Madonna, The #7 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Four

 

(Continued from Part Three)

Shep Pettibone, who would help on the album Erotica, wrote this song with Madonna.  "This Used To Be My Playground", from the movie, was a non-album single that went to #1 in the United States, Canada and Italy and also went Gold.  It was nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards.

Madonna founded Maverick, her own entertainment company, which included a record company, a film production company, music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing and merchandising.  The deal with Time Warner gave Madonna an advance of $60 million and 20% royalties from music sales.  The record label would eventually sign artists such as Alanis Morissette and Michelle Branch.

Madonna released the album Erotica, which represented a significant drop in quality.  Still, the album reached #2.  The title song topped the Italian chart and achieved #3 in both the U.S. and the U.K. and went Gold.

Madonna went on a world tour to promote the album.  She wrote this with Pettibone and Tony Shimkin.  "'Deeper And Deeper' was one of those songs she (Madonna) always had a problem with," Pettibone told Icon magazine in 1992.  "The middle of the song wasn't working.  We tried different bridges and changes, but nothing worked," he said.  "In the end, Madonna wanted the middle of the song to have a flamenco guitar strumming big-time," he continued.  "I didn't like the idea of taking a Philly house song and putting 'La Isla Bonita' in the middle of it.  But that's what she wanted, so that's what she got.  

"Deeper And Deeper" also shot up to #1 in Italy and peaked at #6 in the United Kingdom and #7 in the U.S. 

"Rain" was one of the first songs completed for the album.  Pettibone says that it (and other songs from the album) contained things that Madonna "wanted to say".

Madonna performed the third single from the album during an appearance on Saturday Night Live in January of 1993.  "Bad Girl" was a Top 10 hit in some countries.

Leonard returned to co-write this song along with Richard Page from the group Mr. Mister.  Madonna recorded "I'll Remember" for the movie With Honors.  It was a #1 smash in Canada and Italy and #2 in the United States and has sold over one million.  Madonna was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television and earned a third nomination for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes.  

 

In 1994, Madonna released the album Bedtime Stories.  Following Erotica and a horrible interview on David Letterman's show in the early 1990's, the public and the media backlash against Madonna's overtly sexual image was at a peak, as Christopher Feldman detailed in the 2000 release, Billboard Book of Number 2 Singles.  Realizing she had lost many fans from her behavior, she tried to tone down her image.  Bedtime Stories peaked at #3 and included "Secret".

"Take A Bow", about a failed relationship Madonna had, possibly with Warren Beatty, became one of her biggest hits, going to #1 in the U.S. and Canada and earning an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video.

Bedtime Stories received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Album.  The title song, though it stalled at #42 overall, gave Madonna a second run of five consecutive #1 Dance hits.

 

The following year, Madonna released the album Something to Remember.  The lead single, "You'll See", jumped to #2 in Canada, #5 in the U.K. and #6 in the United States and has sold over one million copies. 

 

She starred in the movie Evita, which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.  "You Must Love Me" went Gold.

"Don't Cry For Me Argentina" reached the Top 5 in most European countries, including going to #1 in France and Spain and also sold over one million copies.

Madonna received a Billboard Music Award for Artist Achievement and she also was nominated for Favorite Soundtrack at the American Music Awards.  In October, she gave birth to daughter Lourdes, with Carlos Leon.

The Queen of the Dance Floor returns for Part Five!

Madonna, The #7 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)

Madonna toured the world, with her show near Paris, France drawing 130,000, then a record for the highest-attended female concert of all-time.  She released the album You Can Dance, feature dance remixes of previous hits.  The lyrics in this song reference her hit "Into The Groove".  "Causing A Commotion" peaked at #2 in the United States, Canada and topped out at #4 in the U.K., her 14th straight Top 10 single.

