I have to go for "Dear Jessie", but out of the more well-known ones, "Holiday" is definitely a good call. Love "Lucky Star" too. And "Music" even though it isn't much of a song harmonically.
― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 9 December 2008 23:33 (fifteen years ago) link
"Crazy for You" has that remarkable moment where Madonna, never much of a singer, lowers her voice down from its chirpy default to a more seductive rumble. That's the point where she shifts from kids' stuff to something richer."Live to Tell," though, is an amazing song, not least for its ambiguity. I love its haunting use in "At Close Range." I also love the Bill Frisell cover.OTM. I published an essay on these very qualities.― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, martes 9 de diciembre de 2008 15:13 (Yesterday)
"Live to Tell," though, is an amazing song, not least for its ambiguity. I love its haunting use in "At Close Range." I also love the Bill Frisell cover.
OTM. I published an essay on these very qualities.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, martes 9 de diciembre de 2008 15:13 (Yesterday)
That's a very nice writeup Soto!
― Moka, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 01:13 (fifteen years ago) link
Thanks!
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 01:22 (fifteen years ago) link
Alright I've been looking everywhere for this groovier - into the groove 12" - mentioned upthread and I still can't find it. ysi anyone?
― Moka, Wednesday, 10 December 2008 06:46 (fifteen years ago) link
have we not done a madonna singles poll?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 24 February 2012 05:34 (twelve years ago) link
like top 10 in rank order or something?
into the groove wins obv, but then--?
she probably has too many singles to fit into an ilx poll
POX is also impossible: ranking only her 10/10 flawless all-time classic singles gives me the following -
deeper and deeperdie another dayburning upbad girlopen your heartlike a prayerinto the grooveeverybodyvoguemusicfrozentake a bowjustify my lovehung upray of lightdress you upoh fatherlive to telldon't tell mebeautiful strangerlike a virginborderlinepapa don't preach
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 10:51 (twelve years ago) link
i consider it a real mark of her greatness that my three favourite madonna singles come from three separate decades
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 10:53 (twelve years ago) link
look at those songs! even if she (likely) never releases anything truly great again she can still say she has the greatest catalogue in pop music.
there's going to be a tracks poll, but it's quite far down in the queue so it won't take place till 2013/14.
― prolego, Friday, 24 February 2012 11:25 (twelve years ago) link
Today, coincidentally, I have to write an essay on Madonna and choose a Top 10 which mixes hits with a couple of surprises. The essay's easy, the list is hard.
― Suede - the fabric, not the band (DL), Friday, 24 February 2012 13:10 (twelve years ago) link
there's still room for someone to sign up to do a proper Madonna ballot poll
― DNRIYHM NATION 1814 (some dude), Friday, 24 February 2012 15:37 (twelve years ago) link
what was your top 10 in the end DL? and indeed where is your essay?
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:04 (twelve years ago) link
My top fifteen postedhere. But here's ten:
AngelWhere's The Party (Dub Remix)Burning UpCrazy For YouVogueDeeper and DeeperLive To TellInto the GrooveLike a PrayerOpen Your Heart
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
Cherish because even my dad loves it (I caught him humming it once. It was kinda weird.)Borderline - first Madonna song I heardLike a PrayerFrozenOh FatherBad GirlBurning UpRay of Light
I hate Vogue. I can admit it's a decent song and I can understand people liking it, but it annoys the hell out of me.
― thinveneer, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
Writing it for next issue of Q. I don't think of myself as a big Madonna fan but I loved writing it and found myself working from a shortlist of 30 brilliant songs - I love it when work forces me to re-engage with an artist and realise how much I like them. It's not quite my personal top 10 because that would be all singles and I was asked to pick out a couple of "deep cuts" to mix it up a bit but anyway it's this:
BorderlineInto the GrooveLive to TellOh FatherJustify My LoveDeeper and DeeperI Want YouSkinDon't Tell MeHung Up (SDP Extended Vocal)
Regrettable omissions: Burning Up, Ray of Light, Music, Bad Girl, Express Yourself, Crazy For You, Everybody, Beautiful Stranger.
