Jump to content

Calling out M's older fans (prior to AL): How was it like then?


5iVe Elements

Recommended Posts

It's been told many times. I've been there and I tell you that nobody has ever been so famous and commented and everything as Madonna and Michael Jackson. You have to combine Rihanna Beyonce Adele Katy Perry and Gaga together and that would be half of what Madonna meant back then. Every move was commented, every look copied, every song played to death in the radio, all hits came effortlessly, songs that everybody knew and liked (from mothers to kids) and she was incredibly powerful.

But you know how it is, that when you are in the middle of that, you don't live something special, you just live that. It's as if somebody in 10 years asks you "how was it to be a fan of Madonna when she performed at the Superbowl?".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a completely different ballgame.

But even then there were stages in Madonna's career in terms of charts, musical landscape etc. So to make it into a "pre-AL" era is a bit too simplistic really. Even within the '80s, as some of us will remember, there were particular peaks and particular landmarks which kept changing the game up for Madonna.

I'm not very articulate this morning but I'll try and come back later and write something more meaningful. But yes, Madonna is the last remaining "Mega Pop Star", if that makes sense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I became a fan with ROL, so maybe I´m not that old of a fan (though it always amazes me that 18 years have passed!). Madonna was having a second renaissance of sorts, I guess. I didn´t know it back then, because I just happened to like what she was producing, but looking back on it she was everywhere, especially during the Music era. I was finising high school and you could hear her at clubs/parties you name it, she was ruling it all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no one around today to compare her to. She was always incredible, but not accepted or "proven" for years... decades, really. She was bigger than any female --any person-- you could ever imagine. Sexy, smart, funny and somehow both elusive and accessible.

This isn't meant to sound elitist (or elderly!), but think of it like a film: if you see and know the ending first, the beginning and each step beyond lack a bit of impact. The stakes were higher in the beginning as she moved from one moment to the next and the context of each era is always going to be different for fans who experienced firsthand what came before.

We had no idea when she'd just shed the wedding dress garb and "Into The Groove" was everywhere supporting a star turn in a hit movie that she would soon survive a nude scandal... score a #1 with a stunning dirge... chop her hair and tackle teen pregnancy... sport cone bras... become box-office poison... grow her hair out brunette and dance before burning crosses while taking on Pepsi and the catholic church... go platinum and strike a pose... single-handedly reinvent the theatrical pop concert experience... get banned from MTV for a steamy video... release a double-LP simulated 3D hits package crowding out legitimate smashes :wow:... theatrically release a no holds barred tour documentary... publish a book of erotic photos and prose... pierce her nose and belly and sport leather cornrows... :rotfl: garner film industry praise as Eva Peron... cause a media firestorm by *gasp* giving birth... become a kabbalah-loving, electronica-lite recording honorary brit... etc...

So many moments in between but even the highlights moved at breakneck speed. It all happened so fast and she was an absolute force.

Still is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was a fan in the beginning of her career, but I became a loon during 89-90. And, although she had hit after hit, she has always been critisiced. In the begining , of course, she was only a one hit wonder, well, more an album hit wonder, and even though now it seems obvious, nobody thought she would stay so big and so relevant for decades. But of course, the critics were the typical ones: she couldn´t sing (especially thanks to Ciao Italy! I also was surprised with the bad voice she had, I coudln´t believe it), she was using sex and scandal to sell, and, her body was too muscle and non feminine at all (so as you can see, the complaints about her body/lloks are not new).And, of course, she was a bad actress, although that thing became bigger, I think, after Body of evidence.

I still remember (I have to have them, the newspapers, in my parents house) critics saying The blond ambition tour sounded like crap, and that she was cold, they couldn´t realise that this wasn´ñt the typical concert). and, even musically, songs thatt nowadays are classics, weren´t praised: Vogue , again by some critics, was a "copy from a copy", but not as good as Into the groove or Holiday, the typical madonna songs.And don´t let me talk about JML, she was a super whore that this time didn´t even bother singing!

