stanning earlier today and it's nice and all, but it's pretty stock as far as Babyface tunes go. Perhaps part of it's generational, because "Live to Tell" still falls on me like a ton of bricks where this seems like a feather carried on the wind, but I was 12 when "Live to Tell" came out and 20 when "Love Tried to Welcome Me" did and I'd already pretty much made up my mind about Babyface's lameness. If you were 12 and hadn't reached that conclusion, I guess you could reasonably favor this. Still, I have questions.

balls reminded me: were Madonna to die suddenly in the next year I'd weep as if my mother died.

xp lol it's not even Babyface! It's fake Babyface!

disingenuous to suggest dave "jam" hall is fake babyface imo

Perhaps he isn't, but that song is.

madonna can't die perish the thought

she fucking better not

it was bad enough when Michael Jackson died, fuuuuuuuuuuck Madonna would wreck me

you know, i haven't listened to ray of light since college, when i wore it out. i had kind of developed a retroactive embarrassment about that album because of all the dumb stuff that was written at the time about how madonna had finally turned demure and classy and learned how to sing, but i listened to it this afternoon because of this poll, and it's really lovely. it's a good thing i didn't have time to vote in this because i have no idea how i would have done it.

yeah Ray Of Light has aged really nicely, I was afraid it would feel strange and dated

she's gonna die another day guys, you heard her

lol

yr username makes me happy, lex

$10 check is in the mail :)

My ballot

Tracks
1 Love Song 40
2 Bad Girl 36
3 White Heat 33
4 Angel 30
5 Til Death 28
6 Over and Over 26
7 True Blue 25
8 Open Your Heart 24
9 Burning Up 23
10 Express Yourself 22
11 Papa Don't Preach 21
12 Crazy For You 20
13 Lucky Star 19
14 Like A Prayer 18
15 Into The Groove 17
16 La Isla Bonita 16
17 Holiday 15
18 Deeper And Deeper 14
19 Like A Virgin 13
20 Hung Up 12

Albums
1 Erotica
2 Like A Virgin
3 True Blue
4 Madonna
5 Like A Prayer

Videos

1 Express Yourself
2 Frozen
3 Like a Virgin
4 Deeper & Deeper
5 Justify My Love

Top 20 songs:

Deeper And Deeper - 40
Borderline - 36
Vogue - 33
Music - 30
Get Together - 28
Crazy For You - 26
Holiday - 25
Bedtime Story - 24
Like A Prayer - 23
Into The Groove - 22
Lucky Star - 21
Sky Fits Heaven - 20
Forbidden Love (from Confessions) - 19
Angel - 18
Secret - 17
La Isla Bonita - 16
Hung Up - 15
Cherish - 14
Ray Of Light - 13
Skin - 12


Top 5 Albums:

Madonna - 10
Ray Of Light - 8
Confessions On A Dancefloor - 6
Erotica - 4
Like A Prayer - 2

Top 5 Videos:

Bedtime Story - 10
Human Nature - 8
Bad Girl - 6
Vogue - 4
Papa Don’t Preach - 2

Hey, the album version of "Express Yourself" is different than the video version! This totally fucking rules!

(sorry, first listen)

haha!

I always forget about the album version, but I like it.

"Boy, this sure is a skillful Prince rip...HOLY SHIT, IT IS PRINCE!"

How did a Prince/Madonna collaboration not make the front page of every publication at the time? I don't ever remember hearing that this existed.

i think it was maybe underwhelming at the time but listening to it recently i found it MUCH better than i remembered, certainly closer to matching the sum of its parts than say chuck d + sonic youth.

yeah Love Song is like the perfect musical venn diagram of Madge + Prince (at least for me, I adoooooore that song)

Tracks:
1. Borderline
2. Like a Prayer
3. Vogue
4. Open Your Heart
5. Ray of Light
6. Into the Groove
7. Live To Tell
8. Deeper and Deeper
9. Oh Father
10. Burning Up
11. Beautiful Stranger
12. Material Girl
13. Swim
14. Express Yourself
15. Music
16. Till Death Do Us Part
17. Candy Perfume Girl
18. Secret
19. Sorry
20. Papa Don't Preach

Albums:
1. Like a Prayer
2. The Immaculate Collection
3. Ray of Light
4. Erotica
5. Confessions On A Dancefloor

Videos:
1. Ray of Light
2. Vogue
3. Like a Prayer
4. Material Girl
5. Open Your Heart

Amazing graphics, can't wait to read this thread in detail. My only comment I wanted to add now is that I still imagine Sleater-Kinney doing an amazing "Ray of Light" cover. Also, I've made the argument for "Borderline" as the best video ever, so if I'd voted in that category, I'd have chosen that. First West Coast breakdancers in a video? East L.A. locations? Madonna casually creating an icon before our eyes? Story and texture? Oh, and I'd choose the one that won for album. My ballot:

Into the Groove - 40
Get Together - 36
Hung Up - 33
Borderline - 30
Ray of Light - 28
Deeper and Deeper - 26 (Glad this placed higher though, so maybe I should have bumped it up a notch.)
Like a Prayer - 25
Holiday - 24
What It Feels Like for a Girl - 23
Human Nature - 22
Take a Bow - 21
Beautiful Stranger - 20
Love Profusion - 19
4 Minutes - 18
I'm Addicted - 17
Don't Tell Me - 16
Material Girl - 15
Secret Garden - 14
Lucky Star - 13
Papa Don't Preach - 12

this is the punk rock "Ray Of Light" that almost makes me like the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaQ4bQmTILA

I blame Tim F: his assertion that all ballots shd have two tracks from Erotica vs a number of ppl who have only heard two tracks from Erotica xxp

― Josh and D.A.M. (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 11 March 2013 16:12 (Yesterday) Permalink

Given "Justify My Love" isn't an Erotica track (and precedes it by two years) it appears that in fact you only know one track from that album. But blame me for whatever you like if it makes you feel better.

If and when Madonna actually dies, I hope her headstone just says "And you can dance."

o man carrie on verses, corin on chorus - man that would work.

So, by my count:

7
Erotica

6
Madonna
True Blue
Like a Prayer

5
None

4
Like a Virgin
Bedtime Stories

3
Ray of Light
Music

2
Who's That Girl
Confessions on a Dance Floor

Victory.

Sorry if this is hard to parse, but here are the full tracks results:

Into the Groove	6	48	1330
Open Your Heart	2	44	1167
Deeper and Deeper	8	42	1110
Borderline	7	33	1009
Live to Tell	5	35	970
Like a Prayer	2	39	938
Lucky Star	3	32	805
Burning Up	3	29	756
Holiday	3	30	753
Vogue	2	29	697
Crazy For You	1	31	670
Ray of Light	1	26	615
Papa Don't Preach	1	29	602
Hung Up	1	26	600
Justify My Love		26	567
Dress You Up	1	24	553
Human Nature	1	21	465
Cherish	1	22	463
Express Yourself		21	457
Beautiful Stranger	1	17	435
Oh Father	1	18	424
Bad Girl		17	415
Angel		18	409
Take a Bow		20	403
Frozen		18	381
What It Feels Like For a Girl		19	378
La Isla Bonita	1	18	367
Secret		16	349
Everybody		15	344
Till Death Do Us Part		16	337
Like a Virgin	1	17	334
Music		16	309
Material Girl	1	14	307
Don't Tell Me		15	284
Erotica		12	263
Get Together	1	11	246
True Blue	1	12	240
Bedtime Story		13	238
Rain		11	217
Causing a Commotion		11	201
Physical Attraction		10	195
Who's That Girl		11	194
Waiting		8	189
Secret Garden		7	161
White Heat		7	161
Die Another Day		7	149
Keep It Together		9	148
The Power of Good-Bye		8	144
I'll Remember		6	142
Words		7	136
This Used to Be My Playground		8	120
Over and Over		6	119
Love Song	1	6	117
Sorry		7	115
Think of Me		6	104
Where's the Party	1	5	100
Dear Jessie		5	96
Thief of Hearts		4	93
Skin		4	84
Drowned World/Substitute for Love		4	82
Sky Fits Heaven		4	82
Nothing Really Matters		5	79
Candy Perfume Girl		4	76
Love Tried to Welcome Me		3	72
Rescue Me		3	66
Jump		4	64
Swim		3	57
Let It Will Be		3	56
Jimmy Jimmy		3	54
Fever		2	53
Love Profusion		3	49
Give Me All Your Luvin'		3	47
Bye Bye Baby		2	43
Shanti/Ashtangi		2	38
Where Life Begins		2	37
I Love New York		2	34
American Life		1	33
4 Minutes		2	32
Sanctuary		2	32
Gambler		2	30
He's a Man		2	29
I Know It		2	29
I'm Addicted		2	29
Shoo-Bee-Doo		1	28
Love Don't Live Here Anymore		1	26
Future Lovers		1	25
Hanky Panky		1	23
To Have and Not to Hold		1	22
Act of Contrition		1	21
Inside of Me		1	21
Little Star		1	20
Forbidden Love (2005)		1	19
How High		1	19
Impressive Instant		1	19
Miles Away		1	19
Forbidden Love (1994)		1	18
Paradise (Not For Me)		1	17
Love Makes the World Go Round		1	16
Sidewalk Talk		1	16
Sooner or Later		1	15
Hollywood		1	14
Don't Cry For Me Argentina		1	13
Nobody's Perfect		1	13
Spotlight		1	13
Gang Bang		1	12
Gone		1	12