Live to Tell is such a good song, I do prefer the Confessions Tour version though for the added vocal DRAMA. One of the first proper indications that there was so much more to come than just (brilliantly) catchy pop.

Live To Tell is an absolute 10 for me... (God, I'm hoping I gave it a 10 now having said that)!!!!

Live to Tell is not a 10, but an 11, maybe even a 12 :D

it's easily for me the best thing she's ever done lyrically

I still get goosebumps every time I hear the bridge and the part that goes

If I run away, I'll never have the strength to go very far...

 

really hate the prejudice in this forum against older songs, just cos a song is from before you were born it doesn't make it bad :/

really hate the prejudice in this forum against older songs, just cos a song is from before you were born it doesn't make it bad :/

:unsure:

 

I have peeked at the results and without any spoilers, many of the songs still to come / in the top 20 are from before members on this forum were born from :unsure: Who is saying the songs from early in her career are bad? In fact, I'd say (rightfully so), it is the music from the last decade that is often called "bad" so this arguement - I just don't see it :lol:

really hate the prejudice in this forum against older songs, just cos a song is from before you were born it doesn't make it bad :/

 

Bitch I'm Madonna coming for that win!

Live To Tell is beautiful... easily top 3 of her ballads and deserves to be Top 10 here.

 

I nearly always prefer a good uptempo track to the slow ones, but this one is just magical.

 

Deserves to be higher.

:unsure:

 

I have peeked at the results and without any spoilers, many of the songs still to come / in the top 20 are from before members on this forum were born from :unsure: Who is saying the songs from early in her career are bad? In fact, I'd say (rightfully so), it is the music from the last decade that is often called "bad" so this arguement - I just don't see it :lol:

 

I was more than baffled by this too, but don't bank on an explanation.

I know where he's coming from... but I think it's true of all age groups, we all have a fondness for music from periods of our life and it's bound to be more difficult to form a connection with a song that was released before you were born - often they can sound dated or you simply don't have the fond memories attached to it from hearing it a lot at the time of release.

 

It's the same with me, if I'm honest I listen to very little that was released before the 80s.

I know where he's coming from... but I think it's true of all age groups, we all have a fondness for music from periods of our life and it's bound to be more difficult to form a connection with a song that was released before you were born - often they can sound dated or you simply don't have the fond memories attached to it from hearing it a lot at the time of release.

 

It's the same with me, if I'm honest I listen to very little that was released before the 80s.

Well you should because the 70s was the best period of music

I don't want to be your prisoner

 

 

| 17. Borderline 8.64

 

Next out, from Madonna's self-titled debut album, we have its fifth single. Borderline is about an unfullfilled love, about an imperfect love, delivered in a soft, restrained vocal that adds an emotional twist to the otherwise plucky instrumental. Her first top 10 song on the US chart, it was applauded by critics and fans and even now is considered the highlight of her debut era. In the video that broke boundaries of the time, she cemented herself as the star we know today. There is an undeniable passion in the song, a mournful, nostalgic sense of loss in her vocals and the lyrics and the production delicately compliments this. A real highlight of the debut - and you seem to agree as it has far surpassed anything else from that era!

My favourite 80s Madonna song. I always feel an extreme sense of nostalgia when I hear it - not because I was even alive when the song was released, but nostalgia about my own life and experiences. Something about the instrumentation just makes me think of lost friends, loved ones that aren't around, childhood memories - I don't know what it is? In short: a true masterpiece, a beautiful, stunning, glistening gem of a song :'(

Borderline just makes you feel so happy!!

 

The intro ❤️

oh Borderline <3 one of her very best, should have been top 10 hands down

'Borderline' just exuberates pure joy. :wub:

Borderline is truly amazing song. I really love it a lot.

So much love for one of her best :wub: We love to see it!

I'll be your fire when the lights go out

 

 

| 16. Ghosttown 8.65

 

The most recent song from the top 20 (and the only one from her last 5 albums!), it's the ballad that stunned us all from Rebel Heart. The second single from that album, Ghosttown is inspired from a post-apocolyptic world where the survivors continue their lives with nothing but love in their hearts. Lyrically it's an uplifting song being borne out of a great sense of tragedy and loss. The music video (directed by Jonas Åkerlund) explored a similar sentiment and showed Madonna trying to continue with love in a destroyed world. It's a hopeful song about holding onto each other in the face of catastrophe and darkness and is a shining gem in her recent back catalogue.

Definitely a shining moment from her most recent series of albums, glad to see that it's managed to break the top 20 here.

 

I really love Ghosttown, I think it's the closest to a classic that she has from the past decade (although God Control could rival it I guess?) and it's a really beautiful and emotive piece that was such a contrast to the simple disco-pop that she tended to favour as singles at the time.

Ghosttown is stunning ❤️❤️❤️

The most recent song from the top 20 (and the only one from her last 5 albums!)

 

Omg, such is this forum's prejudice against older songs!!