Best Madonna single

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Sort of the ultimate typical singles act, I guess, so let's vote for her singles then.

I am using everyhit.com as a reference here, and there may be American singles that I'm not aware of (sadly there is no similar source for the Billboard lists) but I think her singles output has been mostly the same in the UK and US (other than Dear Jessie/Oh Father having different a-sides), so there shouldn't be too many singles lacking here

Poll Results

Option	Votes
Into The Groove	14
Like a Prayer	12
Borderline	8
Vogue	6
Beautiful Stranger	5
Material Girl	4
Lucky Star	4
Deeper And Deeper	3
Take a Box	3
La Isla Bonita	2
Secret	2
Cherish	2
Justify My Love	2
Live To Tell	2
What It Feels Like For a Girl	2
Music	2
Don't Tell Me	2
Frozen	1
Hung Up	1
This Used To Be My Playground	1
Erotica	1
Bedtime Story	1
Drowned World (Substitute For Love)	1
Ray Of Light	1
Human Nature	1
Don't Cry For Me Argentina	1
Another Suitcase In Another Hall	1
Hanky Panky	1
Open Your Heart	1
Crazy For You	1
Like a Virgin	1
Dress You Up	1
Holiday	1
Express Yourself	1
Dear Jessie	1
Love Profusion	0
Gambler	0
The Power Of Goodbye	0
Nothing Really Matters	0
Angel	0
American Pie	0
Get Together	0
Worry	0
American Life	0
Hollywood	0
Die Another Day	0
Papa Don't Preach	0
Rescue Me	0
Oh Father	0
Bad Girl	0
Fever	0
Rain	0
I'll Remember	0
The Look Of Love	0
Causing a Commotion	0
Keep It Together	0
Who's That Girl	0
You'll See	0
One More Chance	0
You Must Love Me	0
Everybody	0
True Blue	0
Jump	0

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 08:53 (eighteen years ago)

"Take A Box"????????

Since when did Madonna become a gameshow host?

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:03 (eighteen years ago)

Hmmm. Hopefully those who want to vote for "Take a Bow" will not be disctracted by that. :)

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:07 (eighteen years ago)

just look at that list.

just! look! at! it! there is no greater.

i voted 'deeper and deeper'; i can never decide between that and 'into the groove', which seems more "important", to encapsulate madonna (and the entirety of pop) better, but 'deeper and deeper' is the more personally resonant.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:08 (eighteen years ago)

i just went through that to count all the ones i'd unhesitatingly give 10/10 to if i was reviewing them - fully THIRTY-ONE perfect-in-every-way singles! who else can boast that?

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:11 (eighteen years ago)

and that was when being harsh on 'la isla bonita' and 'holiday'...

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:11 (eighteen years ago)

I'd maybe give 10/10 to one of them, i.e. "Take A Bow" which has always been my favourite because that's the one moment where Madonna lets the mask slip. Several 8s and 9s but quite a lot of ballast, especially in the latter half, and in at least one case, a zero.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:14 (eighteen years ago)

I did a similar poll on LJ Geir and everyhit.com does miss out a few US singles I think (like the AMAZING "Burning Up", tho maybe that wasn't a single anywhere.)

Today I voted "Borderline".

― Groke, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:14 (eighteen years ago)

The Steve Winwood synth puts me off that one a little.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:15 (eighteen years ago)

I voted for "Frozen", although I've only heard probably a third of these songs. I may be under the sway of the video, though.

Don't piss yourself, Lex. (xposts)

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:17 (eighteen years ago)

I'm pretty sure "Burning Up" wasn't a single.

Btw. my vote for "Dear Jessie". Wonderfully twee, and sounds like nothing else she has ever released. :)

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:17 (eighteen years ago)

Wikipedia seems fairly reliable on international singles BTW.

re. Borderline: it's one of her sweetest bubblegum tunes I think, still got the rawness in the voice, not as cutesy as "Holiday" or as rapacious/knowing as "Material Girl". Another day I'd have picked something different.

― Groke, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:18 (eighteen years ago)

"Take A Bow" is quite excellent. (90's Madonna > other crap)

"Dear Jessie", too.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:19 (eighteen years ago)

She sounds really awful on "Borderline".

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:20 (eighteen years ago)

nb: "Burning Up" was a UK single in '83, but not a hit.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:20 (eighteen years ago)

My bet = that'll be more singles than votes that will get cast.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:21 (eighteen years ago)

the bad thing about both the lj poll and this one is that both then and now just seeing all of those singles there made me go a bit wibbly (in the office!) and desperate to hear them all, and i don't have any madonna on me!

the last three 10s - 'jump', 'hung up', 'die another day'...my least favourite madonna single is probably 'one more chance' which i still quite like.

haha that 'worry' on the poll' would be 'sorry' then...

