It begins.
Five years ago, the forum embarked on a journey the likes of which had never been seen before: we were going to rate Madonna's entire discography, from beginning to end, and find out what her best song was. And I was your shepherd through this valley of the shadow of foolishness. It
Now, it's time to do it all over again.
Madonna is the most successful female artist of all time. Let that sink in just a little bit because "of all time" is a phrase that is probably going to be coming up a lot in the next six months I plan on this thread being on the first page of this sub-forum. There are no caveats or asterisks or subgenres next to that title. No one else has done this more successfully than her. Every single artist we talk about and love on this forum? Madonna outsold. Every single drastic image change or sound shift or brand endorsement? Madonna probably did it and better. Pissed off the Vatican because the statue your ancestral home town erected in your honour was "too sexy"? Madonna did that decades ago, hun. The current Pope probably stans to be honest.
Madonna is:
- a maverick
- a provocateur
- a Catholic, sometimes
- a performer
- a songwriter
- an actress
- a director
- an activist
- an ally
- a mother
- a skincare company CEO
- a children's book author
- an owner of a brand of gyms
- showing your fave how it's done
- in better shape and better looking than you, and you're half her age
- an awesome-in-the-classic-sense legend
- your bitch, so don't even think about hanging your shit on her
Here's how it works:
1. You give all of the below songs a score between 0-10, and one song can be awarded an 11/10.
Half points are allowed, and I'm not allowing anything that's any smaller because frankly I know good and goddamn well some of y'all will fret over the difference between a 6.7 and a 6.8 and frankly I don't want that nonsense in my inbox.
2. Don't be a fucking moron, and don't troll.
Like... exactly what it says on the tin. There's good and bad everywhere on each album presented, so score accordingly. We're all big girls these days; bombing out a particular album or overscoring certain album to the point where your scores make no difference outside of puffing up averages isn't allowed, and will get your ballot challenged and/or thrown out. Additionally, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Some of these songs were born out of the some of the biggest social movements in history and Madonna's role in these movements helped moved the dial. Know what you're scoring.
3. Send your scores to me by 15th June.
There's a lot of music to cover in here, I know, but I'm hoping that y'all are familiar with most of this stuff anyway, and without the pressure of commentary it should be fairly doable in two months... maybe even less considering we're all trapped indoors with nothing to do but listen to music.
4. Commentary is NOT permitted outside of your 11/10
If you submit commentary for songs outside of your 11/10 choice, it will not be used. The best thing about the original threads was how they all ended up having a buzz and an atmosphere. It was like unwinding in a bar over some drinks with friends and discussing your mutual favourite subject. I'm going to strive to continue that atmosphere, and I actively encourage y'all to post and share what you would have sent to me anyway.
Phew! Buckle your seatbelts girls!
There is no hyperbole present when I say that the albums and songs you're going to be rating over the next two months are genre-defining in their success and brilliance. It doesn't get bigger than the music on offer here. This will probably be the most difficult rate most of y'all have ever done. There are probably around forty songs here that have legitimate claims to the winning spot, and for the first ever time, they're actually all properly against each other rather than being spread across different rates. Anyone who has maybe got ahead of doing their scores will attest to the difficulty, I'm sure. I wish you an ounce of luck.
Madonna (1983)
1. Lucky Star
2. Borderline
3. Burning Up
4. I Know It
5. Holiday
6. Think of Me
7. Physical Attraction
8. Everybody
Like A Virgin (1984)
1. Material Girl
2. Angel
3. Like A Virgin
4. Over And Over
5. Love Don't Live Here Anymore
6. Dress You Up
7. Shoo-Bee-Doo
8. Pretender
9. Stay
True Blue (1986)
1. Papa Don't Preach
2. Open Your Heart
3. White Heat
