SoulAlive said:

badujunkie said:

you're the only one who loves it boo (on here)

SoulAlive said:

how dare you guys leave "Miles Away" off your lists!

It actually made my top 50 back when I did this, but it probably wouldn't if I reevaluated it.

The only song to make all 4 lists so far is the one I think of first when I hear the name Madonna:

FWIW, "Like a Virgin" and "Express Yourself" haven't made a list yet.

top50 is too long but here's my personal top10

1.Like a Prayer

2.Holiday

3.Into the Groove (obviously )

4.Express Yourself

5.Vogue

6.Live to Tell

7.Rain

8.Ray of Light

9.Lucky Star

10.What It Feels Like for a Girl

[Edited 2/27/11 10:45am]

To be honest, Madonna had too many songs that I couldn't just call a top 50 on it respectfully so don't throw stones if your favorite song ain't included. Anyways:

1. Into the Groove
2. Express Yourself
3. Physical Attraction
4. Love Profusion
5. Justify My Love
6. Ray of Light
7. Like a Prayer
8. Causing a Commotion
9. Keep It Together
10. Open Your Heart
11. Dress You Up
12. Borderline
13. Oh Father
14. Take a Bow
15. Thief of Hearts
16. Vogue
17. Crazy for You
18. Burning Up
19. Erotica
20. Bad Girl
21. True Blue
22. Like a Virgin
23. In This Life
24. 'Til Death Do Us Part
25. I Remember
26. Material Girl
27. Secret
28. Live to Tell
29. You'll See
30. Rain
31. Human Nature
32. Everybody
33. Lucky Star
34. Holiday
35. Hung Up
36. This Used to Be My Playground
37. Angel
38. Papa Don't Preach
39. The Gambler
40. Nothing Fails
41. Keep It Together
42. Frozen
43. Spotlight
44. Nothing Really Matters
45. Beautiful Stranger
46. Paradise (Not for Me)
47. Hollywood
48. Runaway Lover
49. Die Another Day
50. Drowned World/Substitute for Love

I would cheat but I won't.

Timmy84 said:

To be honest, Madonna had too many songs that I couldn't just call a top 50 on it respectfully so don't throw stones if your favorite song ain't included. Anyways:

1. Into the Groove
2. Express Yourself
3. Physical Attraction
4. Love Profusion
5. Justify My Love
6. Ray of Light
7. Like a Prayer
8. Causing a Commotion
9. Keep It Together
10. Open Your Heart
11. Dress You Up
12. Borderline
13. Oh Father
14. Take a Bow
15. Thief of Hearts
16. Vogue
17. Crazy for You
18. Burning Up
19. Erotica
20. Bad Girl
21. True Blue
22. Like a Virgin
23. In This Life
24. 'Til Death Do Us Part
25. I Remember
26. Material Girl
27. Secret
28. Live to Tell
29. You'll See
30. Rain
31. Human Nature
32. Everybody
33. Lucky Star
34. Holiday
35. Hung Up
36. This Used to Be My Playground
37. Angel
38. Papa Don't Preach
39. The Gambler
40. Nothing Fails
41. Keep It Together
42. Frozen
43. Spotlight
44. Nothing Really Matters
45. Beautiful Stranger
46. Paradise (Not for Me)
47. Hollywood
48. Runaway Lover
49. Die Another Day
50. Drowned World/Substitute for Love

I would cheat but I won't.

a Top50 and "Music" is nowhere to be found ?!?!?!

JoeTyler said:

Timmy84 said:

To be honest, Madonna had too many songs that I couldn't just call a top 50 on it respectfully so don't throw stones if your favorite song ain't included. Anyways:

1. Into the Groove
2. Express Yourself
3. Physical Attraction
4. Love Profusion
5. Justify My Love
6. Ray of Light
7. Like a Prayer
8. Causing a Commotion
9. Keep It Together
10. Open Your Heart
11. Dress You Up
12. Borderline
13. Oh Father
14. Take a Bow
15. Thief of Hearts
16. Vogue
17. Crazy for You
18. Burning Up
19. Erotica
20. Bad Girl
21. True Blue
22. Like a Virgin
23. In This Life
24. 'Til Death Do Us Part
25. I Remember
26. Material Girl
27. Secret
28. Live to Tell
29. You'll See
30. Rain
31. Human Nature
32. Everybody
33. Lucky Star
34. Holiday
35. Hung Up
36. This Used to Be My Playground
37. Angel
38. Papa Don't Preach
39. The Gambler
40. Nothing Fails
41. Keep It Together
42. Frozen
43. Spotlight
44. Nothing Really Matters
45. Beautiful Stranger
46. Paradise (Not for Me)
47. Hollywood
48. Runaway Lover
49. Die Another Day
50. Drowned World/Substitute for Love

I would cheat but I won't.

a Top50 and "Music" is nowhere to be found ?!?!?!

