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Rolling Stone: 100 Best Singles of 1984


HolidayGuy

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Madonna has two entries (and is featured on a third, uncredited), for which I'll post the info.

I thought it's "da da da da..." on "Borderline."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-singles-of-1984-pops-greatest-year-20140917

100 Best Singles of 1984: Pop's Greatest Year
Let's go crazy: The standout songs from radio's 'Thriller' season

September 17, 2014

From Prince to Madonna to Michael Jackson to Bruce Springsteen to Cyndi Lauper, 1984 was the year that pop stood tallest. New Wave, R&B, hip-hop, mascara'd hard rock and "Weird Al" Yankovic all crossed paths on the charts while a post-"Billie Jean" MTV brought them into your living room. In the spirit of this landmark year, here are the 100 best singles from the year pop popped. To be considered, the song had to be released in 1984 or have significant chart impact in 1984, and charted somewhere on the Billboard Hot 100.

71. Jellybean, "Sidewalk Talk"
Hot 100 Peak: Number 18
Madonna penned the first single to be credited to her then-boyfriend, New York DJ John "Jellybean" Benitez, and handled vocal duties on its chorus. (The breathy Catharine Buchanan, who passed away in 2001, sang the verses.) Similar in style to the ramped-up club music that made tracks like the Benitez-produced "Holiday" early-Eighties radio staples, "Sidewalk Talk" distills the essence of New York — full of fast-moving possibility and flash, but to be handled with caution in order to be survived. M.J.

67. Madonna, "Like a Virgin"
Hot 100 Peak: Number One
If the hits from Madonna's 1983 debut established her as a star, it was the title track from 1984's Like a Virgin that vaulted her into icon status, rocketing to the top of the Hot 100 in its sixth week on the chart. Madonna has played up the ambiguity of the lyric, which has been interpreted in many ways (most famously and explicitly in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs), but the song was originally conceived by songwriter Billy Steinberg as a tender ballad inspired by a new love after a depressing heartbreak. It was Madonna herself, however, who suggested the title of the parody "Weird Al" Yankovic later recorded, "Like a Surgeon." A.S.

2. Madonna, "Borderline"
Hot 100 Peak: Number 10
"I dared to believe this was going to be huge beyond belief, the biggest thing I'd ever had, after I heard 'Borderline,'" Seymour Stein, the record man who signed Madonna, recalled. "The passion that she put into that song, I thought, there's no stopping this girl." His gut was right on target: The fifth and final single from Madonna's 1983 debut album was her first to hit the Top 10. The melodic synth-a-palooza with the plunky low end was one of two on the LP penned by Reggie Lucas, who used a drum machine instead of a live drummer for the first time on the tune, doubling a synth bass with Anthony Jackson on electric bass guitar ("They're playing so tight you can't tell the difference," Lucas said). Madonna turned in a sweetly-sung, restrained but emotional vocal (her voice wavers just so when she gets to "Feels like I'm going to lose my mind") about a beau who has her heart twisted. The radio remix, which trims nearly three minutes from the tune, boasts one of Madge's most iconic fade-outs, standing by as she "la la la"s into the void. C.G.

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I really don't get why Borderline is considered as such a classic. In my opinion Lucky Star and Holiday are far more classic Madonna than Borderline is. I mean it's a good song but in my opinion it's kind of mediocore and forgettable. Also, where the fuck is Material Girl?

Like a Virgin on the other hand is THE Madonna song of the 80's in my opinion. It's not one of my favourite songs but it's truly iconic.

Edited by JimmyJimmy
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I really don't get why Borderline is considered as such a classic. In my opinion Lucky Star and Holiday are far more classic Madonna than Borderline is. I mean it's a good song but in my opinion it's kind of mediocore and forgettable. Also, where the fuck is Material Girl?

Like a Virgin on the other hand is THE Madonna song of the 80's in my opinion. It's not one of my favourite songs but it's truly iconic.

You have to give credit where credit is due.