I'd maybe give 10/10 to one of them, i.e. "Take A Bow" which has always been my favourite because that's the one moment where Madonna lets the mask slip

surprised at your choice (though i agree that it's an amazing song) - it's all about ending the masquerade etc but madonna herself is poised and mannered in her heartbreak, it's all about the importance of dignity in the face of sadness which kind of requires a mask of a different sort. 'bad girl' is the one i'd say the mask slips for, though it's not so much letting it slip as deliberately taking it off. madonna's always been about the emotional impact of having to keep the mask on though, in her ballads - her most free moments are obv when she's dancing. hence importance of 'into the groove'.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:21 (eighteen years ago)

Love Profusion
Worry
Get Together

I don't remember any of these!

― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:22 (eighteen years ago)

I love her early voice - so hungry! Full of character!

― Groke, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:23 (eighteen years ago)

My bet = that'll be more singles than votes that will get cast.

Sure. And it seems the votes are all over the place too, so it is possible the results will not make much sense.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:23 (eighteen years ago)

I don't remember any of these!

The "American Life" was generally considered a failure. No surprise most of the singles from it bombed.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:24 (eighteen years ago)

for ref, the poptimists poll: http://community.livejournal.com/poptimists/145946.html

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:26 (eighteen years ago)

Sure. And it seems the votes are all over the place too, so it is possible the results will not make much sense.

No, I'm fairly sure there will be a bunch with a lot of votes, a few with one or two, and a vast swaythe without any.

(Oh, and I reckons the one I picked will have total=1)

― Mark G, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:28 (eighteen years ago)

Voting for the worst would be more fun, I think - aka Dear Jessie vs American Pie FITE.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:33 (eighteen years ago)

i love 'dear jessie' and i like 'american pie', shut up HATER.

i still get mildly obsessed with random madonna songs every few weeks or so - last week it was 'open your heart' which just makes you want to stride out of your house with absolute certainty over how good you look and with complete determination to get what you want.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago)

normally i would have voted for holiday or borderline, but ive gone for la isla bonita today, im in a real 86-87 mood at the moment

― 600, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:43 (eighteen years ago)

Borderline = teh genuis

― SeekAltRoute, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:44 (eighteen years ago)

It is utterly beyond my comprehension how anyone could love Dear Jessie.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:48 (eighteen years ago)

All I have to say about "American Pie" is that Madonna and Rupert gave the song the treatment it thoroughly deserved.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:48 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not a big fan, but I'm glad people are voting for "Tick A Box", which I've always thought sounded quite heartfelt and genuine compared to some of her other stuff.

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:53 (eighteen years ago)

As for worst Madonna single, personally I'd go for "Justify My Love" but I'm pretty sure one of the "Evita" singles would have woon.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:53 (eighteen years ago)

Runners up - Dear Jessie, Cherish and Vogue.

― the next grozart, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:54 (eighteen years ago)

Voting purely with my heart, it has to be "Cherish", by a small but significant whisker.

― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 09:59 (eighteen years ago)

keep it together was a single??

― pisces, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:06 (eighteen years ago)

It is utterly beyond my comprehension how anyone could love Dear Jessie.

it's a holiday inside the love parade, you bastard.

― blueski, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:11 (eighteen years ago)

I totally agree with Lex, if you count singles only, Madonna must be the greatest recording artist of last 25 years. Can't think of anyone who'd come close.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:18 (eighteen years ago)

i still get mildly obsessed with random madonna songs every few weeks or so - last week it was 'open your heart' which just makes you want to stride out of your house with absolute certainty over how good you look and with complete determination to get what you want.

best double whammy to listen to pre-date - beyoncé's 'upgrade u', then this

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:23 (eighteen years ago)

In fact it's hard to think of any artist from the last 100 years who'd have a better row of singles - Duke Ellington maybe? So all this folks who say Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath are better than Madonna can stick to their opinion, but I'd say few other artists have brought so much musical delight into the world for such a long period.

― Tuomas, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:24 (eighteen years ago)

Those Caruso cylinders set the bar high.

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:20 (eighteen years ago)

dj deeon had a pretty great run of singles too dont forget

http://www.discogs.com/artist/DJ+Deeon

― 600, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:22 (eighteen years ago)

In fact it's hard to think of any artist from the last 100 years who'd have a better row of singles

The Beatles obv.