4. Live To Tell
5. Where's the Party
6. True Blue
7. La Isla Bonita
8. Jimmy Jimmy
9. Love Makes the World Go Round
Like A Prayer (1989)
1. Like A Prayer
2. Express Yourself
3. Love Song
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. Promise To Try
6. Cherish
7. Dear Jessie
8. Oh Father
9. Keep It Together
10. Spanish Eyes
11. Act Of Contrition
I’m Breathless (1990)
1. He's A Man
2. Sooner Or Later
3. Hanky Panky
4. I'm Going Bananas
5. Cry Baby
6. Something To Remember
7. Back In Business
8. More
9. What Can You Lose
10. Now I'm Following You
11. Vogue
Erotica (1992)
1. Erotica
2. Fever
3. Bye Bye Baby
4. Deeper And Deeper
5. Where Life Begins
6. Bad Girl
7. Waiting
8. Thief Of Hearts
9. Words
10. Rain
11. Why's It So Hard
12. In This Life
13. Secret Garden
Bedtime Stories (1994)
1. Survival
2. Secret
3. I'd Rather Be Your Lover
4. Don't Stop
5. Inside Of Me
6. Human Nature
7. Forbidden Love
8. Love Tried To Welcome Me
9. Sanctuary
10. Bedtime Story
11. Take A Bow
Ray Of Light (1998)
1. Drowned World/Substitute For Love
2. Swim
3. Ray Of Light
4. Candy Perfume Girl
5. Skin
6. Nothing Really Matters
7. Sky Fits Heaven
8. Shanti/Ashtangi
9. Frozen
10. The Power Of Goodbye
11. To Have And Not To Hold
12. Little Star
13. Mer Girl
14. Has To Be
Music (2000)
1. Music
2. Impressive Instant
3. Runaway Lover
4. I Deserve It
5. Amazing
6. Nobody's Perfect
7. Don't Tell Me
8. What It Feels Like For A Girl
9. Paradise (Not For Me)
10. Gone
11. American Pie
12. Cyber-Raga
American Life (2003)
1. American Life
2. Hollywood
3. I'm So Stupid
4. Love Profusion
5. Nobody Knows Me
6. Nothing Fails
7. Intervention
8. X-Static Process
9. Mother And Father
10. Die Another Day
11. Easy Ride
Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005)
1. Hung Up
2. Get Together
3. Sorry
4. Future Lovers
5. I Love New York
6. Let It Will Be
7. Forbidden Love
8. Jump
9. How High
10. Isaac
11. Push
12. Like It Or Not
13. Fighting Spirit
14. Super Pop
Hard Candy (2008)
1. Candy Shop
2. 4 Minutes (Feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
3. Give It 2 Me
4. Heartbeat
5. Miles Away
6. She's Not Me
7. Incredible
8. Beat Goes On (Feat. Kanye West)
9. Dance 2Night
10. Spanish Lesson
11. Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
12. Voices
13. Ring My Bell
MDNA (2012)
1. Girl Gone Wild
2. Gang Bang
3. I'm Addicted
4. Turn Up The Radio
5. Give Me All Your Luvin' (Feat. Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.)
6. Some Girls
7. Superstar
8. I Don't Give A (Feat. Nick Minaj)
9. I'm A Sinner
10. Love Spent
11. Masterpiece
12. Falling Free
13. Beautiful Killer
14. I Fucked Up
15. B-Day Song (Feat. M.I.A.)
16. Best Friend
Rebel Heart (2015)
1. Living For Love
2. Devil Pray
3. Ghosttown
4. Unapologetic Bitch
5. Illuminati
6. Bitch I'm Madonna (Feat. Nicki Minaj)
7. Hold Tight
8. Joan Of Arc
9. Iconic (Feat. Chance The Rapper & Mike Tyson)
10. HeartBreakCity
11. Body Shop
12. Holy Water
13. Inside Out
14. Wash All Over Me
15. Best Night
16. Veni Vidi Vici (Feat. Nas)
17. S.E.X.
18. Messiah
19. Rebel Heart
20. Beautiful Scars
21. Borrowed Time
22. Addicted
23. Graffiti Heart
24. Autotune Baby
Madame X (2019)
1. Medellín (Feat. Maluma)
2. Dark Ballet
3. God Control
4. Future (Feat. Quavo)
5. Batuka
6. Killers Who Are Partying
7. Crave (Feat. Swae Lee)
8. Crazy
9. Come Alive
10. Extreme Occident
11. Faz Gostoso (Feat. Anitta)
12. Bitch I'm Loca (Feat. Maluma)
13. I Don't Search I Find
14. Looking For Mercy
15. I Rise
16. Funana
17. Back that Up To The Beat
18. Ciao Bella
B-Sides, Rarities, Complilation Tracks, Etc.
Into The Groove
Gambler
Crazy For You
Spotlight
Ain't No Big Deal
Who's That Girl
Causing A Commotion
The Look Of Love
Can't Stop
Supernatural
Justify My Love
Rescue Me
This Used To Be My Playground
Goodbye To Innocence
I'll Remember
Let Down Your Guard
I Want You (With Massive Attack)
You'll See
One More Chance
You Must Love Me
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Buenos Aires
Lament
Beautiful Stranger
Time Stood Still
Your Honesty
Hey You
History
Celebration
Revolver
It's So Cool
Broken (I'm Sorry)
EASY PM LIST
This is what the current Madonna ballot is looking like. I remember at the time I took some heat for reducing Evita, but... does anyone really want to rate all thirty songs on it for most of them to bomb out in the bottom fifty? Save some accolades for most of I'm Breathless.
