Human Nature I like but I don’t rate it amongst her best or anything like that.

 

With What It Feels Like For A Girl I’ve always liked the album version rather than the video one. But for me there was so many more potential tracks to push for the final music era track before that.

I never used to be keen on the Above & Beyond remix used in the video, but this past year I've been getting into dance music a lot and it's grown on me lots. I think a lot of non-Madonna fans would be surprised by it and enjoy it.

You deserve an award for the role that you played

 

 

50. Beautiful Stranger // Other (90s) // 8.231

49. Miles Away // Hard Candy // 8.357

48. Till Death Do Us Part // Like a Prayer // 8.375

47. Take a Bow // Bedtime Stories // 8.385

46. True Blue // True Blue // 8.406

 

Lead single to the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack, 'Beautiful Stranger' embraces the 60s vibes of the film with its playful psychedelic pop sound. Madonna flirts and teases as she sings of a romantic infatuation, something that transpires in its music video, a mini Austin Powers adventure where Madonna's a femme fatale that defeats men by seducing them. It's fun and silly, light-relief following several years of a more serious image. On 'Miles Away', Madonna deals with the issues of long-distance relationships, specifically how it's easy to hold a memory of the love that once existed, then find that it has deteriorated when reunited. It hints at the cracks forming in Madonna and Guy's marriage and, as the music falls back and the "so far away" refrain gradually fades, it's a foreshadowing of the end. From one troubled relationship to another, 'Til Death Do Us Part' documents the breakdown of Madonna's marriage to Sean Penn. The manic melody captures her anxiety as she battles with conflicting thoughts, alternating between voicing her own concerns and assuming the role of an onlooker observing the situation. It's a brilliantly constructed song; a great example of how Madonna can present hard-hitting topics in the guise of upbeat, catchy pop. Fittingly the closing number on Bedtime Stories, 'Take a Bow' saw Madonna team up with R&B's coolest producer Babyface for a sombre, soulful ballad of unrequited love. Madonna remains calm in the face of betrayal, more interested in understanding the reasons why than lashing out. The stunning, cinematic orchestral arrangement is the perfect stage for Madonna's dreamy vocal to deliver exquisite lyrical poetry. A return to happier moments in Madonna's personal life, 'True Blue' sees Madonna glowing with joy as she declares her love for Sean Penn. To assist the cheerful nature of the song, 'True Blue' gives a throwback to 60s girl group doo-wop. It's one of the most sweet and sentimental songs in her back catalogue, but Madonna's feelings are so authentic and charming that it also makes it one of her most heartwarming.

 

Madonna: 2/8

Like A Virgin: 1/9

True Blue: 4/9

Like A Prayer: 4/11

Other (80s): 2/10

I'm Breathless: 1/12

Erotica: 2/14

Bedtime Stories: 2/11

Evita: 0/13

Ray of Light: 7/14

Other (90s): 0/12

Music: 3/13

American Life: 2/11

Confessions On A Dancefloor: 6/15

Hard Candy: 2/13

Other (00s): 1/5

MDNA: 0/16

Rebel Heart: 3/25

Madame X: 3/18

Other (10s): 0/3

 

80s: 13/47

90s: 12/76

00s: 14/57

10s: 6/62

Quite shocked at how well Human Nature [has] done. [it's not] essential for me.

You must've been crazy

 

What were you thinking?

 

:cry:

 

~

 

Take a Bow is so beautiful. :wub: I'm a bit disappointed it's this low down actually, even though it has a commendable average score! When it comes to her 90s songs, it would be in my Top 5. Overall, certainly Top 20 at least.

'Till Death Do Us Part! :wub: Really pleased it made the top 50, such a great album track and deserving of its place among the singles.

 

The others I quite like but don't absolutely adore so I'm not too sad to see them go, feels about right for them.

Miles Away is a beauty and definite Hard Candy highlight!

 

Till Death Do Us Part slaying! Great to see :D

All those songs are class

 

TDDUP should have had a tour performance by now

Ran so far to try to find the thing I lacked

 

 

45. Crave // Madame X // 8.423

44. Material Girl // Like A Virgin // 8.438

43. Rain // Erotica // 8.462

42. Living For Love // Rebel Heart // 8.462 (higher score)

41. Nothing Fails // American Life // 8.536

 

