25 Madonna Songs Thats Shaped Pop Music History
Madonna is one of the all-time greatest female artists, with some of the top hits of the '80s, '90s ... More and beyond.
Madonna Louise Ciccone, aka the Queen of Pop, is one of the most successful musical artists of all time, with 18 multiplatinum albums and a knack for creating controversy that has kept her culturally relevant for more than four decades. Known simply by the name Madonna, she moved from Michigan to New York City after high school to pursue a career as an entertainer and released her first album in 1983, quickly becoming one of the top '80s female singers. Madonna music is known for being sexy, spicy and culturally relevant. The best Madonna songs focus on social issues such as religion, feminism and politics. This list of greatest Madonna songs includes music from every era of the versatile singer's career.
Madonna is primarily a pop music singer, though she's also experimented with electronica and dance. She has released 14 studio albums, and three of them have sold more than 14 million copies, putting her on par with the Beatles and Whitney Houston. This list is based on commercial sales, critical acclaim and awards recognition.
From I'm Breathless: Music From and Inspired by the film Dick Tracy, 'Hanky Panky' reflects Madonna's playful side and mimics tunes from the movie's 1930s era. Some women's groups criticized Madonna begging, 'You can just spank me,' but she said the song was tongue-in-cheek. It was a top-10 hit in the U.S., Australia and UK.
Madonna's songs often deal with the darker side of love, but 'Cherish' from Like a Prayer has a lighter, more optimistic tone. In the video directed by Herb Ritts, a fashion photographer, Madonna romps on the beach with mermen, who became gay icons. The song hit No. 2, her record 16th straight top-five single.
The video for 'What It Feels Like for a Girl' (from Music) was directed by Guy Ritchie, Madonna's then-beau, and banned by MTV for its violent imagery. That was kind of the point—the singer wanted to illustrate how society encourages women's independence but ultimately punishes them for it. 'Girl' earned critical kudos.
Madonna croons, 'I want to free my soul,' on this release from True Blue. It came amidst intense media scrutiny of the singer's relationship with actor Sean Penn, and she wrote the song to explain what those moments felt like. It wasn't released as a single but still gained popularity due to its heartfelt message.
Envisioned as a tribute to Sly and the Family Stone, 'Express Yourself' appeared on Like a Prayer and encouraged women not to settle for 'second-best.' The suggestive video, directed by David Fincher, had a then-record $5 million budget. The girl power anthem urged women to pursue what they want, as men do.
Madonna performs "Express Yourself," one of her best singles, at TD Garden on Tuesday, September 4, ... More 2012.
Madonna co-wrote this song about ushering out a poor lover with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, advising, 'The night is over/This masquerade is getting older.' As the second single on Bedtime Stories, it topped the charts for seven weeks and established Madonna as one of the quintessential '90s female singers as her 11th No. 1.
'Burning Up' came from Madonna's first studio album, Madonna, and helped cement her as one of the top early '80s artists. It played on one of her favorite themes, sex, with the singer confessing she 'had no shame'—but it was also a double meaning, speaking to her professional ambition on later display as well.
Madonna closed out the decade with this electronica banger. The singer channeled '60s psych-pop as inspiration for the song for the soundtrack of Austin Powers film The Spy Who Shagged Me. It peaked at No. 2 in the UK and netted Madonna a fifth Grammy, won for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder offered this song to several artists, including the Supremes' Mary Wilson, before Madonna snapped it up for her debut album, Madonna. The dance-pop energy and upbeat tempo helped the song become the singer's first top-20 single, and critics now regard it as one of her finest releases.
Remember when Madonna was an actress? This single from her third movie was much more memorable than the film itself—so much so, in fact, that its original title (Slammer) was dropped, and it was renamed Who's That Girl. The Latin pop song, with some lyrics in Spanish, became her sixth No. 1 hit.
American singer and actress Madonna with director James Foley on the set of the film "Slammer," ... More later titled "Who's That Girl?."
'Ray of Light,' the title track of Madonna's seventh studio album, sees the singer delve further into electronica and is one of her biggest critical hits, earning three Grammy nods, including Record of the Year. It bowed at No. 5, her highest chart debut. The video also won five MTV Video Music Awards.