LIKE I SAID, DON'T THROW STONES!

Do you realize how many damn good songs Madonna had over the years?! COME ON, should've made it a top 100 to be safe, huh?!

[Edited 2/27/11 12:04pm]

Timmy84 said:

JoeTyler said:

a Top50 and "Music" is nowhere to be found ?!?!?!

LIKE I SAID, DON'T THROW STONES!

Do you realize how many damn good songs Madonna had over the years?! COME ON, should've made it a top 100 to be safe, huh?!

[Edited 2/27/11 12:04pm]

but "Music" man, "Music" !... that was the jam of 2000... a solid top20 in my book...

JoeTyler said:

Timmy84 said:

LIKE I SAID, DON'T THROW STONES!

Do you realize how many damn good songs Madonna had over the years?! COME ON, should've made it a top 100 to be safe, huh?!

[Edited 2/27/11 12:04pm]

but "Music" man, "Music" !... that was the jam of 2000... a solid top20 in my book...

I love Music too Joe but got damn I ain't gonna forget the stuff she did in the '80s and '90s. I automatically remembered songs I grew up with. In fact, I knew some other great songs off the Music album. Like I said a top 100 would've been better than maybe I would've edited it for shits and giggles.

Timmy84 said:

JoeTyler said:

but "Music" man, "Music" !... that was the jam of 2000... a solid top20 in my book...

I love Music too Joe but got damn I ain't gonna forget the stuff she did in the '80s and '90s. I automatically remembered songs I grew up with. In fact, I knew some other great songs off the Music album. Like I said a top 100 would've been better than maybe I would've edited it for shits and giggles.

anyway I'm amazed that you dig Thief of Heart, I hate that song!! one of her few songs that truly embarrass me...

JoeTyler said:

Timmy84 said:

I love Music too Joe but got damn I ain't gonna forget the stuff she did in the '80s and '90s. I automatically remembered songs I grew up with. In fact, I knew some other great songs off the Music album. Like I said a top 100 would've been better than maybe I would've edited it for shits and giggles.

anyway I'm amazed that you dig Thief of Heart, I hate that song!! one of her few songs that truly embarrass me...

I love how it starts with the glass crashing. I do dig it, yes.

Timmy84 said:

JoeTyler said:

anyway I'm amazed that you dig Thief of Heart, I hate that song!! one of her few songs that truly embarrass me...

I love how it starts with the glass crashing. I do dig it, yes.

I love it, too! FAR more than "Music".

Moonbeam said:

Timmy84 said:

I love how it starts with the glass crashing. I do dig it, yes.

I love it, too! FAR more than "Music".

I'm not a fan of "Thief of Hearts," but I'm not a fan of Erotica in general.

I don't care much for "Born This Way". Then again, to be honest, I never much cared for "Express Yourself" or the "Like A Prayer" album as a whole. Although I can definitely appreciate that is a very good album, it just isn't my style really. With the exception of a few songs, I can't get into that album no matter how much I try.

I much prefer "Madonna", "Ray of Light" (A masterpiece really imo), "Confessions" and "Erotica".

After posting my own list, I had to listen to "I'll Remember". Just a great song in general. Loved the video with Madonna sporting the black hair.

Timmy84 said:

After posting my own list, I had to listen to "I'll Remember". Just a great song in general. Loved the video with Madonna sporting the black hair.

Moonbeam said:

Timmy84 said:

I love how it starts with the glass crashing. I do dig it, yes.

I love it, too! FAR more than "Music".

THIEF OF HEARTS rules!

I've heard that it was sposed to be the 3rd single but because of the language and the controversy they went with an AC ballad "Bad Girl" with "Fever" as the b-side.

