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

lol bravo

how much would it enrage ppl if I let slip that I like "Fever" a ton more than "Deeper and Deeper"

Not at all.

those defending D&D have yet to explain how it deserves top 3. beautiful stranger sounds like sub-britney IMO

LOL british cars

"fever" is great! kinda surprised it didn't place

i'm one of the eight who had 'deeper and deeper' #1, sometimes my fave piece of pop music ever. had 'borderline' number two - there's a reason that was the breakthrough.

I appreciate that the overarching sound of the Erotica album is just something that will never jibe with my personal taste, but wouldn't supporters of that record even admit that, in 1992, she'd crawled up her own ass and was indulging in immense Madonna-ness to the point of alienation of her typical chart pop fans? I guess she'd earned that right, but there's really just no entry into it for me (though I did come to appreciate "Words" more in the past couple weeks). "Bad Girl" and "Rain" I kind of leave out of this equation, because they're more traditional pop ballad styles.

those defending D&D have yet to explain how it deserves top 3

more people voted for it?

i mean okay i guess we didn't need more erotica

the middle eight of "deeper and deeper" really is the most perfectly told story within the song - you have no idea where she's going with it, it's so finely paced and each line only moves it forward a tiny bit, it's like when you're lost and drunk in an unfamiliar club and you're pushing your way through the bodies, and then "AND I'M NEVER GONNA HIDE IT AGAIN" is the moment when you just fall into the dancefloor, the place you're meant to be

then, the flamenco drop

that actually definitely is my favourite moment in all of pop music ever

wouldn't supporters of that record even admit that, in 1992, she'd crawled up her own ass and was indulging in immense Madonna-ness to the point of alienation of her typical chart pop fans?

Nah. It's her Low.

Because it's fucking amazing, xps

beautiful stranger sounds like "the joy of cola"

but wouldn't supporters of that record even admit that, in 1992, she'd crawled up her own ass and was indulging in immense Madonna-ness

no

the title track maybe

"fever" should come at -20 or something, in accordance with its temperature - the iciest thing ever

lex I'll give you $10 if you change your dn to flamenco drop

r&b flamenco drop

doesn't tim finney have a long otm post about deeper and deeper somewhere on ilm that we can drop on the haters and be done with this already

wouldn't supporters of that record even admit that, in 1992, she'd crawled up her own ass and was indulging in immense Madonna-ness to the point of alienation of her typical chart pop fans?

erotica was chart pop! house beats were all over the charts in the early 90s, my first ever music purchase was a 40-strong compilation of them, and those beats were my first mainstream chart love

does anyone else's copy of the Like A Prayer vinyl album still smell of Patchouli? mine *just about* does. pretty amazing since it was a release-day purchase.

lex I'll give you $10 if you change your dn to flamenco drop

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, March 11, 2013 8:35 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i need no encouragement

if Erotica had come packaged with a smell it would be of sweat-moist dancefloor dick

lex otm, at any rate. the sheer brassy desperation of the delivery of "mama couldn't be aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall wrooooooooooong" the first time the chorus comes around still makes me thrill. what a great song.

uh, "daddy" of course. o_O at me.

it basically sounds like Shep Pettibone stuck a microphone up his ass and then Madonna sang some lyrics into it
DJP, that's the second time you made me LOL tonight about something poopy. The first time was something about a wet fart I believe.

Re: 'Beautiful Stranger': the dananadanana hook > the high acid-bubbly synth in the bridge > the low acid-bubbly synth in the verses >>>> the whole of Erotica.

http://i.imgur.com/I6rEpVP.jpg

02. "OPEN YOUR HEART" from True Blue (1986) [44 votes, 1,167 points, 2 first place votes]

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

01. "INTO THE GROOVE" from the single Into the Groove (1985) [48 votes, 1,330 points, 6 first place votes]

righteous

hurrah!

the dananadanana hook

ripped off from Love's "She Comes In Colors."

Still, one of my favorite Madonna songs.

i like #3 better than #2 better than #1 but still #1 feels most right of all

Great ending--if "Holiday" wasn't going to be there, that's the next best 1-2.

Can we talk about how the first couple minute of the 12" extended version of "Open Your Heart" is almost Balearic? Yum.

can we talk about my poor subject-verb agreement

i am calling all of you Erotica haters "Bitch" to the sound of breaking glass in my head

both too low!

most of the Erotica singles drastically underperformed in the US pop charts; "Erotica" (3) and "Deeper and Deeper" (7) were the only ones to crack the top ten, "Rain" stalled at 14 and "Bad Girl" barely scraped into the charts at 36, while "Fever" and "Bye Bye Baby" didn't chart at all

so, while there was definitely stuff in the pop charts mining this territory, most people over here were turning towards someone else besides Madonna for it

very righteous and well-deserved 1-2

"Open Your Heart" my #1.

Perfect 1-2!

"into the groove" is the greatest song of all time.