I also remember an article from a really famous writter in spain, Francisco Umbral, were he talked about her, in 1991, telling her that she had to earn money because after her youth was gone she woudn´t be anybody. weird, but in 2001, because of the Drowned world tour, he also wrote an article about her, but I don´t remember him being so ageist

But then again, tehre were always the hits, and the quality of the songs, a lot of critics had to shut their mouths, but you could feel that any reason was good to explain her success, any reason but her talent.

So, as you can see, a lot of things haven´t change. Of course, until the 90s the hate wasn´t so big, because, after all I think all the people thought she was going to disapear, as the other famous singers before her.

and, another thought that wer all the time talking about, was her beaing unable to get pregnant, that she would never be a mother and that this was eaten her alive....blablabla. But the hits, one after the other, shut their mouths.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the great thing about being an older fan was that the music industry was very different back in the 80's, and there was no internet.

The only way to find things out about Madonna was newspapers & television news, music television & thank god for all the music magazines!

Madonna was young fresh confident & sexy when she first started (& still is) there was no one else like her.

The frenzy surrounding Madonna was crazy! Everyone wanted to know about her. Her pop songs were incredibly infectious.

She was ALWAYS in the charts, she never seemed to not be.

But probably the best thing was, we didn't know a great deal about her, she was quite anonymous when it came to revealing herself & not doing a lot of interviews. There was a huge mystery about her & that of course intrigued us more.

I miss the days of album releases before Internet, because you didn't know a great deal about the album & what was on it, except for maybe a single release. The anticipation of buying a new Madonna & playing it right through from start to finish....words cannot explain the feeling....incredibly euphoric! Learning all the dance moves to The Virgin Tour.....I still know them 30 years later I did it so much! Lol!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being a Madonna fan from end 1984/beginning 1985 was amazing :tigger: even-though some people remember the negativity directed at her, I never paid much attention to that... and mostly remember the positive things... like reading a review of her first album already in 1983, and the reviewer saying that it was a great album, that deserved to be a hit. The beginning of Madonna's career was very special,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But probably the best thing was, we didn't know a great deal about her, she was quite anonymous when it came to revealing herself & not doing a lot of interviews. There was a huge mystery about her & that of course intrigued us more.

I miss the days of album releases before Internet, because you didn't know a great deal about the album & what was on it, except for maybe a single release. The anticipation of buying a new Madonna & playing it right through from start to finish....words cannot explain the feeling....incredibly euphoric! Learning all the dance moves to The Virgin Tour.....I still know them 30 years later I did it so much! Lol!

Oh God, I used to play my Virgin Tour VHS to death and my sister and I would do the moves to DYU together!

I was hooked on Madonna after hearing/seeing 'Burning Up' on Countdown in 1883. It was like she broke my musical virginity! I was smitten and remember recording that and 'Holiday' off the radio onto cassette! Today we take the Internet for granted but this was pre-Internet age and getting a new Madonna album was rather exciting and a revelation!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest bluejean

If we want to draw comparisons this is what era Madonna was at the equivalent point in her career:

Rihanna – Erotica (Boundary pushing, daring art vs. dreary Paul McCartney duet)

Lady Gaga - Like a Prayer (her work of pop art vs Cheek to Cheek lol)

Katy Perry – Vogue/Blond Ambition (a career peak vs. a career peak)

Britney Spears – Ray of Light (creating a masterpiece vs. performing in Vegas)

Beyonce – Beautiful Stranger, working on Music (on a creative high/commercial high vs. hasn't had a hit single in years)

Mariah Carey – Just finished the Confessions Tour (Fitter than ever vs. Fatter than ever and flopping so hard she's had to do a mime act in Vegas.)
Kylie Minogue - Finishing Sticky & Sweet Tour (The biggest tour by a female artist vs. the scaffolding for a backdrop flop tour)

Janet Jackson - Rebel Heart vs. eating McDonalds

So as you can see there is NO comparison

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a fan from 87.....she was just everywhere. loved and critised. but there......radio played her songs often, she had no trouble getting attention, they craved for her.

seems like she has to "work harder" now to be heard on the radio.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a fan from 87.....she was just everywhere. loved and critised. but there......radio played her songs often, she had no trouble getting attention, they craved for her.

seems like she has to "work harder" now to be heard on the radio.

true!!!!

anyway, what I wanted to say before, is that Madonna always has had detractors, people trying to explain that she´s not good enough, beautiful enough...and she´s still here, so enjoy the music, and have fan! the only times everybody seemed to like her was during ROL-Music...that´s when I was afraid!!!! jajajaja!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started to really become aware of her during the American Life period. I was realitively young (probably around 12) but I remember really loving Love Profusion.