"Stop bitch...now sit you ASS done"

"Theif of Hearts" sums up the whole energy of "Erotica" in general. Dark house beats, "sleaze" 2am techno vibe, total undergound gay early 90s dance music with a raw vocal demo used as the main chorus.

I always wanted a video for that one and I can't believe it (or "Waiting") didn't make the Girlie Show.

Anyone else think "Waiting" is "Justify My Love" part 2 but even eons better than the classic JML?

badujunkie said:

Moonbeam said:

I love it, too! FAR more than "Music".

THIEF OF HEARTS rules!

I've heard that it was sposed to be the 3rd single but because of the language and the controversy they went with an AC ballad "Bad Girl" with "Fever" as the b-side.

"Stop bitch...now sit you ASS done"

"Theif of Hearts" sums up the whole energy of "Erotica" in general. Dark house beats, "sleaze" 2am techno vibe, total undergound gay early 90s dance music with a raw vocal demo used as the main chorus.

I always wanted a video for that one and I can't believe it (or "Waiting") didn't make the Girlie Show.

Anyone else think "Waiting" is "Justify My Love" part 2 but even eons better than the classic JML?

Erotica is awesome, and "Thief of Hearts" and "Waiting" are definitely album-defining songs!

Moonbeam said:

AlexdeParis said:

Moonbeam said:

Erotica is awesome, and "Thief of Hearts" and "Waiting" are definitely album-defining songs!

...which explains why I don't really enjoy either of them. The only non-single I really like is "In This Life." The sublime "Bad Girl" and "Deeper and Deeper" are the only 2 classics on the album AFAIC.

you're so missing out homie!!!

"Erotica" - the first 40 seconds are r&b/early 90s house perfection! it samples kool and the gang for chr*st sake!

"Fever" - give this one a spin, shit, sexiest Madge vocals in almost...ever?

"Secret Garden" - even she included it in her directorial debut film...that hook and that bass...

im telling ya the whole album is fire!!!!

...and you're really saying "Rain" isn't a classic?!?!?!

badujunkie said:

Timmy84 said:

a song about wanting children where the lyrics are "i just wish i knew the color of my hair..."

BRILLIANCE i say!

badujunkie said:

Timmy84 said:

a song about wanting children where the lyrics are "i just wish i knew the color of my hair..."

BRILLIANCE i say!

I love how it had jazz influences and Madonna did spoken word recitations. I sometimes take her talent at making great songs for granted but she does!

Erotica is without question my most played album of hers. So many highlights, so many moments of classic Madonna. I loved everything about that era, the videos, the attitude, the suits, the berets, the gold tooth, those whisp thin eye brows. She was just awesome during this period. As Rolling Stone put it - Erotica was the album she'd always threatened to make.

The album itself is so criminally overlooked, with only Slant magazine really giving it the posthumous praise and analysis it deserves (they recently rated it as the 28th best album of the 90s, and her best of the decade!). I love the cold house beats and her thin voice - so different to her preceeding albums.

The whole of side one is just pure perfection - from the the layered samples and R&B beats of Erotica, the euphoric pop-house of Deeper & Deeper, the tongue in cheek Bye Bye Baby, the cinematic angst ballad that is Bad Girl, to what is surely the best EVER madonna album track - Waiting.

Side Two slips a little for me - Thief Of Hearts is cool, but Words is a bit hit and miss. Rain was dismissed as radio friendly pop fodder at the time, but in my opinon stands as one of her most enduring pop ballads - the vocal harmonies are lovely.

Whys It So Hard fails to deliver the urgency it had live on The Girlie Show, but In This Life & Secret Garden close the album perfectly. In This Life is heartbreaking, and Secret Garden is without doubt one of her coolest tracks.

Id love to have heard more stuff from her and Andre Betts. The three tracks that made the cut were flawless, and Dear Father, the outtake of theirs from this record was also a great track that would have certainly enhanced the album.

It pisses me off how the album and its realted tracks seem to be being sidelined somewhat from her back catalogue (the ridiculous omission of Deeper & Deeper from Celebration), and its clearly an era she's not totally comfortable about now.

