LikeAPrayer Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 To answer your question, I don't remember hearing it on the radio either. Then again, I was only 9 when the song was a hit. When I got "The Immaculate Collection" a few years later (1993) I remembered the song, so I must have heard it at some point. I will say, however, that I am surprised that the song did as well as it did on the radio (Hot 100 Airplay peak of No. 2) considering that the song sounds like nothing else on the radio at that time (which may be, of course, why it did so well in the first place). I wouldn't have considered it a radio friendly song for that time. Then again, I guess that radio couldn't deny airplay for an artist at the top of her game. But that's exactly it. JML happened at the right moment in time - the timing, artist, video, and era were all just aligned and on point. Both radio and the masses couldn't deny the most popular artist of the time a hit. She tried pushing it further with Erotica, of course, but even though we all love that era, it just didn't have the same impact and resonance at that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 You answered the question before me but what these people don't get is that taking risks doesn't mean repeating the same thing over and over. Madonna DOES WHAT SHE WANTS. I think it just so happens is that a lot of the things she wants appear CONTROVERSIAL because so many people have such a small mind. Get a life people!I do agree. As much as The Madonna has courted controversy through her career I do believe many many times over she has not deliberately been controversial. Once she had that reputation the media and the public began to just look for controversy. She became a controversial figure so even the things she did that weren't really that shocking were viewed in such light.But if we're talking deliberate things like the Like a Prayer video, Sex book, Justify My Love, Britney kiss etc I think the whole point of being "controversial" is a deliberate attempt to open peoples minds. People need to be pushed into thinking beyond their conservative little worlds. That's the whole point of what she was doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzy Jan Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I do agree. As much as The Madonna has courted controversy through her career I do believe many many times over she has not deliberately been controversial. Once she had that reputation the media and the public began to just look for controversy. She became a controversial figure so even the things she did that weren't really that shocking were viewed in such light. But if we're talking deliberate things like the Like a Prayer video, Sex book, Justify My Love, Britney kiss etc I think the whole point of being "controversial" is a deliberate attempt to open peoples minds. People need to be pushed into thinking beyond their conservative little worlds. That's the whole point of what she was doing. Agree with everything here. People are too obsessed with Madonna being controversial or wanting her to be controversial. All of her "controversies" were really her being fearless, expressing what she thought was correct and being ahead of her time. Justify my love was daring and different for a music video at the time. If Madonna was to continually make the same kind of video clips, it would lose it's meaning and uniqueness. I love virtually all of her videos as I think they are superior visually and artistically than any other artist's video clips on a consistent level. Also, the most important thing ( although people won't admit it ) is they are entertaining, It is no use being artistic if you are boring and people only want to watch the video clip once. That is why Madonna appeals to such a huge crowd. She is fascinating and her videos are beautiful and interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism408 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Amazing song and the video is just perfection! Wish I was around when it first came out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madonnasuperfan01 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 This song is really a masterpiece. I used to dislike it but now i just LOVE it, it's so dark and sensual. It was also SO risky, very different than all her previous pop hits. I was only 1 year old when the song came out so i wasn't able to follow that era Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Vavance Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 yes, it's a masterpiece. but imho Erotica is far far superior ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnox Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 One of her all time best tracks. For one woman to be able to record songs so different like Like A Virgin, Live To Tell, Like A Prayer and Justify My Love..... people bang on about how Gaga jumps genres, she and nobody else is a patch on what Madonna used to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samo Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 ^ Gaga jumps genres? When did this delusion happy? All of her shit songs sound exactly the same. I mean can you see Gags doing a Live To Tell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeAPrayer Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 yes, it's a masterpiece. but imho Erotica is far far superior ! JML was def a great teaser and bridge between Blonde Ambition/TIC era Madonna to Erotica Madonna (we'll ignore This Used To Be My Playground). I wonder if the success of JML was her impetus for the entire Erotica era. While I somewhat agree that Erotica is the better song, Justify My Love was just the better/more definitive moment/experience in her career. She was untouchable at this time, and though the press never really liked her, they played into her game instead of just being outright nasty towards her as they would later be with Erotica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 ^ Gaga jumps genres? When did this delusion happy? All of her shit songs sound exactly the same. I mean can you see Gags doing a Live To Tell? I think he means in how aside from her generic dance songs she does all those shitty songs on the piano and did that whole Tony Bennett and thanksgiving crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 And no we cannot see her doing Live To Tell nor do we want to. Ballads are her weakest point, I can't think of a single ballad she's done that has been successful. Her ballads all sound like Shania Twain songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad_On_Her Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Only over the last year or so Ive started to really love it. The video though has always been a favourite, really incredible Madonna looks so hot in it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb19 Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 I think what... whoever it was who first said they wished she would still take risks, was not talking about political or social risks, which we all know she still does regularly, but rather musical risks, like Justify My Love. As said earlier, the video and "controversy" (much needed, imo - the Nightline interview is necessary viewing for an M fan), overshadows the simple artistry of the track which is, musically, regardless of content, risky. The spoken vocals, the beat, the sparse production, it's not pop, it's not mainstream it was a very risky move. With regards to recent years we can hardly argue she has released the risky music. She can make as many shocking and important political stands but without the innovative music to back it up in the public eye it could feel a bit like shock for the sake of shock to outside viewers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollap Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I think what... whoever it was who first said they wished she would still take risks, was not talking about political or social risks, which we all know she still does regularly, but rather musical risks, like Justify My