From Confessions on a Dance Floor, 'Hung Up' marks a return to Madonna's dance club roots, a high-energy song that samples ABBA's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)'—ABBA has rarely authorized such samples. Madonna tied Elvis with her 36th top 10 single with 'Hung Up' and hit No. 1 in 41 countries.
'Open Your Heart' was the fourth single from Madonna's wildly successful third album, True Blue, and became her fifth No. 1 hit. It also made her just the second female singer to chart three No. 1s from one album. The acclaimed music video is partly inspired by Cabaret.
Lyrically, 'Live to Tell' (off of True Blue) marked a departure from earlier Madonna songs, telling of a dark secret she must keep: 'Hope I live to tell the secret I have learned/ Till then it will burn inside of me.' She has never revealed the secret, but it resonated with listeners, rising to No. 1.
This song became Madonna's second No. 1 hit, appearing on the Vision Quest soundtrack—and also marking the singer's feature film debut. The pop ballad marked a departure from her earlier dance music, earning her a first Grammy nod (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance) and helping her break into adult contemporary.
The singer and actress Madonna in concert at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, Italy for one date of her ... More Rebel Heart World Tour.
After going to a Sting concert, Madonna was moved to write this song about the unifying power of song. 'Music makes the people come together/Music, mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel,' she sang. The song from the album Music hit No. 1, and the video, which featured then-up-and-comer Sacha Baron Cohen, was a smash.
From the first movie Madonna starred in, Desperately Seeking Susan, which she co-wrote, 'Into the Groove' was Madonna's first UK No. 1 and her bestselling early single. The sexual innuendo-laden tract invites a boy to 'prove your love to me.' A Billboard poll once dubbed it the best 1980s dance single.
'Material Girl' was one of the defining '80s songs, appearing on her second album, Like a Virgin. Though Madonna has said she herself isn't materialistic, she liked the provocative nature of the song, which declares, 'We are living in a material world.' The song vaulted the singer to superstardom, topping the Hot Dance Club Songs.
Another Like a Virgin hit, 'Dress You Up' opens dreamily, 'You've got style, that's what all the girls say.' The song, widely regarded as one of Madonna's top singles, got a boost when the Parents Music Resource Center added it to its "Filthy Fifteen" for suggestive lyrics—helping into Billboard's top five.
From Madonna's debut album, 'Borderline' is so catchy and danceable that it's no wonder it became the singer's first top-10 hit. The video depicted an interracial romance as Madonna proclaimed, 'You just keep on pushin' my love/Over the borderline.' 'Borderline' drew critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone naming it the No. 2 song of the year.
Softer and more experimental than most of her previous music, 'Justify My Love' became Madonna's ninth No. 1 single. Lenny Kravitz co-wrote the song, which portrayed the singer's sexual fantasies and belief women were in charge in the bedroom. MTV banned the suggestive video with Madonna's then-boyfriend Tony Ward, which nonetheless went multiplatinum.
Madonna performs during opening night of The Celebration Tour at The O2 Arena on October 14, 2023 in ... More London.
One of the most iconic '90s songs, this single from I'm Breathless is high-class fun. Madonna pays tribute to the stars of yesteryear. 'Strike a pose,' she encourages, later repeating, 'Don't just stand there, let's get to it/Strike a pose, there's nothing to it.' It became her biggest-selling single to date.
'Papa Don't Preach' appeared on True Blue and has become one of the most notable Madonna songs due to its content. It addresses women's autonomy and has also been interpreted as a pro-choice anthem, since the lyrics deal with a father's reaction to teen pregnancy. This marked Madonna's fourth No. 1 single.
Madonna's performance of 'Like a Virgin' at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards remains an indelible pop culture moment. It was Madonna's first song to top the Hot 100, from the album of the same name, and has sold more than 6 million worldwide. She continues to sing the popular tune on her concert tours.
Perfectly uniting Madonna's obsessions with sex, religion and taboos, 'Like a Prayer' may set a record for double entendres, like this lyric: 'I'm down on my knees/I wanna take you there.' The catchy song had an equally controversial video in which Madonna sleeps with a Black saint. Needless to say, it hit No. 1.
Bottom Line
Madonna is one of the most successful and revered pop singers in history for a reason. Her top songs reveal an ability to change with the times while continuing to get people talking and build her reputation. You can enjoy every song on this list over and over without tiring of them.
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