'Erotica' is my favorite Madonna album.I love the cold,dark,moodiness of it all.It's not a celebratory dance album by any means.When Madonna was putting this album together,she told producer Shep Pettibone that she wanted a raw,edgy sound...like what you would hear at an underground NY nightclub.That's exactly what this album sounds like to me.

Favorite songs: "Bad Girl","Words","Where Life Begins",and the title track.

Diary Entry #3 December 1991
"I hate them." That's what she said to me when we listened to the first bunch of songs we'd recorded. I thought it sounded great because some of the songs had a New York house sound and some of them had an L.A. vibe. "If I had wanted the album to sound like that, I'd have worked with Patrick Leonard in L.A.," she told me. I got the point pretty fast. Madonna wanted Erotica to have a raw edge to it, as if it were recorded in an alley at 123rd street in Harlem. She didn't want some light glossy production to permeate her sound. I got back into my usual style of mixing, which is pretty bass oriented, analog, hit-you-over-the head kind of stuff. When you're recording songs for Madonna, the attitude is: Either make a song work, or it's not going to be on the album. That's that.

Typically, Madonna would get over to my place by one in the afternoon and we'd work until eighth or nine at night. Improvising vocals took one or two passes and by the time the third pass came around, she'd get on the mic and say "Let's go." Madonna has an incredible mind; she locks the melody into her head and memorizes the words immediately. She doesn't even have to read the words off the paper when she's singing.

The only problems were during sequencing, when we had to do something on the Mac that would take some time. Two minutes into it, Madonna would ask us: "What are you guys doing that's taking so long!" - and this was just after the first few minutes. We'd tell her to go downstairs and make some popcorn or phone calls so that we could put the song together and she'd do that for about five minutes before screaming: "Come on, guys, I'm getting bored!" I had to keep things moving as fast as possible because it's one of my jobs to keep Madonna from losing interest in what she's doing. As far as the music went, it was getting a little melancholy by that point. It definitely wasn't up-and-happy music. Maybe I inspired songs like In This Life and Bad Girl because they were written in a minor key. But Madonna's stories were getting a lot more serious and intense and she was definitely driving the creative direction of the songs into deeply personal territory.

Diary Entry #4 January-February 1992
I spent the Christmas on vacation in Jamaica and when I got back on January 2, I was like "Oh man, I am not ready for this." There were a lot of intense songs to work on for Madonna, but all I had was this reggae-ish vibe going around in my head. Jamaica had really had an impact on me. I put the vibe down on tape and played it for Madonna, who immediately took to it. Once she got all the lyrics down, the song became Why Is It So Hard.

After it was done we thought: "How about if we get a male Jamaican rapper in here to do some stuff on the record?" We found this guy, Jamaiki, who runs a Jamaican record store uptown. He was this big guy with real deep-ass voice. When we were trying to explain the song to him, he just looked at us and said, "Do you have any rum, man?" By the time Jamaiki, was laying down the tracks in my studio, he was dancing around swigging rum and spilling it everywhere. We ended up not using the track because it sounded to rough for the song, but it was a very fun day - completely different.

By this point, people had begun to realize that Madonna was recording in my penthouse. All her fans would wait outside, even though it was freezing, just to catch a glimpse of her or take a picture. One particular day, when I walked her down to her car, the lobby was filled with building residents getting the mail, hanging out at the front desk, sitting on benches. It was weird because usually the place is empty. After I walked her outside and ran across the street to get the day's newspaper, I came back to find nobody there. People were coming downstairs to the lobby just to get a look at her, even if it was out of the corners of their eyes.

Diary Entry #5 March 1992
Now I knew we were doing an album. We had fifteen songs demoed and she liked them all. The last song we did was for the movie, A League Of Their Own. Madonna just started singing a melody over and over again into the Shure SM57 microphone while the Mac with Vision was playing strings, organ, piano and a basic rim-shot loop. It sounded really timeless, very nostalgic. I spent all night filling in the verses and the song became This Used To Be My Playground.

The day after "Playground" was finished, Madonna went to Oregon to work on her next film Body Of Evidence, with Willem Defoe. This gave me some time to wrap up some work on some songs with Cathy Dennis and Taylor Dayne at Soundworks Studios in New York. The workload had grown quite intense since the beginning of the year and it showed no signs of letting up. Thanks to my manager Jane Brinton, we were able to coordinate all the ongoing projects without a hitch.