Madonna (1983)
1. Lucky Star
2. Borderline
3. Burning Up
4. I Know It
5. Holiday
6. Think of Me
7. Physical Attraction
8. Everybody
Like A Virgin (1984)
1. Material Girl
2. Angel
3. Like A Virgin
4. Over And Over
5. Love Don't Live Here Anymore
6. Dress You Up
7. Shoo-Bee-Doo
8. Pretender
9. Stay
True Blue (1986)
1. Papa Don't Preach
2. Open Your Heart
3. White Heat
4. Live To Tell
5. Where's the Party
6. True Blue
7. La Isla Bonita
8. Jimmy Jimmy
9. Love Makes the World Go Round
Like A Prayer (1989)
1. Like A Prayer
2. Express Yourself
3. Love Song
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. Promise To Try
6. Cherish
7. Dear Jessie
8. Oh Father
9. Keep It Together
10. Spanish Eyes
11. Act Of Contrition
I’m Breathless (1990)
1. He's A Man
2. Sooner Or Later
3. Hanky Panky
4. I'm Going Bananas
5. Cry Baby
6. Something To Remember
7. Back In Business
8. More
9. What Can You Lose
10. Now I'm Following You
11. Vogue
Erotica (1992)
1. Erotica
2. Fever
3. Bye Bye Baby
4. Deeper And Deeper
5. Where Life Begins
6. Bad Girl
7. Waiting
8. Thief Of Hearts
9. Words
10. Rain
11. Why's It So Hard
12. In This Life
13. Secret Garden
Bedtime Stories (1994)
1. Survival
2. Secret
3. I'd Rather Be Your Lover
4. Don't Stop
5. Inside Of Me
6. Human Nature
7. Forbidden Love
8. Love Tried To Welcome Me
9. Sanctuary
10. Bedtime Story
11. Take A Bow
Ray Of Light (1998)
1. Drowned World/Substitute For Love
2. Swim
3. Ray Of Light
4. Candy Perfume Girl
5. Skin
6. Nothing Really Matters
7. Sky Fits Heaven
8. Shanti/Ashtangi
9. Frozen
10. The Power Of Goodbye
11. To Have And Not To Hold
12. Little Star
13. Mer Girl
14. Has To Be
Music (2000)
1. Music
2. Impressive Instant
3. Runaway Lover
4. I Deserve It
5. Amazing
6. Nobody's Perfect
7. Don't Tell Me
8. What It Feels Like For A Girl
9. Paradise (Not For Me)
10. Gone
11. American Pie
12. Cyber-Raga
American Life (2003)
1. American Life
2. Hollywood
3. I'm So Stupid
4. Love Profusion
5. Nobody Knows Me
6. Nothing Fails
7. Intervention
8. X-Static Process
9. Mother And Father
10. Die Another Day
11. Easy Ride
Confessions On A Dance Floor (2005)
1. Hung Up
2. Get Together
3. Sorry
4. Future Lovers
5. I Love New York
6. Let It Will Be
7. Forbidden Love
8. Jump
9. How High
10. Isaac
11. Push
12. Like It Or Not
13. Fighting Spirit
14. Super Pop
Hard Candy (2008)
1. Candy Shop
2. 4 Minutes (Feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
3. Give It 2 Me
4. Heartbeat
5. Miles Away
6. She's Not Me
7. Incredible
8. Beat Goes On (Feat. Kanye West)
9. Dance 2Night
10. Spanish Lesson
11. Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
12. Voices
13. Ring My Bell
MDNA (2012)
1. Girl Gone Wild
2. Gang Bang
3. I'm Addicted
4. Turn Up The Radio
5. Give Me All Your Luvin' (Feat. Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.)
6. Some Girls
7. Superstar
8. I Don't Give A (Feat. Nick Minaj)
9. I'm A Sinner
10. Love Spent
11. Masterpiece
12. Falling Free
13. Beautiful Killer
14. I Fucked Up
15. B-Day Song (Feat. M.I.A.)
16. Best Friend
Rebel Heart (2015)
1. Living For Love
2. Devil Pray
3. Ghosttown
4. Unapologetic Bitch
5. Illuminati
6. Bitch I'm Madonna (Feat. Nicki Minaj)
7. Hold Tight
8. Joan Of Arc
9. Iconic (Feat. Chance The Rapper & Mike Tyson)
10. HeartBreakCity
11. Body Shop
12. Holy Water
13. Inside Out
14. Wash All Over Me
15. Best Night
16. Veni Vidi Vici (Feat. Nas)
17. S.E.X.
18. Messiah
19. Rebel Heart
20. Beautiful Scars
21. Borrowed Time
22. Addicted
23. Graffiti Heart
24. Autotune Baby
Madame X (2019)
1. Medellín (Feat. Maluma)
2. Dark Ballet
3. God Control
4. Future (Feat. Quavo)
5. Batuka
6. Killers Who Are Partying
7. Crave (Feat. Swae Lee)
8. Crazy
9. Come Alive
10. Extreme Occident
11. Faz Gostoso (Feat. Anitta)
12. Bitch I'm Loca (Feat. Maluma)
13. I Don't Search I Find
14. Looking For Mercy
15. I Rise
16. Funana
17. Back that Up To The Beat
18. Ciao Bella
B-Sides, Rarities, Complilation Tracks, Etc.
Into The Groove
Gambler
Crazy For You
Spotlight
Ain't No Big Deal
Who's That Girl
Causing A Commotion
The Look Of Love
Can't Stop
Supernatural
Justify My Love
Rescue Me
This Used To Be My Playground
Goodbye To Innocence
I'll Remember
Let Down Your Guard
I Want You (With Massive Attack)
You'll See
One More Chance
You Must Love Me
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Buenos Aires
Lament
Beautiful Stranger
Time Stood Still
Your Honesty
Hey You
History
Celebration
Revolver
It's So Cool
Broken (I'm Sorry)
VOTES IN FOR JUNE 15TH
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