VogueMusic Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Great thread! Madonna is such an icon that she trancends her own image/sound to actually reflect the defining idea of each decade. So Id like to expand the scope of the idea of this thread a bit to pick songs to define the decades themselves. 1980s-- Material Girl. NO OTHER song by ANY artist defined the 80s quite like MG. The early years of the 80s was a recovery from the bad 70s hangover of the oil embargo/crisis and the Carter recession (NY was bankrupt w/c made for a very seedy and gritty Manhattan you guys loved as per the Caca thread LOL). Still, as the 80s dawned, the Reagans rolled in and America (and its sphere of influence) was resurgent with new found bravado, and so the era of glitz and excess was unfolding, furthered by pop culture with iconic "all about money and glitz" tv soaps like Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest, etc.. The decade was also the era of the Wall Street Masters of the Universe like the Milkens (junk bonds) and KKRs and the fictional Gordon Gecko. It was the era of GREED. The Material Decade. Even the Olympics was all about the profits. Despite its ironic intent, MG was and is the poster song of the decade as it perfectly encapsulates it. 1990s-- Vogue. The 90s will forever be attached to Nirvana's Smell Like Teen Spirit (and grunge)-- a sharp generational reaction to/alienation from the 80s excess and materialism. But it can be argued that Vogue is a close second as this totemic dance anthem mirrored like no other the, yes, the era of the postmodern. Madonna was written by university scholars no less as the "queen of the postmodern" ( by Camille?? LOL) with her changing personas and music. Vogue established that distinction, with its strike-a-pose, be whatever you wanna be message and the imagery appropriations and references to past art works. Postmodernism became a multi art movement (esp architecture) in the late 70s but socially, I think it peaked in the 90s esp in the Clinton era which culminated in Bill's infamous "define sexual relationship" lawyerly (postmodern) talk.. Or Bob Dole's deadpan "whatever".. 2000s --Hung Up Madonna solidified her reign for this decade as the biggest established music star-- the very institution to "rebel against", so to speak-- but she admittedly had reached the inevitable point when she's not THE cultural touchstone anymore even if she remained one of the biggest influences for those who WERE. However, musically I think Hung Up can be placed up there (even if it wasnt a Stateside smash). Hung up, with its Abba sample and retro disco sound reflects a decade which was so... retro.. musically. 2010s -- none YET. Now, if I forego all that and just pick songs that represent just Madonna per decade, then: 80s -- Into the Groove (or Borderline/LAV; I always associate LAP with 90s BAT) 90s -- Frozen (id like Vogue but id lump Vogue as part of her long imperial phase that began in the 80s. Frozen or ROL was the start of her next wave) 00s -- Hung Up ( another wave-starter) 10s -- GGW Very well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IslandBreeze Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80'-85's - INTO THE GROOVE (This song is pure 80's Madonna) 85'-90's - PAPA DON'T PREACH/LIKE A PRAYER (These two song's represent her first change) 90-95's - VOGUE (This song was the birth of SEX/GLAMDonna) 95-00's - FROZEN (Her spiritual rebirth! This was the birth of the new Madonna! It almost was like she started all over again, almost like she started a new career) 00'-05's - MUSIC (Perfect representation of Mirwaiis/Madonna) 05's-10's - HUNG UP (I think this era is all about the looks...DiscoDonna/Candy Granny...oops) 10's - GIRL GONE WILD (so far) (It's funny how she looks so much younger this era than she did during the HC/Celebration-era) There's just no way you pick one song to represent a whole decade! That's cheating but I agree that a decade is too encompassing to be truly reflected by a single song. I would use the following sequence to define each "musical" era: Holiday Into the Groove Like A Prayer Vogue Erotica Take A Bow Ray of Light Die Another Day Hung Up 4 Minutes These songs in this sequence kind of sum up her career. Holiday was the beginning of it all (commercially). Her first hit is Holiday and then she becomes a big star that girls all over the world want to emulate (ITG). Then she starts to bring more controversial subjects into her music while still keeping her popularity; she decides to prove she's more than a pop singer (LAP). After pissing off the Catholic church and still maintaining her popularity, she wants to go even further and the gay lifestyle becomes her cause (Vogue). This is the first time she is associated with gay themes overtly. After breaking many taboos regarding sexuality through her BAT tour, TOD documentary and JML video, she thinks she can keep pushing the envelope. She does and finally there is a major backlash (Erotica). Realizing that things will have to be tamed a bit, she starts a gradual image and sound change that will show a softer and more vulnerable side (TAB). Motherhood happens and she then focus on existentialism/spiritualism and electronic music (ROL). Not wanting to repeat herself but still keeping the electronica vibe she goes more experimental (DAD). After the commercial slump of AL, she goes back to her disco roots and triumphs again (HU). After re-establishing her career for a second time but at the same time having to go through a second divorce she seems to lose her innovative musical edge and rely on collaborations to have commercial success. Though the latter part is up for debate (fans had the same argument regarding her last two records), for the general and wide audiences, the last time she was innovative was with COADF. I know many will disagree with this but this is how I would describe the impact of these songs to a non fan. I could have been more detailed and included more songs but I was trying to tell the story with the least amount of songs and these were the ones I could not leave out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadCrazy Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80's Into The Groove (written by her and totally summed up the decade) 90's Justify My Love (the beginning of her sex goddess era) 00's Hung Up (one of the biggest Global Hits of the decade) 10's None Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IslandBreeze Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 That's cheating but I agree that a decade is too encompassing to be truly reflected by a single song. I would use the following sequence to define each "musical" era: Holiday Into the Groove Like A Prayer Vogue Erotica Take A Bow Ray of Light Die Another Day Hung Up 4 Minutes These songs in this sequence kind of sum up her career. Holiday was the beginning of it all (commercially). Her first hit is Holiday and then she becomes a big star that girls all over the world want to emulate (ITG). Then she starts to bring more controversial subjects into her music while still keeping her popularity; she decides to prove she's more than a pop singer (LAP). After pissing off the Catholic church and still maintaining her popularity, she wants to go even further and the gay lifestyle becomes her cause (Vogue). This is the first time she is associated with gay themes overtly. After breaking many taboos regarding sexuality through her BAT tour, TOD documentary and JML video, she thinks she can keep pushing the envelope. She does and finally there is a major backlash (Erotica). Realizing that things will have to be tamed a bit, she starts a gradual image and sound change that will show a softer and more vulnerable side (TAB). Motherhood happens and she then focus on existentialism/spiritualism and electronic music (ROL). Not wanting to repeat herself but still keeping the electronica vibe she goes more experimental (DAD). After the commercial slump of AL, she goes back to her disco roots and triumphs again (HU). After re-establishing her career for a second time but at the same time having to go through a second divorce she seems to lose her innovative musical edge and rely on collaborations to have commercial success. Though the latter part is up for debate (fans had the same argument regarding her last two records), for the general and wide audiences, the last time she was innovative was with COADF. I know many will disagree with this but this is how I would describe the impact of these songs to a non fan. I could have been more detailed and included more songs but I was trying to tell the story with the least amount of songs and these were the ones I could not leave out. I was looking at the sequence and thought that ITG could be swapped with either LAV or PDP. However, the other songs are pretty much essential on this sequence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mat.Guy Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80's 90's 00's 10's (so far) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TearsInHeaven Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Like a Virgin Ray Of Light Music Gang Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insilico Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Holiday Frozen Hung Up I'm Addicted or Gang Bang, cannot really decide and it's a bit too early to define this decade, the best is yet to come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Platinum Gold Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 (edited) 80's - Material Girl/ Like a Virgin 90's - Vogue/ Ray of Light 00's - Music / Hung Up 10's - 4 Minutes/ Girl Gone Wild Edited November 10, 2013 by LeooAyala Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt420 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80's Into The Groove- To me, 80's Madonna is all about fun but exceptional, top notch dance-pop. My first inclination was to choose LAP, but I feel it's almost too sophisticated and for lack of a better term "perfect". I would prob choose LAP as THE defining Madonna song out of her whole body of work. ITG is perfect to define the 80's Madonna. It features the young, carefree, spunky, hungry, "Minnie Mouse on helium" voiced Madonna that the world originally fell in love with. I know when I think "80's Madonna", the "Boy Toy"/downtown club kid, street urchin look is the first image that pops into my mind. The song does sound 80's, but somehow it STILL, almost 30 years later, sounds fresh and just downright fucking HOT! The lyrics....that bassline......that BRIDGE!! Has there ever been a more perfect bridge in a pop song?? 90's Justify My Love- This may seem an odd choice, but I feel it perfectly represents Madonna's approach to her music and single releases in the 90's. First of all, this song and video are the start of the climax of what would be the most infamous period of her career; the extreme "sexed up" Madonna. This was probably her most daring, risky single release up until this point (Live To Tell comes close though). There was NOTHING on top 40 radio that sounded like this. She isn't even really singing, the beat has a gritty, urban feel that wasn't exactly burning up Top 40 radio at the time and of course the lyrics were a little risque for their time as well. Unlike the majority of her prior releases, JML definitely was not a guaranteed hit. This more "experimental" approach to her single releases would become the norm for her as the 90's progressed. 00's Music- I feel like Madonna sort of came full circle with this song. After much experimentation with her production styles and the overall growth and depth of her lyrics through the 90's, Music came at a perfect time. It felt like it had been forever since Madonna had done a song along the lines of ITG, Vogue or Everybody......"let's forget our cares and dance the night away" kind of songs. Lyrically, it's a nice throwback to those types of M songs. Production wise, it was like old school Madonna meets new millennium Madonna. Funky like some of her best dance pop songs from the early years, but with futuristic production that sounded out of this world. The perfect marriage of the simple brilliance of her 80's lyrics and hooks and the experimental approach of her 90's production and a taste of her musical future. To the delight and dismay of some of her fans, Madonna would revisit this theme in her music many times throughout the 00's. 10's Gang Bang- It's a bit early to say but so far GB seems fitting. Starting with the 2010 Interview photo spread, her images have gotten a little darker since the dawn of the decade. I know many people may find that odd considering GMAYL, TUTR and GGW are her single releases so far this decade, but there is a certain darkness around MDNA. Even without factoring in the imagery of the tour, there is just an undertone of darkness, anger and a little sadness when listening to the album. Even the upbeat, TUTR has a lyric where she exclaims "I don't know how I got to this stage, let me out of my cage cuz I'm dying." GB epitomizes that darker undertone of the album. It seems like Madonna isn't really in the mood to dance right now, she's in a serious mode. Secret Project is the GB video that never was and to me Secret Project represents perfectly Madonna's present state of mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blowjob Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80's: Like a Virgin 90's: Vogue 00's: Hung Up 10's: none so far - too early to judge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glindathegood Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80's Into The Groove- To me, 80's Madonna is all about fun but exceptional, top notch dance-pop. My first inclination was to choose LAP, but I feel it's almost too sophisticated and for lack of a better term "perfect". I would prob choose LAP as THE defining Madonna song out of her whole body of work. ITG is perfect to define the 80's Madonna. It features the young, carefree, spunky, hungry, "Minnie Mouse on helium" voiced Madonna that the world originally fell in love with. I know when I think "80's Madonna", the "Boy Toy"/downtown club kid, street urchin look is the first image that pops into my mind. The song does sound 80's, but somehow it STILL, almost 30 years later, sounds fresh and just downright fucking HOT! The lyrics....that bassline......that BRIDGE!! Has there ever been a more perfect bridge in a pop song?? 90's Justify My Love- This may seem an odd choice, but I feel it perfectly represents Madonna's approach to her music and single releases in the 90's. First of all, this song and video are the start of the climax of what would be the most infamous period of her career; the extreme "sexed up" Madonna. This was probably her most daring, risky single release up until this point (Live To Tell comes close though). There was NOTHING on top 40 radio that sounded like this. She isn't even really singing, the beat has a gritty, urban feel that wasn't exactly burning up Top 40 radio at the time and of course the lyrics were a little risque for their time as well. Unlike the majority of her prior releases, JML definitely was not a guaranteed hit. This more "experimental" approach to her single releases would become the norm for her as the 90's progressed. 00's Music- I feel like Madonna sort of came full circle with this song. After much experimentation with her production styles and the overall growth and depth of her lyrics through the 90's, Music came at a perfect time. It felt like it had been forever since Madonna had done a song along the lines of ITG, Vogue or Everybody......"let's forget our cares and dance the night away" kind of songs. Lyrically, it's a nice throwback to those types of M songs. Production wise, it was like old school Madonna meets new millennium Madonna. Funky like some of her best dance pop songs from the early years, but with futuristic production that sounded out of this world. The perfect marriage of the simple brilliance of her 80's lyrics and hooks and the experimental approach of her 90's production and a taste of her musical future. To the delight and dismay of some of her fans, Madonna would revisit this theme in her music many times throughout the 00's. 10's Gang Bang- It's a bit early to say but so far GB seems fitting. Starting with the 2010 Interview photo spread, her images have gotten a little darker since the dawn of the decade. I know many people may find that odd considering GMAYL, TUTR and GGW are her single releases so far this decade, but there is a certain darkness around MDNA. Even without factoring in the imagery of the tour, there is just an undertone of darkness, anger and a little sadness when listening to the album. Even the upbeat, TUTR has a lyric where she exclaims "I don't know how I got to this stage, let me out of my cage cuz I'm dying." GB epitomizes that darker undertone of the album. It seems like Madonna isn't really in the mood to dance right now, she's in a serious mode. Secret Project is the GB video that never was and to me Secret Project represents perfectly Madonna's present state of mind. Wow! That really is beautifully written. I thought about using Justify My Love and Music as well. I always really love your posts. They are so insightful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad4mad2 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 80s - Like A Virgin/Like a prayer. 90s - Vogue/Ray of light 00s - Music/4 minutes 10s - I'm Addicted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt420 Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Wow! That really is beautifully written. I thought about using Justify My Love and Music as well. I always really love your posts. They are so insightful. Thank you! I consider it a true compliment coming from you as I've always loved your posts as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRVC Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 THIS list is more or less based off what song stands out the most and is the most memorable from that decade for the general public. 80's - LIKE A VIRGIN (that was fucking tough to choose...) 90's - Ray Of Light 00's - MUSIC 10's - Give me all your luvin' (yuck... but there really hasn't been a hit this decade so far) MY LIST: 80's - Into the Groove 90's - VOGUE (even though it is sooooo close to the 80's) 00's - Hung Up 10's - Girl Gone Wild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULIZOS Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 80s Into the Groove 90s Vogue and Ray of Light (it's like two different decades in one) 00s Music (Hung Up is one of her great hits, but Music is the beginning of her new sound for the new millenium that has been pretty consistent throughout her music) 10s Too soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Mine looks like TIC, GHV2 and Celebration. Oh well. Anyway... 80s: Holiday, Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, Like A Prayer 90s: Vogue, Erotica, Secret, Ray Of Light 00s: Music, Die Another Day, Hung Up, 4 Minutes 10s: Girl Gone Wild so far.... need more!! Sorry I had to pick four from the rest of the decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter9 Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 80s - Material Girl 90s- Ray of Light 00s - Hung Up 10s - Nothing as of now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivy Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Wasn't celebration ( single ) released this decade? 80's express yourself 90's erotica 00's hung up 10's ............................... Absenteism vote! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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