The LAV singles are put on a pedestal because of their content. Borderline was huge. And it's a perfectly crafted pop song. It's not one of my favorites. But it's everything a midtempo Madonna single should be.

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I really don't get why Borderline is considered as such a classic. In my opinion Lucky Star and Holiday are far more classic Madonna than Borderline is. I mean it's a good song but in my opinion it's kind of mediocore and forgettable. Also, where the fuck is Material Girl?

Like a Virgin on the other hand is THE Madonna song of the 80's in my opinion. It's not one of my favourite songs but it's truly iconic.

Material Girl came out early 1985, so it can't be included.

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Mhh I suppose I can't really tell if it was huge back then or not, because that was 10 years before I was born. Being more of a younger fan all I can say is that Borderline doesn't seem to have much of an impact anymore. (I don't live in the UK or the US so it must be a regional thing as well)

Edited by JimmyJimmy
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"Borderline" is classic- a fantastic pop track. The more accolades it receives, the better.

Agree totally. Perfect pop song. Madonna's vocals on it were so sweet and yearning and she completely nailed the emotion behind the lyrics. It is such a sad song as well as a love song. Most other singers would have either over-sang it or not put enough emotion in it. To top it all off, the video had so many wonderful Madonna moments and some of her early iconic looks.

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Borderline in many ways started the Madonna revolution. It was her first video to go into heavy rotation on MTV, and her first top 10 pop hit in the US. It laid the groundwork for bigger and better things to come in her career.

Cool.

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Borderline had real emotion and pain behind the pop production. It had real weight behind the words and the delivery, while Holiday and Like a Virgin were a bit more lightweight and gimmicky, as great as they were.

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Like a Virgin and Lucky Star > Borderline

HELL NO. Live a Virgin is atrocious in my book and i always found Lucky Star enjoyable but not THAT amazing. I'm glad Borderline is so high on the list, it is a classic.

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Like A Virgin was huge in 84. Kinda surprised. All of Madonna's songs were huge then though.

Oh and yeah I like that they are showcasing 1984. If people want to look at a time when pop was fun and we were fans of everyone this would be a great time to consider.

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"Borderline" is NOT mediocre. "Like a Virgin" is NOT atrocious.

Why can't you bitches LOVE ALL those songs? This is Madonna we're talkin' 'bout.

:thumbsup:

Love all of her 80's hits. One timeless pop classic after another. As amazing as many of her albums and singles were that followed afterwards, it's needless to say all these songs from her early years, and truly each and everyone, formed M in the first place. They ARE Madonna.

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:thumbsup:

Love all of her 80's hits. One timeless pop classic after another. As amazing as many of her albums and singles were that followed afterwards, it's needless to say all these songs from her early years, and truly each and everyone, formed M in the first place. They ARE Madonna.

Brilliantly put Nonoka. Borderline, Lucky star and Like a virgin are pop classics and alongside Holiday, Into the Groove, Crazy for you, Dress you up and Material girl - established Madonna as the superstar she was always destined to be. Truly a wonderful time to be a fan - watching Madonna become the biggest star in the world.

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"Borderline" is NOT mediocre. "Like a Virgin" is NOT atrocious.

Why can't you bitches LOVE ALL those songs? This is Madonna we're talkin' 'bout.

Well just because i love Madonna doesn't mean i have to love all her songs. I NEVER liked Like a Virgin and never will, it's one of her worst songs. I'm glad it helped her to reach superstar statut but i still don't like it. To each his own :thumbsup:

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Well just because i love Madonna doesn't mean i have to love all her songs. I NEVER liked Like a Virgin and never will, it's one of her worst songs. I'm glad it helped her to reach superstar statut but i still don't like it. To each his own :thumbsup:

:lmao: This is too hilarious. Sorry bitch but hating "Like a Virgin" and calling it "one of her worst songs" surely doesn't live up to your username at all. Perhaps you're too new of a fan to understand her '80s magic. I have no intention to be a patronizing cunt but God. I can't. :lol:

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