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

First appearance of Sexy Lower Register.

So glad someone coaxed that out of her.

i didn't vote for "angel" but oh man does it rule

IN THE SKKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
I CAN SEE IT IN YOUR EEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYES

otm

Loooovvvvve "take a bow"

is there a specific age where "take a bow" just makes you cry terribly every time you hear it or is this my particular affliction?

http://i.imgur.com/1jRY4zb.jpg

22. "BAD GIRL" from Erotica (1992) [17 votes, 415 points]

TOO LOW

fully expected 'bad girl' to be top 20. this was the biggest rediscovery of the poll for me. amazing song.

and video.

This is such a fun rollout. Pacey and unpredictable. Too many recent polls have been dominated by a handful of canonical albums but Madonna's catalogue lends itself brilliantly to a poll.

Great pictures too. Reminding me how much of a crush I had on her circa 86-89. Ah, Cherish video.

goddamnit.`TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW.

Damn, about 20 places too low.

wow you ppl sure do love you some Erotica

it looks like over half of that album is going to end up placing on this poll

TOO LOW YOU JERKS WTF

Am I a terrible person if I don't like the video?

you're a wanton slut whose gonna get what's coming to her when yr guardian angel gets distracted by a garfield comic iirc

*cries*

I don't really get "Bad Girl"

this is partially because the first time I ever heard it was when Madonna butchered it on SNL

<3 the brief second of standard shoe-horned walken-dance in it the most.

it's ok - yr soul died a long time ago! plus free crane shot ride w/ the continental!

she definitely struggles with the high 'baaaaaby' but it's still endearing.

i just love how nervous she seems in the SNL performance

Nice to see that one so high!

Nice to see anything from Erotica bubbling over the 25-place threshold.

I'm sorry that my only contributions to this poll seem to be reiterating how punk-awesome Erotica is. Oh wait, I'm not sorry.

I like how barely she's in control of her pitch in "Bad Girl" -- form meets content. Fabulous lyrics too.

I think also the super wishy-washy reverb fuzzing out the drums hurt the song; probably the one constant between the Madonna songs I really, really treasure is the crispness of the drum tracks and "Bad Girl" seems to actively attempt to muddy the drums, robbing them of their power

b--b-b-but she's drunk by six and smoked too many cigarettes!

lol also there ended up being 2 bona-fide ballads on my ballot so this is also just not an itch I normally turn to Madonna for scratching

xxxpost yeah it's endearing. I always kinda felt that the songs like bad Girl, or Til Death, where the lyrics are very heartfelt & personal aren't always up there on the technical greatness scale but it always makes for a much richer song, at least for me.

Yeah, "Bad Girl" was one of only 3 ballads on my ballot, along with "I'll Remember" and "Live to Tell."

ha i got four in my top eight

"Angel" in my top three.

Both "Bad Girl" and "Waiting" we're on my top four, such an amazing double slug.

or five. Maman died yesterday. I don't remember.

"Angel" in my top three.

I was just playing this earlier today, it's in my top three too.

lol Bad Girl was always so funny to me as a child

Eric seriously you didn't put "Rain" in yr top 20?

I never heard "Bad Girl." Not once. I discovered it years later when I borrowed the Erotica tape from my sister.

I could've, but I didn't want my ENTIRE ballot to be Erotica.

Glad "Angel" placed where it did relative to other LAV tracks, though reading the Nile Rodgers autobio has warmed me to that album somewhat.

Wish "Everybody" was higher, but can't complain too much - great mutant disco sounds, and worked a treat on the dancefloor in the early 00s due to Annie (from Norway) nicking the squiggly synth-riff for "The Greatest Hit".
Original 12" sleeve is great, too!
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n5KMEaGMNoA/TGlM_1p5YpI/AAAAAAAABD4/Db6Yz3VM4A4/s1600/1982+MADONNA+Everybody+Remix+12+inch+single+album+sleeve+LP+record+A.jpg

Which non-D&D Erotica tracks still have a chance to place? "Thief Of Hearts"/"Where Life Begins"?

wow that sleeve is rad

Last one for the day...

At some point this weekend, I'm going to do albums, remixes and videos. Probably tomorrow (I have to come back into work for a couple hours). The top 20 will go out on Monday.

http://i.imgur.com/Yq63ENs.jpg

21. "OH FATHER" from Like a Prayer (1989) [18 votes, 424 points, 1 first place vote]

This poll made me listen to Erotica for the first time, yeah it's half great and a lot better than I was expecting. Secret Garden is an incredible song, would have eaaily made my ballot if I'd known it before. Never really liked the singles at the time but apart from Fever they were all sounding really good.

Lots of songs I voted for just placed. Secret was my number two, never rated it at the time but it's grown on me so much over time. It's just a perfect song.

What it Feels Like For a Girl is by far my favourite song she's done since Bedtime Stories, it's just so warm. Never really liked the remix version but that video is great.

Take a Bow was her first single not to reach the top ten here in the UK since maybe Lucky Star? Never understood why it wasn't a huge number one hit for her. It's so beautiful and probably my second favourite ballad after Oh Father (which must be top ten!)

Till Death Do Us Part was my number three, it's just so uplifting. How was that not a single? I guess they were spoilt for choice.

I remember Frozen coming out, she suddenly seemed so cool and mysterious after all Evita. She looked great in the video and the song sounded so modern at the time. I voted for it but The Power of Goodbye and Little Star would be my choices from that album.

Happy to see Everybody make it, I always liked that song but it was really Annie's Greatest Hit that made me fall in love with it.

Great results so far.

wow @ "oh father" placing this high

or should i be surprised? idk the warbling pitch on "bad girl" is endearing but it's rough-going here

Shit, I thought this would make the top ten no problem. It's such stunning song. The way Dear Jessie turns into this on the album gets me everytime.

Oh Father and Live to Tell volley back and forth as my favorite Madonna ballads.

uld i be surprised? idk the warbling pitch on "bad girl" is endearing but it's rough-going here

^^ what stopped from fully embracing "Oh Father."

btw "Oh Father" broke the longest streak of consecutive top tens ever in America.