Let's see what has missed out on the all-important top 40! First out here it's Crave, the second single from M's latest album. Featuring Swae Lee, the song is about desire and longing and was one of the first songs written for the album. The song has become her biggest hit on the AC chart in the US since Frozen and acts as a centrepiece to the album whereby she desperately chases after something that is gradually moving away. It is full of pain and longing and is an all-round search for more. Material Girl on the other hand is a song about all of the material expenses of the world. It perfectly depicts a large part of what 80s Madonna was all about. One of the songs that helped define Madonna as the global icon she went on to become, it seems a world apart from the woman we know today. However at the time, it was provocative, cheeky and desirable. It went on to become a big smash and is still remembered as one of her most well-known songs today. While she may not look back as fondly on the song now, at the time it was as iconic as could be. With this dropout, the entire Like A Virgin is OUT. :o Rain stands out on the Erotica album; yes it perhaps does explore sexuality in a more subtle and metaphorical way, but through its various meanings, the song is a much more friendly and safe song as far as the rest of the album's singles go. A power-ballad that aims to cleanse and start afresh, the music video in particular offers a stark vision of the artist of the time. The lead single from Rebel Heart, Living For Love is perhaps now most known for *that* BRITs performance. The song was rush-released as leaks began to surface. It has messages of positivity even when faced with hardships, loss and breakups. Finally, Nothing Fails the massive American Life ballad and the album's 3rd single. It features a rousing choir and was hoped it would reignite interest for the era in the US. Alas it didn't, but it is still hailed now as one of the album's standouts. Here it just misses out on the top 40.

 

Madonna: 2/8

Like A Virgin: 0/9

True Blue: 4/9

Like A Prayer: 4/11

Other (80s): 2/10

I'm Breathless: 1/12

Erotica: 1/14

Bedtime Stories: 2/11

Evita: 0/13

Ray of Light: 7/14

Other (90s): 0/12

Music: 3/13

American Life: 1/11

Confessions On A Dancefloor: 6/15

Hard Candy: 2/13

Other (00s): 1/5

MDNA: 0/16

Rebel Heart: 2/25

Madame X: 2/18

Other (10s): 0/3

 

80s: 12/47

90s: 11/76

00s: 13/57

10s: 4/62

Crave is far too high!!

 

But Miles Away and Nothing fails are lush and Take A Bow is great too.

Crave is TOO LOW in my opinion. It's the best song on Madame X!

 

Rain is absolutely stunning and i'm gutted it hasn't made the top 40. Nothing Fails is v powerful too ~

 

I'd say Living For Love is too high, Material Girl about right.

'Till Death Do Us Part' really is one of Madonna's greatest, not just in terms of album tracks but overall too. To reiterate what I put in the commentary, it's an incredible well-crafted song and the ability to explore real issues within catchy pop songs, as evident in the likes of this and 'Papa Don't Preach', is one of the things I love most about Madonna's music. I'd have liked it to have placed even higher, but at least it holds the achievement of being highest placed 80s album track.

 

'Take a Bow' is also constructed really well - the title, the poetic lyrics, the liking of her lover to an actor on the stage and the monologue-like delivery of the song; the running theme ties the song together so well and the lush production that runs throughout really gives a touch of grace and sophistication.

 

Disappointed 'Crave' didn't get a proper push but I shouldn't be surprised really. One of those songs that would have been a smash if released by Ariana Grande.

 

'Material Girl' is fun at parties and the like but not one of my top faves. Similarly to 'Like a Virgin', it is a tad annoying that it is so closely associated with Madonna when fans know there are so many more interesting songs to represent her.

 

'Rain' is a such a dream, should have been released as single #3 as it would have helped mellow the backlash against Madonna at the time without sacrificing artistic integrity, which is what so often happens when it comes to damage limitation. A really tender moment among the rougher edged tracks on the album.

 

I think 'Living for Love' is too high. I liked it more at the time than I do now. I think the vocals have been way over processed and I think she could have made a stronger statement with the song.

 

How 'Nothing Fails' didn't receive a full release, ugh. I get the impression that the American Life era was just given up on by this point. It represents the reflective, personal side to the album and has the right amount of old and new elements of Madonna.

The Top 40 is split between 31 singles and 9 album tracks - how far can the album tracks go?

As we go into the top 40 let's have a look at how each era and decade is doing in terms of percentage songs left :o Any shocks?

 

Ray of Light: 7/14 / 50.00%

True Blue: 4/9 / 44.44%

Confessions On A Dancefloor: 6/15 / 40.00%

Like A Prayer: 4/11 / 36.36%

Madonna: 2/8 / 25%

Music: 4/13 / 23.07%

Other (80s): 2/10 / 20%

Other (00s): 1/5 20%

Bedtime Stories: 2/11 / 18.18%

Hard Candy: 2/13 / 15.38%

Madame X: 2/18 / 11.11%

American Life: 1/11 / 9.09%

I'm Breathless: 1/12 / 8.33%

Rebel Heart: 2/25 / 8.00%

Erotica: 1/14 / 7.14%

 

Other (10s): 0/3

Like A Virgin: 0/9

Other (90s): 0/12

Evita: 0/13

MDNA: 0/16

 

80s: 12/47 / 25.53%

00s: 13/57 / 22.81%

90s: 11/76 / 14.47%

10s: 4/62 / 6.45%

Nothing Fails should have had a video and full release. It definitely would have been a hit.