Although admittedly they didn't keep going for more than 20 years, still at the top of their game.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 12:31 (eighteen years ago)

In fact it's hard to think of any artist from the last 100 years who'd have a better row of singles

Bing Crosby's 300+ Top 30 and 40-odd #1 hits come to mind. I'd take Der Bingle over Madonna every time.

― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:06 (eighteen years ago)

Bing Crosby released a lot of dogshit too.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:07 (eighteen years ago)

"They cut out eight bars, the dirty bastards/And they didn't tell me which ones they were gonna cut/Why doesn't someone tell me these things around here?/Holy Christ I'm going off my nut!"

― Marcello Carlin, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:11 (eighteen years ago)

well if we going to open it up, i dont see anyone who can step up to jack hylton level

― 600, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 13:12 (eighteen years ago)

Very difficult to choose: "Into the Groove," "Open Your Heart," and "Deeper and Deeper."

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 14:05 (eighteen years ago)

Burning Up had a video, so I've always just assumed it was a single.

This poll will require a lot of deliberation for me.

― Matt Armstrong, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 17:28 (eighteen years ago)

Oh ffs, I always vote for the wrong one on these. I voted for "This Used to be My Playground" when it should have been, of course, "Hanky Panky".

― DavidM, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 17:37 (eighteen years ago)

I'm voting for Vogue, even thought I've not heard most of those other songs. Are any of them like Vogue?

― ablaeser, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 17:42 (eighteen years ago)

hahahahaha

this poll is IMPOSSIBLE!

there isn't always a best, ya know

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 17:57 (eighteen years ago)

Skipping 126 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Surprised to see Take a Box so far down after all the comments about it.

― Hard like armour, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 05:28 (eighteen years ago)

agree about 'love profusion' being underrated - 'nothing fails' is also really simple and gorgeous. add 'die another day' (still madge's finest post-erotica moment with poss exception of 'hung up') and the fact that 'american life' the track is actually lots of fun...this is why that album is worthwhile!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:08 (eighteen years ago)

Amazing number of great singles without votes..

But then, those that like "Papa don't Preach" maybe all voted for "Like a Prayer" as they like that one better. for example...

Or maybe there aren't enough ILM'ers.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:11 (eighteen years ago)

93 votes in total - not enough ILMers voting.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:12 (eighteen years ago)

There's a difference between late period Madonna singles being better than people think and being the best single she ever released. The notion of voting for anything from her last four proper albums in this category is just deeply puzzling to me! But it's a free world.

― Tim F, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:43 (eighteen years ago)

93 is pretty good for a poll these days.

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:45 (eighteen years ago)

it's the love for 'Beautiful Stranger' i don't really get. Not a bad production for a deliberately retro affair but why would you prefer that to her modern-sounding greats? Also the video sucked.

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:48 (eighteen years ago)

Woah. I'm the only person that voted for Like a Virgin? How unexpected!

― Mordechai Shinefield, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 09:57 (eighteen years ago)

Ok, which wag voted for Don't Cry For me Argentina?

― chap, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:21 (eighteen years ago)

Not guilty - I voted for "Take Your Pick," her underrated duet with Des O'Connor.

― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 12:27 (eighteen years ago)

bedtime story should have stolen it

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:04 (eighteen years ago)

it's the love for 'Beautiful Stranger' i don't really get.

"Beautiful Stranger" attracts a certain type of voter by shamelessly biting Love's "She Comes In Colors."

― Jon Lewis, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 14:40 (eighteen years ago)

My vote was unique.

― The Reverend, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 15:26 (eighteen years ago)

"Hung Up" is clearly superior to "Cherish," "La Isla Bonita," and "What It Feels Like For a Girl" wtf.

No it isn't. "Hung Up" is actually called "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" and is possible the worst song on an otherwise great album of self-penned songs that aren't based on some stuff some others have done before.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:06 (eighteen years ago)

No it isn't.

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:08 (eighteen years ago)

great album of self-penned songs that aren't based on some stuff some others have done before.

except Madonna's writing is frequently poor and the stuff 'others have done before' (the Stooges nod on 'I Love New York', the Moroder nod on 'Future Lovers', the PSB nod on 'Jump' etc.) is what rescues it.

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:10 (eighteen years ago)

"frequently"! Now maybe.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:15 (eighteen years ago)

she can't write!

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:15 (eighteen years ago)

Blatantly ripping off old songs is a no-no.

Being influenced by old stuff to write something in the exact same style or genre is great though.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:17 (eighteen years ago)

I claim the vote for BedSto.

So where wuz yew?

― Mark G, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:18 (eighteen years ago)

Vogue - tough one.

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:34 (eighteen years ago)

she can't write!

a learning disability?