― Suede - the fabric, not the band (DL), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
it's pretty much impossible not to put together a solid gold top 10, isn't it.
my fav two remixes are prob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL4NPftrcr0
immense synth line grinding itself into your face forever - mdna for REAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWNu3Un7_5Y
terrifying* and mental version of "justify my love" where she starts reciting the book of revelation like a possessed woman
*esp at 6am in an, er, altered state
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:48 (twelve years ago) link
deep cuts off the albums - she got way better at these in the '90s, i think (or maybe just picked the best songs as singles in the '80s)
secret gardenin this lifelove tried to welcome meto have and not to holdsky fits heavenimpressive instantinside of mepushwaitingthief of hearts
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:54 (twelve years ago) link
If it's just limited to singles (and making an effort to spread it around chronologically, instead of just listing everything from 1989-1993):
Lucky StarLive to TellOpen Your HeartVogueEroticaFeverI'll RememberNothing Really MattersDon't Tell MeGet Together
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:54 (twelve years ago) link
i love thief of hearts.
― horseshoe, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:54 (twelve years ago) link
you'll do it, you'll take it, you'll screw it, you'll fake it, undo it, you'll break it, you're over, you can't take it
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:55 (twelve years ago) link
Someone joked to me once that song was about me and now I just can't even listen to it anymore.
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:56 (twelve years ago) link
Because it makes me sad that he was only joking.
deep cuts off the albums - she got way better at these in the '90s
Cuz she recorded better albums-as-albums.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:56 (twelve years ago) link
"Skin" is such a great great GREAT song, I wish she'd done a full Underworld pastiche album
― robbery by sudden snatching (DJP), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:57 (twelve years ago) link
"thief of hearts" matches up really well to something i remember reading in some gossip rag that sandra bernhard had said about madonna, that "she'll steal all your friends." i like to imagine that song as madonna's song about herself from the pov of haters.
― horseshoe, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:57 (twelve years ago) link
Nice pairing with "Bad Girl," then.
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:58 (twelve years ago) link
"thief of hearts" is totally her gayest song imo
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:58 (twelve years ago) link
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, February 24, 2012 11:58 AM (14 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
totally! that fucking album, so great.
― horseshoe, Friday, 24 February 2012 16:58 (twelve years ago) link
It's an album to aspire to in its entirety.
It's like "the examined life" in 80 minutes.
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 16:59 (twelve years ago) link
"what happens now, i know i don't deserve you / i wonder how i'm ever gonna hurt you" is such an amazing lyric
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 17:02 (twelve years ago) link
"Words"!
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:09 (twelve years ago) link
Only one mention of "Human Nature" in this thread, and it's part of a long list!
― Fonz Hour (Eazy), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:12 (twelve years ago) link
i love "human nature" but i get the impression it's a little too on the nose to be an ilx fave, or something
― horseshoe, Friday, 24 February 2012 17:13 (twelve years ago) link
I love "Human Nature" too
tbh the adoration of Erotica baffles me
― robbery by sudden snatching (DJP), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago) link
You know what's a lovely little thing? "Love Tried to Welcome Me."
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:15 (twelve years ago) link
Really? Straight men not getting it doesn't baffle me in the slightest.
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:17 (twelve years ago) link
I have to add "The Power of Goodbye" to my list. Lovely.
― thinveneer, Friday, 24 February 2012 17:18 (twelve years ago) link
One day I was looking at the liner notes for Bedtime Stories that I saw that Dallas Austin produced/co-wrote "Human Nature". He also did "Motownphilly," and there's some similarity in the doo-wop-ish background vocals in the "Human Nature" chorus.
― Fonz Hour (Eazy), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:22 (twelve years ago) link
and TLC!
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:24 (twelve years ago) link
I don't think anyone is surprised that Dallas Austin did songs for TLC
― robbery by sudden snatching (DJP), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:25 (twelve years ago) link
"love tried to welcome me" is some dark dark bleakness wrapped up in soft seductive sade-soul
"human nature" is amazing, yes - that bassline
― lex pretend, Friday, 24 February 2012 17:27 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, he was one of the hottest R&B producers in the mid nineties.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:27 (twelve years ago) link
although I am surprised that apparently Dallas Austin worked with Fishbone?????
― robbery by sudden snatching (DJP), Friday, 24 February 2012 17:27 (twelve years ago) link
erotica is probably her most consistent album no?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Friday, 24 February 2012 20:04 (twelve years ago) link
her most consistent album is either True Blue or Ray of Light
― robbery by sudden snatching (DJP), Friday, 24 February 2012 20:05 (twelve years ago) link
Yes, Erotica is her most consistent album. That's for better for some and for worse for others.
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 20:14 (twelve years ago) link
Erotica is her most consistently disappointing album
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 24 February 2012 20:20 (twelve years ago) link
BOOM
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 24 February 2012 20:23 (twelve years ago) link
Words spoken out of hate.
― dead-trius (Eric H.), Friday, 24 February 2012 20:24 (twelve years ago) link