Love. As said earlier, the video and "controversy" (much needed, imo - the Nightline interview is necessary viewing for an M fan), overshadows the simple artistry of the track which is, musically, regardless of content, risky. The spoken vocals, the beat, the sparse production, it's not pop, it's not mainstream it was a very risky move. With regards to recent years we can hardly argue she has released the risky music. She can make as many shocking and important political stands but without the innovative music to back it up in the public eye it could feel a bit like shock for the sake of shock to outside viewers. Thank you! Exactly what I meant, Madonna no longer takes the MUSICAL risks she used to. Cicatrix et al keep banging on about repeating herself/controversies etc, but I'm real talking about the music. Yes Gang Bang could have been, put she chickened out of releasing it in favour of braindead singles like TUTR etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I don't consider it risky. A little left of field maybe but not exactly bizarre/avant garde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollap Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I don't consider it risky. A little left of field maybe but not exactly bizarre/avant garde.. More risky than anything else on the album. But she's not taken musical risks really for a decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULIZOS Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 JML is not only one of the greatest songs in M's career, it's one of the greatest pop songs EVER. PERIOD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsaacHarris Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 JML is not only one of the greatest songs in M's career, it's one of the greatest pop songs EVER. PERIOD. I second that *BLOOP* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erotica blu Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 American Life was Madonna's last musical risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsaacHarris Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 American Life was Madonna's last musical risk. Madonna working with predominantly African-American, mainstream, urban collaborators while posing on her album cover scantily-clad in front of super imposed images of sugary confections before embarking on a tour title after her syrupy & saccharine vagina was her last musical risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb19 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 American Life was Madonna's last musical risk. American Life was her last great public risk. Get your tits out on stage at a concert, show yourself in all your age to your fans, but the world at large it's photoshopped and creamy smooth icon. Get artistic, aggressive, left of field on your albums, release the bouncy vapid pop number to the public. The money and soul poured into the whole AL was thrown in her face by the world at large, the death threats to her family, the deeply personal criticism about a very misunderstood message. It's really upsetting to think about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 . More risky than anything else on the album. But she's not taken musical risks really for a decade. I was referring to JML. I don't consider it risky. For me, the most risky thing she did was something to remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erotica blu Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Madonna working with predominantly African-American, mainstream, urban collaborators while posing on her album cover scantily-clad in front of super imposed images of sugary confections before embarking on a tour title after her syrupy & saccharine vagina was her last musical risk.Hard Candy is not a musical risk. American Life was her last great public risk. Get your tits out on stage at a concert, show yourself in all your age to your fans, but the world at large it's photoshopped and creamy smooth icon. Get artistic, aggressive, left of field on your albums, release the bouncy vapid pop number to the public. The money and soul poured into the whole AL was thrown in her face by the world at large, the death threats to her family, the deeply personal criticism about a very misunderstood message. It's really upsetting to think about Celebrity criticism of the Bush administration met with swift and ugly backlash. Because Madonna was a now a parent. She couldn't carry on with public indifference. She has a family to protect. But this controversy centered around the original video version of the lead single. The album's musical risks were not appreciated by the base. And there are several vocal detractors of the album that insist they're correct in their rejection of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluejean Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 . More risky than anything else on the album. But she's not taken musical risks really for a decade. Most of her "risks" were not musical anyway. The only ones I can think of were:Live To Tell Justify My Love Erotica (album) Frozen/Ray of Light album Music song/album Everything else she's ever done was pretty straight forward mainstream pop sounding imo (yet fabulous of course.) The real risks and innovativeness were always in the videos, concerts etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anastaza Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I don't consider it risky. A little left of field maybe but not exactly bizarre/avant garde. Maybe not now, but it sure was at the time of its release. Especially the video. For Madonna to release a music video that MTV refused to play (because MTV used to play a lot of Madonna videos), that was pretty big stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vocalism Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I'm pretty sure the song was doing extremely well on radio by the time the video controversy was in full swing. Obviously it helped, but I remember hearing the song on the radio all the time back then. I even have a cassette tape recording of the radio from 1991 and they were playing the William Orbit remix! She was just unstoppable back then. She could have released a recording of her burping and it would have been a smash. I love the song. I think it was groundbreaking and most absolutely risky. It sounded like nothing she (or any major pop star) had done before. Hell, it was mostly talking and not very pop-friendly at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madonnasuperfan01 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 And no we cannot see her doing Live To Tell nor do we want to. Ballads are her weakest point, I can't think of a single ballad she's done that has been successful. Her ballads all sound like Shania Twain songs. WTF? It this a sad joke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb19 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 WTF? It this a sad joke? He's talking about Gaga! I disagree, I like her ballads, even if they're not a patch on M's. *runs away and hides* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 American Life was Madonna's last musical risk. So releasing GMAYL was not risky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I'm pretty sure the song was doing extremely well on radio by the time the video controversy was in full swing. Obviously it helped, but I remember hearing the song on the radio all the time back then. I even have a cassette tape recording of the radio from 1991 and they were playing the William Orbit remix! She was just unstoppable back then. She could have released a recording of her burping and it would have been a smash. I love the song. I think it was groundbreaking and most absolutely risky. It sounded like nothing she (or any major pop star) had done before. Hell, it was mostly talking and not very pop-friendly at all. She should have released like 20 songs on this period. Imagine her chart record now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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