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Let's Talk About ... 1989


Shane

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Since we're talking in another thread about the power of Madonna in 1986-87, let's recognize the fact that she absolutely continued her reign in 1989.

She managed to follow up the two mega smash albums LAV and TB with another multiplatinum smash that brought her to a "higher ground" artistically. Rolling Stone called Like A Prayer "as close to art as pop music gets."

Three iconic top five smashes this year, including three weeks at Number One for what became arguably the most beloved song of her career.

Platinum certification for the LAP single and gold certification for the Express Yourself single.

EY was the song and video of summer of 1989.

Cherish hit number two in the fall, went to number one on Casey's Top 40, topped Billboard's adult contemporary chart.

Three ICONIC music videos this year, four if Oh Father premiered in December (it may have been January of 1990).

The Pepsi scandal.

Infamous MTV opening act performance of Express Yourself.

Won the MTV Viewer's Choice Award for Like A Prayer.

Express Yourself and Like A Prayer both in top 10 of MTV Top 100 Videos of 1989 with LAP at Number One.

Her longest reign atop the Billboard album chart with six weeks for LAP.

Gorgeous brunette and blonde looks within the course of the year.

The Queen reigned supreme in 1989.

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I think it's a great pop album; better than Red actually

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The Oh Father video premiered in November 1989 - and it remained on Dial MTV's top ten until Vogue came out in March 1990, and for a few days both OF and Vogue were in the top ten every day :-)

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She def became the Queen during 1989-90.

Are all these looks from 1989?

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Yes, all hairstyles were 1989 except this one which was January 1990 (I am 98% sure) - the only thing I was never sure of with this picture is I am not sure if this was a wig, or her own hair combed this way. I know the bob was her own hair. Oh, and I -think- the Rolling Stone cover brunette pic is from December 1988 - I never liked when she did photo shoots in December/January, just because the years always get messed up over the years. I like to know the exact dates, and keep them like that. The LAP video was supposedly filmed in December 1988, but I can never verify that.

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Yes, all hairstyles were 1989 except this one which was January 1990 (I am 98% sure) - the only thing I was never sure of with this picture is I am not sure if this was a wig, or her own hair combed this way. I know the bob was her own hair. Oh, and I -think- the Rolling Stone cover brunette pic is from December 1988 - I never liked when she did photo shoots in December/January, just because the years always get messed up over the years. I like to know the exact dates, and keep them like that. The LAP video was supposedly filmed in December 1988, but I can never verify that.

Ah, I see :) maybe they just comben her hair back to make it appear shorter, cause it looks real..but maybe the fringe is fake? its such a lovely photo shoot. one of my favorites :)HR%2B(1).jpg

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Ah, I see :) maybe they just comben her hair back to make it appear shorter, cause it looks real..but maybe the fringe is fake? its such a lovely photo shoot. one of my favorites :)HR%2B(1).jpg

That's what I think. I always loved her eyelashes in this shoot, and I am not a fan of short hair, but the pointy bangs works.

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It was March, right? In March of '89 I was getting ready to graduate from high school. I remember getting the album right at the end of March. I bought the CD and the cassette first. I picked it up at the record store and was like "Whoa! What's that smell?". The CD smelled wonderful. A nice subtle patchouli. I don't remember if the cassette was scented or not.

I took it home and listened on my headphones. And was constantly smelling the booklet. It was bewitching.

At that time, the only song I had heard from the album was Like A Prayer. I hadn't even heard EY yet. My initial favorite songs were, of course, Express Yourself, Oh Father, Cherish and Spanish Eyes.

I loved Cherish, I thought it was romantic and amorous. So much fun to sing to.

Her voice in Spanish Eyes was/is captivating. Her raspy voice in Love Song was also beautiful.

Then when I heard Oh Father...I started crying. It really hit me in the gut emotionally. At the time, I hated my dad. I didn't want anything to do with him. (on a personal note, he wasn't physically abusive, he was mentally abusive to me and my mom).

A week later he wanted to see me and my brothers. We reconnected and he, in his own way, told me he was proud of me and that he always loved me.

I realized in April why he wanted to see us so badly. He was saying goodbye. Thinking back now I should have realized. He probably weighed 100 lbs. when we saw him. He knew he was dying. I had no idea.

The whole thing was very ironic because the album came with a leaflet, "The Facts About AIDS"....

I found out from my uncle, later in April, that he was dying of AIDS. At my father's request, we weren't allowed to see him.

More irony. Express Yourself was released on May 9th. That's the day my dad died.

Anyway. My friends I couldn't get enough of the album. I listened to it everyday. It helped me so much. Madonna was there for me. That means a lot to me.

Mom loved the album too. She knew all the emotions I was going through, so we listened to it together all the time.

A truly captivating, compelling statement she was making with that album. It took pop to new levels. I would personally consider it a pop/rock album.

In 1989 it was considered an artistic, daring album.

Oh, and I LOVED her blonde streak in the front of her hair. I copied it. Only, I have blonde hair, I gave myself a brunette streak. Made it look the same, only opposite.

1989 was a hard year for me. Madonna got me through it.

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^ It came out around Easter bc I remember driving around and listening to it (or maybe waiting to listen to it) and thinking it was kinda naughty she was releasing LAP around such a religious Catholic holiday. I didn't give a shit, mind you, but I always thought her timing was kind of a dig to the church itself in that regard. For some reason it's a really strong memory I have of LAP and whenever M releases an album around Easter, which seems often, I immediately think of LAP.

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I find it so weird that this album debuted at #11 - like why didn't everyone rush out to get it the first week?

Pre-Soundscan, it wasn't the "norm" for every album under the sun to debut at #1.

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Yes, all hairstyles were 1989 except this one which was January 1990 (I am 98% sure) - the only thing I was never sure of with this picture is I am not sure if this was a wig, or her own hair combed this way. I know the bob was her own hair. Oh, and I -think- the Rolling Stone cover brunette pic is from December 1988 - I never liked when she did photo shoots in December/January, just because the years always get messed up over the years. I like to know the exact dates, and keep them like that. The LAP video was supposedly filmed in December 1988, but I can never verify that.

December 17, 1989, one of my favorite shoots ever!

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December 17, 1989, one of my favorite shoots ever!

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love knowing exact dates :-D

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Let's see....1989.....I was a year old. So yea. Don't remember much,

I was -2. Shame, cause LAP is my favorite album ever and it would've been awesome to experience the era firsthand.

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