If you're my age then you grew up in the Britney/Xtina era. Madonna was so refreshing. Yes she was older but that didn't even enter into the discussion (again why I think it's so sad that her age appears to be a factor for certain young people and organisations now but I digress)

In an era of teenybopper stuff she appeared almost like an alternative kind of megastar. I was very intrigued by her and remember thinking she was very beautiful.

So anyway time passed and I really began to stan for her during Confessions when I guess I was a little older and able to appreciate her messages and lyricism.

Another side note but the first time I ever heard of Madonna was Ray of Light. I was with my parents in the car in Paris and we were driving through the city at night with the CD playing. I'll always have such vivid memories of that night. The night lights and the music ❤️

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Madomination

I still remember (I have to have them, the newspapers, in my parents house) critics saying The blond ambition tour sounded like crap, and that she was cold, they couldn´t realise that this wasn´ñt the typical concert). and, even musically, songs thatt nowadays are classics, weren´t praised: Vogue , again by some critics, was a "copy from a copy", but not as good as Into the groove or Holiday, the typical madonna songs.And don´t let me talk about JML, she was a super whore that this time didn´t even bother singing!

.

That is strange because I have a different re-collection of Blonde Ambition....around the time of Vogue, Madonna was at the pinnalce of her game...I mean, Vogue was HUGE. Her Blonde Ambition Tour was groundbreaking that the New York Times did a whole article covering the technical and artistic aspect of it. With the Immaculate Collection, critics pretty much accepted the fact that Madonna was here to stay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A fan here since Holiday was climbing the charts in 1984 when I was just a teen. First time I actually ever saw her was when she sang "Holiday" on a TV show called Solid Gold (I missed out on the Bandstand performance). I remember all the Madonna vs. Cyndi Lauper articles. I bought all of M's cassettes over the years and was a pretty big fan. Some of my greatest memories include seeing the Papa Don't Preach video for the first time and then the teasers for the Like A Prayer/Pepsi commercial and getting super hyped about the song/commercial. Then actually seeing the commercial and the video was like...wow!!!

I'd say I went into true "stan" mode in 1990 when Vogue came out just as I was starting to come out. The connection was huge and then seeing Truth Or Dare on opening night just took it to a whole new level. I'd never seen a celeb be so open to having gay people (her dancers) around. It was an eye opener.

I could go on and on about this from era to era and write a whole book on it practically. I'll just say her music has been the soundtrack of my life and it's evolved in many of the same ways I have myself. It's like she's been a friend even though we've never met.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had no idea when she'd just shed the wedding dress garb and "Into The Groove" was everywhere supporting a star turn in a hit movie that she would soon survive a nude scandal... score a #1 with a stunning dirge... chop her hair and tackle teen pregnancy... sport cone bras... become box-office poison... grow her hair out brunette and dance before burning crosses while taking on Pepsi and the catholic church... go platinum and strike a pose... single-handedly reinvent the theatrical pop concert experience... get banned from MTV for a steamy video... release a double-LP simulated 3D hits package crowding out legitimate smashes :wow:... theatrically release a no holds barred tour documentary... publish a book of erotic photos and prose... pierce her nose and belly and sport leather cornrows... :rotfl: garner film industry praise as Eva Peron... cause a media firestorm by *gasp* giving birth... become a kabbalah-loving, electronica-lite recording honorary brit... etc...

This could be a verse in Veni Vidi Vici

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started really following her career during her all time peak critical acclaim with Ray Of Light. In 1998 it was impossible to escape from Madonna, she was literally everywhere and so huge that this positive vibe continued on at least until the Music era in 2000/2001. Suddenly she dropped like a hard rock in the ocean with American Life, people really REALLY detested her message on that album and it was just the beggining of the Iraq war, the public opinion shifted again against her, probably close to the level of the Erotica era but in a bit less extend. I have a feeling that besides her agressive in your face anti-war message, people really had a fatigue of her enduring sucess of Ray Of Light. She litterally rised again from the ashes with the Re-Invention Tour followed by Confessions On A Dancefloor. I really believe that this album saved her career.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My earliest recollection of Madonna probably comes from the days when she was on tour for The Girlie Show (I was only 8 years old at the time), and my parents sometimes commented about her sexual provocativeness during adult dinnertable conversations. I watched a re-run of the tour on television and remember it was the first time I saw tits on TV.

My first real connection with Madonna came with ROL - I heard Power of Goodbye on the radio and was instantly fascinated by the music. Needless to say I was hooked since... became a huge fan and also discovered a lot of her catalogue over the years. Her most interesting era in retrospect was Erotica. (I went through my own little mini era's when I would be completely consumed with one particular record). With ROL and Music she was everywhere, very popular throughout the world and her music videos had a LOT of airplay on VH1 and MTV.

I think because I connected with ROL at the time, I was a lesser fan of the "mega stardom" Madonna from the 80's and early 90's and held her to that musical bar with every subsequent release. Music, AL, Confessions ... those three all did it for me spectacularly. In the lead up to Rebel Heart I have started to appreciate 80's Madonna a lot more. All in all, it's amazing to be a fan of this woman's work... even if you didn't actually live through the era, you can RELIVE the era's because there is just so much to discover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Pud Whacker

inspired by Mnino's other thread for new fans, I am sometimes jealous of old fans who were there prior to the GHV2 era.. :(

How was it like especially in the pre TIC era?

A NON STOP ORGY OF ENTERTAINMENT!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have to say reflecting back since I became a fan in late 1990, all the eras between Erotica to Confessions were just about perfect (to me) even with some minor flaws time to time. HC and MDNA eras had more noticeable problems with quality (for me), but still follow her more closely than ever. I find M extremely interesting public figure and I continue to be so curious about the direction of her career, and her impact and influence on the culture.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been a fan since around the LAV era, and one of my earliest memories is the mania that surrounded her during that time, from the teenage "wannabees" to the Playboy scandal to the early (it's been following her around forever) criticism regarding her image, especially those critics saying she was "too sexual." Up until then, there had never been a superstar like her, especially in mainstream pop.

She was also one of the first celebrities to bring real attention to the AIDS crisis. I have footage on tape somewhere of MTV news stories that show her at AIDS benefits, ie. the dance-a-thon from '88/'89 that shows her with Christopher Flynn. She was also one of the first celebrities to bring more visibility to the LGBT community (Truth or Dare being one of the biggest examples of this).

In being a fan for this long, you really got to see how much of a pioneer she was (and continues to be!) in so many ways. She has gone against the grain from the beginning. SO many things that were considered taboo 20-30 years ago (AIDS awareness, LGBT visibility, women being in charge of their image and sexuality and NOT apologizing for it), are not as taboo now, and I truly believe that Madonna has so much to do with that.

In regards to the popularity of Madonna and Michael Jackson, absolutely nothing has compared since. I mean, they had some of their music videos premiering during PRIME TIME TELEVISION for chrissakes. These things were events!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amazing! What a gift to grow up with Madonna! Every step of the way it was so exciting and new and unexpected. Watching the rules being broken and a new standard being set. She exposed me to the world, especially NYC! Every new look, every new sound, and the videos were wonderful, an event! Not to mention seeing the Virgin and BA Tour! FUN!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember liking many of her songs but not knowing she was the one singing them. It was in 1989 that she caught my attention with LAP but I didn't become a loon until Vogue came out. At first I thought the song was weird but I liked it (straight dance music or "house" as it was known then wasn't your Top 40 staple at the time). The song was everywhere! They even played the 12" version in its entirety on the radio (over 8 minutes!). I didn't watch Dick Tracy though... :chuckle:

But nothing, I mean NOTHING could have prepared me for the six months beginning November 1990. After purchasing TIC (saving me some money because I didn't have to buy all of her earlier records since back then you couldn't stream or preview albums... you had to go buy them if you wanted to listen to them...imagine that!) I got to watch BAT for the first time. I recorded it in a VHS tape and probably watched it everyday for almost a year!

Then everything went by so fast! Seriously, in a matter of six months she pretty much ruled the world's media! From that November until June 1991 the following happened:

November 1990 gave us this:

41GS0Q7J80L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

In December 1990 we got this:

January 1991 brought M her 9th #1 single on the Billboard charts.

In March 1991 she delivered this:

April 1991 had all magazines and tabloids talking about this:

People%2BUSA%2BApril%2B15%2B1991%2BThe%2

Early May 1991 was time for this:

1991-madonna-advocate.jpg

And this:

And this:

Later that month this came out:

220px-Madonna_truth_or_dare_poster.jpg

In June 1991 she did this:

Meanwhile, I religiously watched BAT pretty much everyday or listened to the whole Immaculate Collection (or both). I drove my father crazy. I only stopped watching BAT religiously after I got a hold of a copy of TOD. Then I watched that instead.

She pretty much ruled most of 1991 and amassed a huge amount of fans too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice stories guys! Mine may not be as exciting as I became a fan in 2000 when I was 11 years old.

Actually I always liked some Madonna songs as my Aunts and uncles play them a lot, especially my eldest Aunt who is now 50 yo.

But it was by year 2000 when Music was released that I became really interested in her as there were lots of TV specials, documentaries, videographies, etc and I was very impressed to see all of her work, and all of her reinventions. Then I started to read more about her in the internet and was getting more and more into her. Plus Music and Don't Tell me were everywhere in the TV and on the radio so by January 2001 I decided to get my first Madonna album and it was not Music, it was Ray Of Light because a friend of mine had Music and he was going to "burn" a copy for me, so I told my parents to buy me the CD, by the time Madonna wasn't seen as the whore of satan anymore :chuckle: so there was no problem. The next year a female friend of mine got the Drowned World Tour DVD and I was blown away! I had never seen such a show and then GHV2 was released and my friends got it so I asked my aprents for The Immaculate Collection CD. After that my friend and I managed to get a few albums each one and we made copies for each other (don't blame us, we were kids and couldn't afford all the original copies) and after 2 years we got all Madonna's discography from the first album to American Life. I miss those good old times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I could go on and on about this from era to era and write a whole book on it practically. I'll just say her music has been the soundtrack of my life and it's evolved in many of the same ways I have myself. It's like she's been a friend even though we've never met.

You took the words right outta my mouth! Madonna has been a constant soundtrack to my life since 1983. She is like a friend that comforts me, even though we have never met.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

(Take note I'm from Poland) I remember that after ROL or Music there were so many maybe not copycats, but "inspired" projects. In 1998/99 almost every female pop singer was "spiritual" and "world ethnic", had videos with gowns on deserts (or just places with sand - bonus points for dead trees and animals). After Music there was many, many albums called Music/Musique/Muzyka/Album/Songs etc. Also country aesthetics were in fashion - boots, hats, belts. It somewhat came again 1-2 years after Confessions, with "modern disco", mirrorballs, glitter and continuously mixed albums. I think she was more influential ins that sense back then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was all amazing

I much preferred it all.

I still remember "Secret" coming out the blue

Tho I remember one article in about 96 saying the chances of her ever having a number one again are 150-1 and it's been 6 years since vogue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where do I start? So many highlights, seeing her for the first time on Top of The Pops in a pink wig singing LAV,

queuing up all day at Wembley stadium for tickets for WTG tour and seeing her in the flesh!

The LAP video premiered on tv. Seeing the BA tour 3 times at Wembley stadium and being blown away.

The Erotica and Sex era! LOVE HER!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...