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svperstar's top 50 Madonna Songs (2014 Edition)


svperstar

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I have not done one of these lists in many a year, but after three albums of new material and various releases in between (including a plethora of unreleashed shit), I think it's time to do one again.

Stay tuned for the list to end all lists.

- svp, grand marshall

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Here's how each album fairs in the top 50:

MDNA - 3 Songs

Hard Candy - 3 Songs

Confessions - 5 Songs

American Life - 4 Songs

Music - 3 Songs

Ray of Light - 6 Songs

Bedtime Stories - 4 Songs

Erotica - 4 Songs

Like a Prayer - 5 Songs

True Blue - 3 Songs

Like a Virgin - 1 Song

Madonna - 2 Songs

Soundtrack, Unreleased, Compoilation, etc - 7 Songs

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I have not done one of these lists in many a year, but after three albums of new material and various releases in between (including a plethora of unreleashed shit), I think it's time to do one again.

Stay tuned for the list to end all lists.

- svp, grand marshall

Bedtime+Stories+by+brave+new+guy.jpg

okay this is hands down the most gorgeous fan made album cover i have ever seen. WOW

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Great - I love song lists! I used to do an annual Madonna Top 50 on Absolute Madonna where everyone voted for their top 50 songs and then I tallied up points and counted them down. I'm hoping maybe I can continue the tradition here if people are interested.

Can't wait to see what's on your list :popcorn2:

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Bedtime+Stories+by+brave+new+guy.jpg

okay this is hands down the most gorgeous fan made album cover i have ever seen. WOW

svperstar is perfect all around.

can't wait to see the list! :popcorn:

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Great - I love song lists! I used to do an annual Madonna Top 50 on Absolute Madonna where everyone voted for their top 50 songs and then I tallied up points and counted them down. I'm hoping maybe I can continue the tradition here if people are interested.

Can't wait to see what's on your list :popcorn2:

Definitely looking forward to svperstar's list but I would love to do this as well!

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Definitely looking forward to svperstar's list but I would love to do this as well!

Great to hear Larkspur! Maybe we'll even have some new music by year end to consider for this years' list :)

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Okay, first up is the top ten "bubbling under tracks," i.e. the ones that narrowly missed but were so good they needed mentions.

10. Liquid Love

[unreleased from the "Music" sessions]

If all the intricate little blips and bubbling synths of their "Ray of Light" collaborations were dress rehearsals to something else, then "Liquid Love" plays like the orgasmic pitch between the Madonna/Orbit collaborations of the late 90s. The queen herself described this in an interview years ago as a track that gave her "the wrong tingles," but it hits all the right notes to these ears. Theatrical, dynamic and intricate to a fault, its effect gains an extra layer of amusement based around the fact that the lyrics also seem unconsciously suggestive (perhaps the real reason it was never released). In either case, what a virtue it was to have this little buried gem surface on the internet; listening to it now, it plays like the long-forgotten relic of a precious time in Madonna's recording career.

09. The Beat Goes On (featuring Kanye West)
[taken from "Hard Candy," 2008]
Pharrell challenges Madonna -- and us -- to desist wasting time over the infectious hook of "The Beat Goes On," but that's not all that is remarkable about this underrated gem. Note the distinct lyrical throw-backs to disco. Listen closely at how impeccable the track is at capturing the early 80s Mowtown vibe. And that bridge? It's one of the most distinguishable pop hooks of the queen's later years, unmatched even in context with an album full of them. Though unfairly maligned as a whole, "Hard Candy" can be credited, at least, with producing several brilliant isolated moments, and this is surely one of the most memorable.

08. Candy Perfume Girl

[taken from "Ray of Light," 1998]

One of the more experimental tracks of Madge's magnum opus, "Candy Perfume Girl" is a lyrical conundrum wrapped inside a deliciously funky backing track that marries early 90s sensibilities with the then-current sound of underground electronica. The thriving electric guitars in the backdrop barely whisper through most of the song, but their presence adds attitude to a track that is already full of addictive substances. What is it all about? I wager a guess that the song is about the over-indulgence of desires, but even that's worth challenging -- even now, 16 years after it premiered, when its intrigue (or its effect) have not aged. What a clever little song.

07. Like a Virgin

[taken from "Like a Virgin," 1984]

The grandmother of all #1 pop hits in the catalog of the queen, LAV has, perhaps, been weathered significantly in our music culture based on decades of overexposure. But it does remain, at its core, a pretty damn good tune that is as energetic as it is insatiable. Even after you detach the images often associated with the track (including the famous wedding dress), there is simply no denying it had the right to be Madonna's first chart-topper; the music is timeless, the message provocative, and the melody a revelation. It set the tone for which 30 years of music would be influenced, and one cannot argue this facet.

06. La Isla Bonita

[taken from "True Blue," 1986]

Madonna has taken several notable detours into the realm of Latin-inspired pop music, but "La Isla Bonita" remains the most timeless and effective of them all. There is an enthusiasm in her voice that is refreshing, and the arrangement has such a laid back celebratory vibe that it adds layers of resonance to an already-carefree series of lyrics. It, too, also contains one of those unforgettable 80s melodies that made her a household name; several years later, not one person of my generation has forgotten how enjoyable it is, even now.

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Great - I love song lists! I used to do an annual Madonna Top 50 on Absolute Madonna where everyone voted for their top 50 songs and then I tallied up points and counted them down. I'm hoping maybe I can continue the tradition here if people are interested.

Can't wait to see what's on your list :popcorn2:

I was only on Absolute Madonna for a year, but your song of the week reviews and pictures were so beautiful and a highlight. You should start that up here again because there are so many passionate Madonna fans on this forum who would just love it.

Loving your list Svperstar and your write ups. Bless our passionate and eloquent fans like Svperstar and Whoopie who go out of their way to do these fantastic things for us.

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I was only on Absolute Madonna for a year, but your song of the week reviews and pictures were so beautiful and a highlight. You should start that up here again because there are so many passionate Madonna fans on this forum who would just love it.

Loving your list Svperstar and your write ups. Bless our passionate and eloquent fans like Svperstar and Whoopie who go out of their way to do these fantastic things for us.

Thanks Jan! I am hoping to start the SOTW threads here as well -just gotta get my post count up high enough to be able to start a topic - I think I'm almost there!

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Sorry about the delay guys, there was a death in the family last night. I'll continue this in a couple days.

Sorry to hear about your loss svperstar. My condolences to you and your family.

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