 

When "The Look Of Love" from the soundtrack failed to chart, it broke Madonna's consecutive Top 10 hits streak.  Sean Penn and Madonna were divorced in 1989.  Madonna signed an agreement to endorse Pepsi, but after she performed "Like A Prayer", the new single and title song from her upcoming album, in one of the Pepsi commercials, Pepsi stopped the commercial and canceled the contract.  "Like A Prayer" became her seventh #1 song in the U.S. and a #1 song in every major country except Germany and France, where it stopped at #2.  The two-million seller is another Madonna entry in The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

Madonna co-wrote and co-produced the album along with Prince, Bray, and Patrick Leonard.  As mentioned above, Bray and Madonna met at the University of Michigan when they both studied dance and formed the group the Breakfast Club.  Madonna left to pursue her solo career but Bray was the drummer when the band had the 1987 hit "Right On Track".  Bray also wrote the hits "Into The Groove" and "True Blue" with Madonna.  "Express Yourself" is another of The Top #2 Songs of the Rock Era* and has sold over one million singles.

 

Like a Prayer has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, with "Like A Prayer" winning Viewer's Choice at the MTV Video Music Awards while also being nominated for Video of the Year and "Express Yourself" nominated for Best Female Video.  Leonard, who wrote this song, also wrote "Like A Prayer", "Who's That Girl" and "Live To Tell".  "Cherish" topped the Canadian chart and also reached #2 in the U.S. and #3 in the U.K.  It also ranks in The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

Madonna's best career album also contains some Top Tracks*, including this one, written to give the perspective of a younger Madonna talking to herself.  This is  "Promise To Try".

Madonna earned American Music Award nominations for Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Artist and Favorite Dance Single (for "Like A Prayer").  Another great track is "'Til Death Do Us Part".

 

Like "Promise To Try" above, this song is about the problems Madonna had growing up.  "Oh Father" was a popular song on the album but by the time it was released as a single, momentum had slowed and it stopped at #20.

Madonna won a Billboard Music Award for Top Adult Contemporary Artist and an MTV Video Music Award for Artist of the Decade.  "Keep It Together" landed at #8 in the U.S. and Canada.

 

We also want to feature "Spanish Eyes" from the album.

 

The act of contrition is a common Catholic prayer normally associated with the act of reconciliation.  Here is that song from the album--"Act Of Contrition".

In 1990, Madonna starred with Warren Beatty in the movie Dick Tracy.  The soundtrack album, I'm Breathless, included "Vogue", #1 in most countries.  It has cleared four million in singles and also ranks among The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.  It also became Madonna's fifth straight #1 on the Dance chart.

"Vogue" earned Madonna an American Music Award for Favorite Dance single, though the success of the song did not translate into awards for the major nominations that she was nominated for (Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Artist, Favorite Dance Artist and Favorite Pop (Rock) Single.  The video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, Best Dance Video and Viewer's Choice at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Madonna toured the world, with the filming of concerts earning her a Grammy Award, her first, for Best Long Form Music Video.  Madonna released the compilation album The Immaculate Collection, which included two new songs.  "Justify My Love", co-written by Lenny Kravitz and Ingrid Chavez, was a worldwide hit, including #1 in the United States and Canada and #2 in the U.K. and Italy.  It has topped two million in sales in the U.S. alone.

Madonna was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.  She  had no plans to release "Rescue Me" as a single, but heavy airplay demanded its release, and it also reached the Top 10 and sold over one million singles.

The Immaculate Collection has sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. and 31 million worldwide.  In 1991, Madonna released the documentary film Truth or Dare.  She starred with Tom Cruise in the movie A League of Their Own, which was a big hit at the box office. 

Madonna has scored many hits in the years since.  Join us for part Four!

Madonna, The #7 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

Madonna was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female for the song.  While filming the video for "Material Girl", Madonna began dating actor Sean Penn and they married in 1985.  "Angel" peaked at #2 in Spain and #5 in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada and has sold over one million singles.

Madonna also starred in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan, which included the single "Into The Groove".  It was a Top 3 hit in every major country except the U.S. because Billboard doesn't rank songs if they aren't released as singles (It was the B-side of "Angel" instead.)  "Into The Groove" has sold over one million as well.