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:35 (eighteen years ago)

can't write, sing, dance or (especially) act especially well

but still great in spite of it all. that's the trick.

― blueski, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:39 (eighteen years ago)

she's written some fantastic stuff. she wrote borderline, 3rd place. and her voice is great for pop. and her dancing makes me wanna move.

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 16:45 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

This new free single, released for Live Earth, didn't make the cute for the poll. I love Madonna, but oh my is this bad:

http://liveearth.msn.com/green/Madonnadownload?wa=wsignin1.0

― matt2, Thursday, 17 May 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)

Uh, that's "didn't make the cut"

― matt2, Thursday, 17 May 2007 18:45 (eighteen years ago)

Dunno how to make of it. It's her least electronic song for ages. Which is bad. On the other hand, it sounds like a quite nice tune that may work once it gets into your head.

Anyway, a download exclusive track doesn't really count as a single for me.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 17 May 2007 18:49 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, I just mentioned that since I randomly chose this Madonna thread to post it in.

― matt2, Thursday, 17 May 2007 18:59 (eighteen years ago)

ok THAT is madonna's worst single ever

― lex pretend, Thursday, 17 May 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

i am going to pretend it NEVER EXISTED

― lex pretend, Thursday, 17 May 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

Vogue

― gabbneb, Thursday, 17 May 2007 21:43 (eighteen years ago)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHO VOTED FOR "Hanky Panky"?

― HI DERE, Thursday, 17 May 2007 22:35 (eighteen years ago)

Well, it kind of sucks, but I definitely appreciate the craziness of it all.

― Matt Armstrong, Friday, 18 May 2007 01:35 (eighteen years ago)

um i'm disturbed by that song? the lyrics are really upsetting, and her voice sounds disarmingly shitty. the only good parts are when she does that "save someone else, but love yourself" bullshit but even there the lyrics are fucking hauntingly bad. wow.

― Surmounter, Friday, 18 May 2007 01:47 (eighteen years ago)

this is upsetting i had attributed so many theories and meta's to Confessions, heralding it, a club concept suite bla bla, and now this?

― Surmounter, Friday, 18 May 2007 01:49 (eighteen years ago)

it's really not worse than American Pie, is it?

― Matt Armstrong, Friday, 18 May 2007 01:52 (eighteen years ago)

oh right i pretended that never happened too

― Surmounter, Friday, 18 May 2007 01:53 (eighteen years ago)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WHO VOTED FOR "Hanky Panky"?

HI DERE.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 18 May 2007 02:36 (eighteen years ago)

hanky panky really is a hilarious song

― Surmounter, Friday, 18 May 2007 02:46 (eighteen years ago)

whatever, its like a prayer.
you only say into the groove because i mean..into the groove(y), ify ou know what i mean.

― beatrixapple, Friday, 18 May 2007 03:16 (eighteen years ago)

lol what

― Surmounter, Friday, 18 May 2007 03:18 (eighteen years ago)

i liked 'american pie'!

― lex pretend, Friday, 18 May 2007 06:17 (eighteen years ago)

i mean, it's not amazing, but she made a bad song ok

― lex pretend, Friday, 18 May 2007 06:17 (eighteen years ago)

I think they call it "polishing a turd", Lex.

― King Boy Pato, Friday, 18 May 2007 06:23 (eighteen years ago)

Sad I didn't see this till now and therefore didn't vote! I'd have gone w/"Into the Groove" too. "Dress You Up" would've been No. 2, then "Deeper & Deeper." I think Prince had a better '80s than Madonna but she definitely beats him for consistency over a longer period.

― Matos W.K., Friday, 18 May 2007 06:29 (eighteen years ago)

ONE vote for holiday??

― 696, Friday, 18 May 2007 06:36 (eighteen years ago)

I think the original American Pie is great, and Madge's is terrible. When the sincerity of emotion is removed from the song, not much is left.

― Matt Armstrong, Friday, 18 May 2007 07:17 (eighteen years ago)

ugh yah man

― Surmounter, Friday, 18 May 2007 21:41 (eighteen years ago)

I think Prince had a better '80s than Madonna but she definitely beats him for consistency over a longer period.

Madonna's output took a dive quality-wise in 1990 and she didn't recover until "Ray Of Light". Prince released great albums at least until 1992, but then wasn't worth paying attention to again until last year's excellent "3121". We'll see in 10 years time.

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 18 May 2007 22:14 (eighteen years ago)

Madonna consistently released great singles in the 90s, it's just Ray of Light was somehow packaged as a comeback and the media fell in love with her all over again.

― Matt Armstrong, Friday, 18 May 2007 23:28 (eighteen years ago)

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