 

Excited for the top 40 !!!

Rain :wub: A longstanding favourite of mine, ever since I listened to my mum's copy of Something to Remember. A true beauty! Definitely one of her most stunning videos too.

 

I'm fairly satisfied that it's made the top 50. It would be top 10 for me, but I feel like I'm one of few who holds it in such high regard. I'm not convinced Madonna herself thinks much of it? :lol: At least she didn't consider it worthy of a place on GHV2.

 

 

I still have love for Living for Love! :heart: I think it was a good choice to launch the album, but it's a shame that the song is so strongly associated with her fall at the Brits. What a triumphant moment that could have been otherwise.

Rain :wub: A longstanding favourite of mine, ever since I listened to my mum's copy of Something to Remember. A true beauty! Definitely one of her most stunning videos too.

 

I'm fairly satisfied that it's made the top 50. It would be top 10 for me, but I feel like I'm one of few who holds it in such high regard. I'm not convinced Madonna herself thinks much of it? :lol: At least she didn't consider it worthy of a place on GHV2.

Didn't even make it on Celebration! :o Madonna's never been the best judge on her own music. <_<

9 album tracks left that is quite something !!

 

 

Forbidden Love for highest album track please :wub:

Let's get unconscious honey

 

 

40. Devil Pray // Rebel Heart // 8.577

39. Crazy For You // Other (80s) // 8.625

38. Isaac // Confessions on a Dancefloor // 8.643

37. Bedtime Story // Bedtime Stories // 8.654

36. Holiday // Madonna // 8.656

 

We kick off the Top 40 with 'Devil Pray', an exploration of how temptation can cloud and divert the road of salvation. Madonna lists various drugs and substances that are used in effort to connect to God or a higher consciousness, but warns that these offer brief relief and will take you on the devil's path. This is the highest placed of the Avicii collaborations, his country-tinged influence running through with the steady hand claps and acoustic guitar, and very cleverly takes inspiration from the melody of 'House of the Rising Sun'. Notable for being Madonna's first original ballad, 'Crazy for You' didn't have the easiest of beginnings: first, the idea that Madonna could pull off a song like this was laughed at by its writers, then the record company were hesitant to release as a single in fear it would distract from the Like a Virgin album. Thankfully, its supporters were successful in their persuasion. This dreamy slow-dance love song demonstrated Madonna's soulful yearning, even attaining her first Grammy nomination. From Confessions, the epic 'Isaac' speaks of strength and perseverance, epitomised by the incorporation of 'Im Nin'alu' sang by Yitzhak Sinwani, a Hebrew poem that promises the gates of heaven are always open. 'Isaac' perfectly fuses Middle Eastern music with Stuart Price's captivating dance structures, creating a thrilling musical experience. Bridging Madonna's early 90's house and late-90s electronica, 'Bedtime Story' take a trip into the unconsciousness, rejecting the limitations of conversation and seeking understanding through the form of meditation. It's a trippy dreamscape, driven by a deep, bubbling beat, flickers of synth and eerie moans. The lyrics are unmistakably by the hands of Bjork and Madonna adopts her distinct pronunciation. Finally, we come to Madonna's breakthrough hit. Feel-good, infectious and uniting, 'Holiday' celebrates the power of dance to escape every day problems. It's a prototype for some of her biggest smashes and still remains one of the best of its kind.

 

Madonna: 1/8

Like A Virgin: 0/9

True Blue: 4/9

Like A Prayer: 4/11

Other (80s): 1/10

I'm Breathless: 1/12

Erotica: 1/14

Bedtime Stories: 1/11

Evita: 0/13

Ray of Light: 7/14

Other (90s): 0/12

Music: 3/13

American Life: 1/11

Confessions On A Dancefloor: 5/15

Hard Candy: 2/13

Other (00s): 1/5

MDNA: 0/16

Rebel Heart: 1/25

Madame X: 2/18

Other (10s): 0/3

 

80s: 10/47

90s: 10/76

00s: 12/57

10s: 3/62

What a set of songs!

 

Devil Pray - easily one of the best on RH. When it first leaked it was instant love and I still appreciate it now.

Crazy For You - can't say i've always been a fan of this, found it very forgettable but over time it has matured into an essential for me

Isaac - one of many, many highlights on the album. The song that I instantly began to adore with the album and even now it's one of her very best. It's an incredible, powerful, epic piece of music!

Bedtime Story - the shift into this as the album nears its end *.* What a twisted song and made even more twisted appearing on an otherwise "safe" and tender album

Holiday - a classic! grown to like it a lot more after seeing it live at the RH tour!

 

The top 40 is going to be all killer, no filler isn't it :wub: