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


5iVe Elements

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Like a virgin era... I was in high school.. M was huge, cool and all the girls wanted to dress like her.

Major flashback here.

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I remember the feeling of mystery when you would get her new cd (Erotica and Bedtime Stories are the ones I'm recalling specifically) and gaze upon the track list on the back cover for the first time. Unless you had read a review that mentioned a few songs, the titles were all new to you with the exception of the

first single. I got Bedtime Stories for my birthday, and I remember my Mom asking me which song I was most excited to hear as I stared at the back cover.

The times I am most overwhelmed by her legacy and staying power are not when I think of Material Girl or Papa Don't Preach, but when I think of the Erotica and BS eras, because those were twenty years ago, but EVEN THEN, she was already a legend who had been around for years.

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If you weren't there from the very early 80's like us, there's just no way to really describe the mayhem, excitement and intrigue that was attached to her from the very beginning. Less was always more - every magazine article, any small announcement on TV - the slightest mention was a BIG DEAL! She always drew such amazing excitement and every song was an event - WITHOUT THE INTERNET...just a big, BIG deal she was.

A NON STOP ORGY OF ENTERTAINMENT!!!

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I first became a fan when Like a Prayer (the single) was released - I was 9, and remember my two female cousins dressing like Madonna back in 1985, with the big hair, lace gloves, rubber bracelets, but never connected it with Madonna until much later :lol: I was a Kylie fan in 1988-1989, hadn't really heard of any Madonna music at that time apart from "La Isla Bonita" which was on a compilation album my brother owned and played all the time. When Like a Prayer was released, I remember the name "Madonna" being everywhere, her music was played in every store you stepped into, she was on the cover of every magazine, they had reports about her on TV news... maybe I just wasn't aware of this all before being so young, but it was like she just emerged from nowhere for me! :lol:

My first 7" single I ever bought was "Vogue", then I begged one of before mentioned cousins to buy me the "Justify My Love" cassingle when it was released at the end of 1990. I saw the video past midnight on local Australian TV music show "rage" not long after during a sleep over with a friend, it was a very early sexual awakening :lol: I stole my brother's cassette version of TIC from his car one day and listened to it non stop, taking it to primary school almost daily to listen to at lunchtimes :lol: Madonna was so cool and hot back then, everyone at my primary school in my grade was envious of my cassette! :lol:

Haven't stopped loving her since then, unfortunately was deemed "too young" to see the Girlie Show tour when it made it to Australia, so I've been waiting 22 long years for her to return to our shores so I can live out a lifelong dream. Again, like the LAP release, Madonna was everywhere here at that time, but now she was being "overly sexual" and wasn't suitable for kids, so my mum especially tried to filter what I was listening to/watching, but failed as she bought me Prince's "Lovesymbol" album for Christmas 92, which was just as sexual as Erotica :lol:

After Bedtime Stories came and went I admit I did lose interest a bit mid-1990s when Evita came along (still haven't seen that movie in full, just have no interest in it!) I was more into Janet and Alanis at that time, until Frozen was released of course and then it was like she never left. She lost me a little also with "Confessions", never really got into that album or era, but Hard Candy was such a redemption! I don't know if my love for Madonna and her music has yet reached it's peak, she's just that kind of artist.

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Impact of M on the media was amazing through 80's, 90's. & 00's!

So frustrating that some younger writers today degrade M character and career because they don't critically explore some of the meaning behind what she has been doing for 33 years. :ugh:

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One thing that stood out in the 80s too is that she was very much an enigma. Sure her videos were out there, but she was rarely on talk shows or even awards shows other than the VMAs. Her first American Music Awards performance was for Take A Bow in 1995 and her first Grammy performance wasn't until Nothing Really Matters. Can you imagine any of today's popular "princesses" not doing a mainstream awards show until 10-12 years after their debut? On the talk show side she did Johnny Carson/Tonight Show in like 1987 and Letterman in 1988 together with Sandra Bernhart and some MTV interviews.

The main point is that when Madonna was on TV for something, you knew it was going to be a big deal because she did them so rarely.

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I was aware of Madonna in the 80s as a little kid but it was Like A Prayer when I was 11 that turned me into a superfan. I remember sitting in the car while my dad went for a jog and blasting that song so loud! The way it built to that orgasmic crescendo when the chorus finally hits. It was too much for my preteen brain to take in! So after that I went back and discovered all of her previous albums. Each one was a precious jewel and way better than any other artist who was around at the time.

I remember NO ONE had the fame that M and Michael Jackson had. In the 80s and early 90s there was this level of hysteria that I have never seen since. I mean other stars have had fans: Whitney, Cyndi, Janet, Paula, nsync, Britney, boys to men, mariah, but none of them had the kind of universal impact that Michael and Madonna had.

I remember going to her BA tour in Worcester MA when I was 12. Yes my parents actually let me go! It was insane and transcendent. She blew the audience away with her artistry and persona. And then there was express yourself, vogue, truth or dare, the immaculate collection, justify my love. Every new move exploded into the zeitgeist.

And yet even though she was the biggest celebrity in the world she was also relentlessly attacked. She was a whore, talentless, a vampire sucking away the talent of her songwriters and producers, a businesswoman but not much else, a calculated manipulator with forgettable songs. She was the most famous woman in the world and yet still an outsider. It's just that the success and popularity outweighed the criticism.

At least until Erotica. That's when everything changed. She had "gone too far". And the criticism was brutal. People were so gleeful tearing her down. It was not easy to be an M fan in 1993 in high school. I got so tired of defending her that I eventually just refused to even talk about her with my friends.

But since then she has revived her career so many times: take a bow and BS, evita, ROL, music, coadf, 4 minutes,. It's just that the world has changed and it's not really possible for anyone to reach the heights of celebrity of the 80s. Maybe the Beatles or Elvis did it before? Those are the only other people who would know.

I'm still waiting for the world to give Madonna the respect she has earned. Even after 38 top ten singles people still call her music forgettable. She's in the rock and roll hall of fame but somehow still talentless. Maybe when she's dead or in her 80s it will finally be ok to acknowledge her massive influence on the music industry and people will do tribute records or duets albums with her like they do for Elvis, the Beatles,Frank Sinatra and MJ.

The criticism she gets now is exactly as it has always been. But she's always been a rebel heart. Her willingness to swim upstream and cut against the grain and be so successful doing it is exactly what has made her so inspiring to millions around the world.

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I was aware of Madonna in the 80s as a little kid but it was Like A Prayer when I was 11 that turned me into a superfan. I remember sitting in the car while my dad went for a jog and blasting that song so loud! The way it built to that orgasmic crescendo when the chorus finally hits. It was too much for my preteen brain to take in! So after that I went back and discovered all of her previous albums. Each one was a precious jewel and way better than any other artist who was around at the time.

I remember NO ONE had the fame that M and Michael Jackson had. In the 80s and early 90s there was this level of hysteria that I have never seen since. I mean other stars have had fans: Whitney, Cyndi, Janet, Paula, nsync, Britney, boys to men, mariah, but none of them had the kind of universal impact that Michael and Madonna had.

I remember going to her BA tour in Worcester MA when I was 12. Yes my parents actually let me go! It was insane and transcendent. She blew the audience away with her artistry and persona. And then there was express yourself, vogue, truth or dare, the immaculate collection, justify my love. Every new move exploded into the zeitgeist.

And yet even though she was the biggest celebrity in the world she was also relentlessly attacked. She was a whore, talentless, a vampire sucking away the talent of her songwriters and producers, a businesswoman but not much else, a calculated manipulator with forgettable songs. She was the most famous woman in the world and yet still an outsider. It's just that the success and popularity outweighed the criticism.

At least until Erotica. That's when everything changed. She had "gone too far". And the criticism was brutal. People were so gleeful tearing her down. It was not easy to be an M fan in 1993 in high school. I got so tired of defending her that I eventually just refused to even talk about her with my friends.

But since then she has revived her career so many times: take a bow and BS, evita, ROL, music, coadf, 4 minutes,. It's just that the world has changed and it's not really possible for anyone to reach the heights of celebrity of the 80s. Maybe the Beatles or Elvis did it before? Those are the only other people who would know.

I'm still waiting for the world to give Madonna the respect she has earned. Even after 38 top ten singles people still call her music forgettable. She's in the rock and roll hall of fame but somehow still talentless. Maybe when she's dead or in her 80s it will finally be ok to acknowledge her massive influence on the music industry and people will do tribute records or duets albums with her like they do for Elvis, the Beatles,Frank Sinatra and MJ.

The criticism she gets now is exactly as it has always been. But she's always been a rebel heart. Her willingness to swim upstream and cut against the grain and be so successful doing it is exactly what has made her so inspiring to millions around the world.

I really enjoy your posts and your passion for Madonna. Please continue to be a presence on this forum :)

You just summed up her middle period very well!

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The time prior to AL was in a word amazing. It was like a roller coaster . When it was up it was amazing when it was down it was BADDDDD . I remembered every new Madonna video / appearance was like an EVENT . You'd be totally glued to your TV . For me ( I was living in London ) the moment she exploded was after Live Aid . This was pre internet so everything you read comes from the papers so each interview / each magazine cover was like GOLD. She was a elusive yet she was everywhere !

For me she has provided the background music for the most part of my life and I feel so lucky to have her as my ultimate idol .

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I knew the world BM (Before Madonna). It was dull :mellow:

I knew the world before Madonna too. I agree, it was dull. Before M, I loved Olivia Newton-John. When I heard my first M song (Holiday), I remember thinking Madonna has just taken Olivia's place. I still love Olivia though.

She immediately became my favorite artist. The difference between now and then is that, not only am I older, but I was surrounded with friends who also loved Madonna. It was a wonderful little club. We couldn't wait for the new issue of Star Hits because there would be new pictures of Madonna in it. There was no internet - so we couldn't just look things up.

I'm still friends with my "Madonna mates" but we live in different parts of the country now. Also, they don't love her as much as I do anymore. We dressed like her, we collected rubber bracelets, we screamed when she was on Entertainment Tonight, we would stay up all night practicing her dance moves in Lucky Star. We kept fit because we wanted her body. I and another girl got sent to the office for showing our belly buttons because of our outfits. We had to wear our coats for the rest of the day. ALL the girls at my school dressed like her. The whole school loved her.

Then, when Like A Virgin was released the high started all over again. Then, each album later...well, the rest is history.

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Question:

Where fans since the 80s disappointed over the Drowned World Tour and with its set list?

I know it seems random but i always was curious about this

Not me. Drowned World Tour stands as my favorite of her many stage productions.

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I've liked her songs since I was 5, but I didn't call myself a fan until I saw Blond Ambition on tv. So much was happening around 1989-1994, she was everywhere. Releasing albums, touring, doing movies. I don't think a week went by without her being mentioned in magazines or tv. It was really an amazing time as a fan.

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it was surreal

I think I remember once when Frozen was realeased it was played 12 times on one day on MTV and VIVA (Germany)

whe was mentioned daily, you could not escape her, everyone loved her

I became a fan in 1995 with You'll See, this was a bit of a boring time, because Madonna kind of declared goodbye to her raunchy image

god, and remember those Madonna Weekends, yes they played Madonna all day long Saturday and Sunday can you imagine that nowadays?

It was probably the most amazing time in my life discovering her discography and videography

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I remember MTV's Madonna Weekends. Those were the days. :popcorn2:

The great thing about discovering Madonna a little later in her career (2001 for me) was the joy of having so much out there to explore straight away. I couldn't get enough. She's been the soundtrack to my life ever since. I do envy those who've been lucky enough to have lived through all the eras from the start, though. What a ride it must have been. Also loving these posts!

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I was born in 1990. So I don't think my post really belongs in this thread. Madonna was always present in my youth and adolescent. My sister is 5 years older than me, and was a huge fan when she was a kid (my parents even took her to the BAT in Philly). M's music was always around the house, and I have fond memories discovering it all growing up.

I didn't buy ROL until early 1999, but didn't really dig deep into the album until the spring. I always enjoyed listening to that album from beginning to end, and at that point it was the beginning of the end for me.

Cut to 2000, Madonna was still huge. The TBT was out, which was a well known flop at the time, even my neighbors and I knew the existence of the film. And the soundtrack too. American Pie was a big hit on radio. Everyone knew Madonna's cover when I was a kid. I remember my best friend at the time loving it :lol: (he was the same age as me, and straight too)

Then came the Music era. Again, MADONNA, EVERYWHERE! Those MTV contest commercials got endless spins at that time, and the song Music was such a hot commodity in my household as my sister would play it non stop. 2000 was also big for Madonna, as it was pretty much the launch of her web presence. Madonnamusic.com and the music mixer, you could listen to the entire album on the website, and watch the video too. There was also a big web push for GHv2 by creating all these promo sites just for the compilation.

