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

 

(Continued from Part Four)

Madonna released the comeback album Ray of Light in 1998.  "Frozen" landed in the Top 10 in every major country and also went Gold.

 

Ray of Light, recorded at Larrabee North Studio in North Hollywood, California, has now sold over 16 million copies worldwide.  When "Frozen" peaked at #2, it put Madonna in the record book for the most #2 hits of the Rock Era with six.  The title song roared to #1 in Spain, #2 in the U.K. and Italy and #5 in the U.S. and has sold over one million copies.   

She scored Grammy Awards including Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording and was nominated for Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Ray Of Light", while "Ray Of Light" won Video of the Year and Best Female Video and was nominated for Breakthrough Video and Best Dance Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Madonna also hit #1 in Spain and achieved good success in other European countries with "Drowned World"/"Substitute For Love".  It is an homage to the novel The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard, in which Madonna examines her personal difficulties from a lack of privacy and the constant presence of the paparazzi.

 

"The Power Of Good-Bye" stopped at #11 in the U.S., but reached #2 in Spain, #4 in Germany and #6 in the U.K.

Madonna teamed with Patrick Leonard to write this song, inspired by Madonna's daughter Lourdes.  "Nothing Really Matters" reached #1 on the Dance chart and received good airplay in Europe.

Madonna founded an organization that focused on women, education, and global development called the Ray of Light Foundation.  She released the single "Beautiful Stranger" for the movie Austin Powers:  The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999.  It was a Top 10 song in most countries but stalled at #19 in the United States, thought it did reach #1 on the less-competitive Dance chart, giving Madonna a third streak of five consecutive #1 Dance hits.

The song earned a Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (she was also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song and won Best Video from a Film and was nominated for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.  

Madonna was named Top-Selling Female Rock Artist of the Century by the RIAA in 1999.  She starred in the movie The Next Best Thing in 2000 and recorded two songs for the soundtrack, including her ill-advised cover of the all-time classic "American Pie" by Don McLean.

Madonna released the album Music in 2000, which gave her a #1 album in over 20 countries.  The title song went to #1 in every major country except Germany (where it peaked at #2) and France (#8).  It has sold over two million singles and dominated the Dance chart, her seventh consecutive #1 on that scene.

Music sold four million copies in 10 days.  It was her first #1 album in 11 years.  "Don't Tell Me" raced to #1 in Canada and Italy and #4 in the U.S. and United Kingdom and also has been certified Gold while earning an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Female Video.

Madonna wrote this song while pregnant with her second child, Rocco.  "What It Feels Like For A Girl" was a #1 Dance hit in the U.S. that also placed #2 in Canada.

 

French producer Mirwais Ahmadzai encouraged more experimentation, with Music featuring more of an electronica vibe.  We also want to feature "I Deserve It" from the album.

Madonna was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Music" at the Grammy Awards.  She had met director Guy Ritchie in 1998 and gave birth to their son Rocco and married Ritchie in 2000.  Afterward, Madonna went on tour for the first time in eight years.  She grossed $75 million from 47 shows, the highest-grossing tour of the year by a solo act.

Madonna released the compilation GHV2 along with a video release of the same name featuring clips of the tour. 

Join us for Part Six of Madonna!

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!