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

fascinated by madonna talking about patrick hernandez w/dick clark in the context of "i got into the music industry that way." i used to think there was a sea change somewhere in the '90s where aspiring musicians' ambitions changed from wanting to make it in "music" to wanting to make it in "the music industry," which always seemed like a very telling, and different, ambition, even if it often had the same result. the business-schooling of pop. i never would have associated that kind of language with a young madonna, nakedly ambitious as she was. but maybe it started way before that and i just wasn't aware.

TOO LOW!

http://i.imgur.com/UopBWJ1.jpg

05. "LIVE TO TELL" from True Blue (1986) [35 votes, 970 points, 5 first place votes]

fascinated by madonna talking about patrick hernandez w/dick clark in the context of "i got into the music industry that way." i used to think there was a sea change somewhere in the '90s where aspiring musicians' ambitions changed from wanting to make it in "music" to wanting to make it in "the music industry," which always seemed like a very telling, and different, ambitio

Probably earlier. Neil Tennant in 1989 noted that Bros (lol) spoke of "longevity" in The Business as if they were negotiating stock options.

way too low

5 first place

way way way too low

wau

you are fucking kidding me?

that bridge is really something huh

i love the shit out of "deeper and deeper" but it's not better than "live to tell" okay

She has a lot of long songs - 6 of the last 10 are over 5 minutes, and none under 3:39 in the entire countdown.

I am sitting here thinking very bemusedly about "Deeper and Deeper" and Erotica fandom overall

Think maybe everyone in the thread just voted for whatever was on the radio when they were 10?

no I hate "Ray of Light"

ROBBED!

whoever thought to cushion the main melody with those little trilling flutelike synths deserves an award every day for the rest of their life

I am sitting here bemusedly thinking that 'Live to Tell' is top 5.

is this your expression of bemusement

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110515134334/lyricwiki/images/8/81/The_Time_-_What_Time_Is_It%3F.jpg

I mean, the details in the drum reverb, the pizzicato strings running through the chorus, the complimentary synth tones, and THE BRIDGE

"Live To Tell" is stellar

the bridge slays me every time, that guitar progression under "...the beating of my heart"...

Looks, let's agree to agree that everything that doesn't make #1 in this top 10 is too low.

the way the song drops off into nothing before the bridge

it permanently surprises

I like to think Patrick Leonard said "OK, we're done" and Madonna saying, "No, wait -- I have an idea. 'If I ran away...'" and Leonard losing his shit.

xxpost but especially the one that landed at #10.

the counterpoint in the bridge is beautiful

you motherfuckers thinking bemusedly about 'deeper and deeper' need to step the fuck off imo. 'live to tell' at five is the shocker of the poll though (over 'vogue' at ten).

"Live To Tell" was one of the first 7" singles I ever purchased

whoever said that madonna is great pop balladeer upthread is so OTM. considering she gives the public image of being absolutely and rigorously powerful, dominant and in control it's astonishing how well she pulls off vulnerability (and it's preciely that which makes it so affecting)

maybe they're just too weighty iconic cultural artifacts to feel intimately connected to idk

"like a prayer" is a weighty iconic cultural artefact that i feel v intimately connected to - maybe it really helps if you have a religious upbringing. i love "vogue" but she kinda of trumped herself on that with erotica.

i like "live to tell" a lot but didn't vote for it, it's no "deeper & deeper" innit

xxxxpost and also especially the one that landed at #9.

Yeah "Deeper and Deeper" is not to be fucked with. I briefly considered leaving it off my ballot in favor of another deep cut from that album, but then reality slapped me back into shape.

"Deeper and Deeper" is massively overrated

BITCH *slap*

"cinematic" prob an overused term in music crit, but "live to tell" is cinematic

yeah D&D is weak. forgot it existed until the past 2 weeks.

i like "live to tell" a lot but...it's no "deeper & deeper" innit

o_O

i did vote for it though. :/

"deeper and deeper" is my favourite madonna song which, logically, means that it is the greatest pop song...ever

'Oh Father' > 'Live to Tell'. Just barely though.

"Deeper and Deeper" has the exact same gross tacky sheen that makes so much of Introspective off-putting and hard for me to listen to

basically my default position about 80% of the time is "fuck Shep Pettibone"

They're on equal footing imo. Dan hates Oh Father for some reason. xp

"Deeper and Deeper" is massively overrated

I think we've found your blind spot.

Considering how many of my rooting interests are falling short, you can at least throw me this one bone, bud.

repeating myself in a way but: vocal on "live to tell" is exquisite, vocal on "oh father" is just terrible murder

basically my default position about 80% of the time is "fuck Shep Pettibone"

Solid credo! I agree (though I do prefer the single version of "Express Yourself" to its album counterpart).

What the hell is "Introspective"?

pet shop boys record

Pet Shop Boys album.

ayyyy

o_O

a mostly terrible Pet Shop Boys album