Into the Groove was my #1 and Open Your Heart was #7, though it could easily have been higher.

recap

50. "WORDS" from Erotica (1992) [7 votes, 136 points]
49. "I'LL REMEMBER" from the motion picture soundtrack With Honors (1994) [6 votes, 142 points]
48. "THE POWER OF GOOD-BYE" from Ray of Light (1998) [8 votes, 144 points]
47. "KEEP IT TOGETHER" from Like a Prayer (1989) [9 votes, 148 points]
46. "DIE ANOTHER DAY" from the motion picture soundtrack Die Another Day (2002) [7 votes, 149 points]
(TIE) 44. "WHITE HEAT" from True Blue (1986) [7 votes, 161 points]
(TIE) 44. "SECRET GARDEN" from Erotica (1992) [7 votes, 161 points]
43. "WAITING" from Erotica (1992) [8 votes, 189 points]
42. "WHO'S THAT GIRL" from the motion picture soundtrack Who's That Girl (1987) [11 votes, 194 points]
41. "PHYSICAL ATTRACTION" from Madonna (1983) [10 votes, 195 points]
40. "CAUSING A COMMOTION" from the motion picture soundtrack Who's That Girl (1987) [11 votes, 201 points]
39. "RAIN" from Erotica (1992) [11 votes, 217 points]
38. "BEDTIME STORY" from Bedtime Stories (1994) [13 votes, 238 points]
37. "TRUE BLUE" from True Blue (1986) [12 votes, 240 points, 1 first place vote]
36. "GET TOGETHER" from Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) [11 votes, 246 points, 1 first place vote]

35. "EROTICA" from Erotica (1992) [12 votes, 263 points]
34. "DON'T TELL ME" from Music (2000) [15 votes, 284 points]
33. "MATERIAL GIRL" from Like a Virgin (1984) [14 votes, 307 points, 1 first place vote]
32. "MUSIC" from Music (2000) [16 votes, 309 points]
31. "LIKE A VIRGIN" from Like a Virgin (1984) [17 votes, 334 points, 1 first place vote]
30. "TILL DEATH DO US PART" from Like a Prayer (1989) [16 votes, 337 points]
29. "EVERYBODY" from Everybody 12"/Madonna (1982,83) [15 votes, 344 points]
28. "SECRET" from Bedtime Stories (1994) [16 votes, 349 points]
27. "LA ISLA BONITA" from True Blue (1986) [18 votes, 367 points, 1 first place vote]
26. "WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL" from Music (2000) [19 votes, 378 points]
25. "FROZEN" from Ray of Light (1998) [18 votes, 381 points]
24. "TAKE A BOW" from Bedtime Stories (1994) [20 votes, 403 points]
23. "ANGEL" from Like a Virgin (1984) [18 votes, 409 points]
22. "BAD GIRL" from Erotica (1992) [17 votes, 415 points]
21. "OH FATHER" from Like a Prayer (1989) [18 votes, 424 points, 1 first place vote]

20. "BEAUTIFUL STRANGER" from the motion picture soundtrack Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) [17

votes, 435 points, 1 first place vote]
19. "EXPRESS YOURSELF" from Like a Prayer (1989) [21 votes, 457 points]
18. "CHERISH" from Like a Prayer (1989) [22 votes, 463 points, 1 first place vote]
17. "HUMAN NATURE" from Bedtime Stories (1994) [21 votes, 465 points, 1 first place vote]
16. "DRESS YOU UP" from Like a Virgin (1984) [24 votes, 553 points, 1 first place vote]
15. "JUSTIFY MY LOVE" from The Immaculate Collection (1990) [26 votes, 567 points]
14. "HUNG UP" from Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005) [26 votes, 600 points, 1 first place vote]
13. "PAPA DON'T PREACH" from True Blue (1986) [29 votes, 602 points, 1 first place vote]
12. "RAY OF LIGHT" from Ray of Light (1998) [26 votes, 615 points, 1 first place vote]
11. "CRAZY FOR YOU" from the motion picture soundtrack Vision Quest (1985) [31 votes, 670 points, 1 first place

vote]
10. "VOGUE" from I'm Breathless (1990) [29 votes, 697 points, 2 first place votes]
09. "HOLIDAY" from Madonna (1983) [30 votes, 753 points, 3 first place votes]
08. "BURNING UP" from Madonna (1983) [29 votes, 756 points, 3 first place votes]
07. "LUCKY STAR" from Madonna (1983) [32 votes, 805 points, 3 first place votes]
06. "LIKE A PRAYER" from Like a Prayer (1989) [39 votes, 938 points, 2 first place votes]
05. "LIVE TO TELL" from True Blue (1986) [35 votes, 970 points, 5 first place votes]
04. "BORDERLINE" from Madonna (1983) [33 votes, 1,009 points, 7 first place votes]
03. "DEEPER AND DEEPER" from Erotica (1992) [42 votes, 1,110 points, 8 first place votes]
02. "OPEN YOUR HEART" from True Blue (1986) [44 votes, 1,167 points, 2 first place votes]
01. "INTO THE GROOVE" from the single Into the Groove (1985) [48 votes, 1,330 points, 6 first place votes]

ONLY WHEN I'M DANCING CAN I FEEL THIS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

NID

"deeper and deeper" takes the moral victory of getting the most #1 votes - realheadz know what's up

thanks JF! Great pictures and presentation.

oh I don't doubt people were bored of Madonna, and the Sex book plus an album named Erotica didn't help; but she was due for a fall, and if she'd released a cookbook called Secrets of French Gastronomy and an album called Snails it woulda underwhelmed too.

I can live with that top 2, in that order.

Thanks JF, great work as ever - and loved the images.

And I enjoyed the arguments itt. But you are ALL wrong.

12" of 'Open Your Heart' is all time classic.

"into the groove" encapsulates madonna and pop music and the entire experience of falling in love with, and staying in love with pop music, all at the same time

lol i didn't vote for "into the groove" but it would've been #1 like five years ago? killed my own ability to enjoy that song

Thanks JF!!! Great poll!