Madonna was still the tabloid queen at this time, before Kim Kardashian and Brad/Angelina. It was all about Madonna. The People magazine issue of "Madonna's Men" was a hot seller, I recall being at the supermarket with my mom seeing it at the checkout line. My mom even bought it, and the cashier even commented on it, saying "Oooh! I gotta get that!" I remember The National Enquirer put out an issue of Madonna's controversies and it including photos from Sex in it. Even when Madonna's albums and singles weren't performing hot in 2003/2004, that Kabalah stuff was keeping Madonna in the headlines. She was always ever present in the tabloids and media.

It was a fun time growing up and seeing Madonna everywhere and still learning about her in the process.

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I remember MTV's Madonna Weekends. Those were the days. :popcorn2:

The great thing about discovering Madonna a little later in her career (2001 for me) was the joy of having so much out there to explore straight away. I couldn't get enough. She's been the soundtrack to my life ever since. I do envy those who've been lucky enough to have lived through all the eras from the start, though. What a ride it must have been. Also loving these posts!

MTV had Madonna weekends all the time.

I remember the "Make My Video" weekend for True Blue. One of my friends and her parents submitted a video. They played it only once. I still have it somewhere on VHS.

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Ive been a fan since 1992. There was so much mystery to everything Madonna did. with tours, albums videos etc. I used to have to stay up to see her new clips premiere on rage here in oz. Interviews were like events, and were sometimes more exciting than the anything else. I think the best way to describe it is more mystery and excitement. Great time to be a fan she was at her peak

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Fan probably since 85/86 when I was little. I remember everyone loving Material Girl because of the striking video. But after that I only recall disliking her as she was suddenly all over the charts like a rash and looking nothing like the Material Girl anymore. She became a bit too trendy (back then I always did the opposite to everyone else just to be different) for me. Then slowly I started to get won back. Dress You Up started the process I think but it wasn't until Live To a Tell that I thought "what the fuck, this woman is so difficult to pin down musically...and she's beautiful. But the point where I fell in love with her fully was True Blue. The first time I heard that song in my Dad's car I was bowled over. The trendy streetwise youth had turned into a matinee idol and I was in love. The video only made me love her more. From thereon in every single release was a world event and reported as such.

I'll write mire about what came after in another post.

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Love reading these posts as well!

Out of curriosity, back in the 80s,how were Janet and Whitney fans to each torwards M fans? Was it anything similar or even in comparison to how annoying and childish its been with Mariah, Britney and Gaga fans?

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Love reading these posts as well!

Out of curriosity, back in the 80s,how were Janet and Whitney fans to each torwards M fans? Was it anything similar or even in comparison to how annoying and childish its been with Mariah, Britney and Gaga fans?

Most of that is just because the internet gives every lame fucker a platform. I'd say it was pretty non existent.

Although I did get my one and only detention ever for kicking sand into the face of a boy who said Cyndi Lauper was better than M. :laugh:

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I loved all three at the time and never really thought of them in competition. During the 80s I'd say the only real direct rival was Cyndi Lauper and that was more media perpetuated than a fan war. The fan wars really took off as the internet and the first newsgroups came along in the 90s.

Love reading these posts as well!

Out of curriosity, back in the 80s,how were Janet and Whitney fans to each torwards M fans? Was it anything similar or even in comparison to how annoying and childish its been with Mariah, Britney and Gaga fans?

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Love reading these posts as well!

Out of curriosity, back in the 80s,how were Janet and Whitney fans to each torwards M fans? Was it anything similar or even in comparison to how annoying and childish its been with Mariah, Britney and Gaga fans?

In the UK, Janet wasn't on the radar. More in the US. Whitney, yes, but completely different artist so they weren't really compared. The main comparisons were MJ and Prince. But she was basically peerless from 1985-1987, just totally unrivalled. Her absence in 1988 allowed our charts to go from the sublime to the ridiculous with the arrival of SAW artists and in particular Kylie Minogue. Ashamed to say it but Kylie was the only female artist who usurped M for a while albeit briefly. Her innocence seemed to be an alternative to the heavy stuff M was peddling at the time.

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