Madonna earned American Music Award nominations for Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Artist, Favorite Pop (Rock) Album (for Like a Virgin) and Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Video Artist.  

Producer Nile Rodgers, formerly of Chic, also played the guitar solo on this song.  "Dress You Up" jumped to #5 in the United States, the U.K. and Australia.

 

Here is Madonna's outstanding remake of a Rose Royce song.  "I had the good fortune of finding material that Madonna really responded to," Michael Ostin, head of A&R at Warner Brothers Records told Warren Zanes for the book Revolutions in Sound:  Warner Bros. Records, the first 50 years.  "I was driving into work one day and heard it ("Love Don't Live Here Anymore") on the radio," he continued.  "I called producer Nile Rodgers and Madonna, they were in the studio.  I said, 'I have an idea.  You know the old Rose Royce record, 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore'?  Why don't you try and record a version of it for Like a Virgin?'"

 

In 1986, Madonna released the album True Blue.  The lead single was included in the Sean Penn movie At Close Range.  Madonna wrote it with Patrick Leonard, who also produced for Elton John and Rod Stewart.  "Live To Tell" topped charts in the U.S., Canada and Italy and earned an American Music Award nomination for Favorite Pop (Rock) Single.  Madonna won an AMA for Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Video Artist and was nominated for Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Artist.

 

True Blue was a #1 album in 28 countries, and has sold over 25 million worldwide.  "Papa Don't Preach" became one of Madonna's biggest career hits.  It landed in the Top 10 in every major country, including a #1 peak in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Italy, sold over one million copies, and is one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

"Papa Don't Preach" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female and it won Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. The title song was written about then-husband Sean Penn.  It was also a Top 10 hit in most countries and sold over one million singles, giving her 10 consecutive Top 10 hits.  It hit #1 in the U.K. and Canada and hit #3 in the U.S.

Gardner Cole and Peter Rafelson wrote this for Cyndi Lauper, but she never got to hear the demo as once Madonna heard it, she went into the studio and recorded it.  Madonna added a bass line to it and "Open Your Heart" catapulted to #1 in the United States and reached #4 in the U.K.  When it fell short at #16 in Australia, it broke a streak of nine consecutive Top 10 hits.

"Open Your Heart" was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.  Madonna began to execute brilliant marketing ploys to boost her own popularity, including this song and video aimed at increasing her popularity among Spanish-speaking listeners.  "La Isla Bonita" gave Madonna five Top 10 hits on the album as it hit #1 in the U.K., Canada, Germany, Switzerland and France.

"Where's The Party?" is a solid track on the album.  Madonna had this to say about the song:

            It's my ultimate statement about what it's

               like to be in the middle of this press stuff

               with everybody on my back, my world 

               about to cave in.  Whenever I feel like that -

               and it does get to me sometimes - I say

               "Wait a minute, I'm supposed to be having

               a good time here, so where's the party?"

Madonna captured Billboard Music Awards for Top Pop Singles Artist, Top Pop Singles Artist--Female and Top Dance Sales Artist and was named Favorite Female Musical Performer in both 1986 and 1987 at the People's Choice Awards.

Madonna received Worst Actress from the Golden Raspberry Awards for her role in the movie Shanghai Surprise and also performed on the play Goose and Tom-Tom, both of which co-starred Penn.  In 1987, Madonna starred in the movie Who's That Girl and recorded four songs for the soundtrack album.  The refrain of "Quien es esta nina?" in the title song is Spanish for "Who's that girl?", which is another example of her desire to lure in more Spanish-speaking fans.  "Who's That Girl?"  hit #1 in the United States, the U.K., Canada and Italy and reached the Top 10 in most countries.

Madonna scored a nomination for Favorite Pop (Rock) Female Artist at the American Music Awards, an award she was never able to win in her entire career.  She earned a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Who's That Girl?".  

Join us for Part Three on Inside The Rock Era!