SPRΞΞ
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Post by SPRΞΞ on Dec 29, 2020 20:02:18 GMT -5
I love Die Another Day. That was one of my most played tracks back then. I can still remember the first time I heard it on Miami's Y-100 station. How exciting that was!! It was the coolest song on the radio, and I even called into the radio station to tell them that, lol. They were excited about it, too. They played it every hour. It was her last solo Top 10 Pop hit, peaking at #4. She was 44 years old.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Dec 29, 2020 22:21:44 GMT -5
"Take a Bow" is ranked No. 4 on Billboard's list of Madonna's biggest hits, based on chart performance, eras weighted differently, etc. etc. Ranked above it: "Like a Virgin," "Vogue" and "Crazy For You."
"Die Another Day" was an exciting, adventurous track- then again, it was Madonna. :) It was the furthest thing from a "traditional" Bond song, which was a good thing.
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SPRΞΞ
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Post by SPRΞΞ on Dec 30, 2020 0:45:56 GMT -5
I mean, she was 44 and she had mainstream radio still in the palm of her hands after the success of Music, Don't Tell Me, and now Die Another Day. Then she blew it with American Life. Ugh. Had she continued with that DAD sound, or made something not so cringeworthy as the rap on AL, I think she coulda kept going solo for a while longer.
Imagine going from Die Another Day to Hung Up. It would've probably hit #1 on Pop radio.
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chartfreak
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Post by chartfreak on Dec 30, 2020 1:08:45 GMT -5
I mean, she was 44 and she had mainstream radio still in the palm of her hands after the success of Music, Don't Tell Me, and now Die Another Day. Then she blew it with American Life. Ugh. Had she continued with that DAD sound, or made something not so cringeworthy as the rap on AL, I think she coulda kept going solo for a while longer. Imagine going from Die Another Day to Hung Up. It would've probably hit #1 on Pop radio. I even think if Hollywood was the first single things would have been different.
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Dec 30, 2020 6:38:34 GMT -5
I believe the original uncensored released video to American Life ( which is brilliant) really hurt the album from growing in sales. Edit. AL not DAD
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spiritboy
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Post by spiritboy on Dec 30, 2020 8:02:36 GMT -5
DAD was a brilliant single and the video was amazing. I miss those days when it was cool to like/love Madonna.
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Dec 30, 2020 8:03:57 GMT -5
DAD was a brilliant single and the video was amazing. I miss those days when it was cool to like/love Madonna. Yes sorry I was thinking of the American Life original uncensored video. DAD video is perfect.
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spiritboy
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Post by spiritboy on Dec 30, 2020 8:16:57 GMT -5
DAD was a brilliant single and the video was amazing. I miss those days when it was cool to like/love Madonna. Yes sorry I was thinking of the American Life original uncensored video. DAD video is perfect. Was it even aired though?
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Dec 30, 2020 8:23:29 GMT -5
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Dec 30, 2020 8:33:18 GMT -5
The original AL video never aired on U.S. MTV., It was broadcast on a German channel, from what I remember.
I don't think "Hollywood" would have blown up the charts in the USA; she was on her 20th year of success at that point, so she was eventually going to lose some of that commercial prowess. She got some of it back with COADF/"Hung Up," though it was going to be a challenge for her no matter the circumstance. From that point on, the odds of commercially successful acts scoring big hits 20-plus years into their career with new material are slim (Cher being an anomaly, of course).
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August
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Post by August on Dec 30, 2020 9:09:48 GMT -5
The original AL video never aired on U.S. MTV., It was broadcast on a German channel, from what I remember. I don't think "Hollywood" would have blown up the charts in the USA; she was on her 20th year of success at that point, so she was eventually going to lose some of that commercial prowess. She got some of it back with COADF/"Hung Up," though it was going to be a challenge for her no matter the circumstance. From that point on, the odds of commercially successful acts scoring big hits 20-plus years into their career with new material are slim (Cher being an anomaly, of course). It was aired on MTV2 many times over the years, post American Life. Usually in shows about controversial videos, etc.
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chartfreak
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Post by chartfreak on Dec 30, 2020 9:10:07 GMT -5
The original AL video never aired on U.S. MTV., It was broadcast on a German channel, from what I remember. I don't think "Hollywood" would have blown up the charts in the USA; she was on her 20th year of success at that point, so she was eventually going to lose some of that commercial prowess. She got some of it back with COADF/"Hung Up," though it was going to be a challenge for her no matter the circumstance. From that point on, the odds of commercially successful acts scoring big hits 20-plus years into their career with new material are slim (Cher being an anomaly, of course). My point was Hollywood probably would have done "better" than AL after the success of DAD.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Dec 30, 2020 9:18:52 GMT -5
perhaps. I always liked AL more, so... "Hollywood" did hit in the mid-30s at Adult Top 40 radio, so as a lead single, it may have done equally well at pop (mid-20s). AL was more of an "exciting" single, though, to kick off the album promotion- well, with the original video, at least. That flags video did no favors to the song's performance.
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August
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Post by August on Dec 30, 2020 16:45:48 GMT -5
I honestly don’t know what would have done well at pop radio. Folks were expecting more DAD and they got this kind of folksy electric mishmash that wasn’t super buoyant. I appreciate it as a concept album, but not sure it was loaded with pop hits. Hollywood might have done better as a lead single as it was slightly more rhythmic. Also I felt that lyrically, most casual fans and other pop listeners were not buying a song lecturing about the trappings of fame and fortune and the sarcasm it as loaded with from Madonna. They still saw her as glamour, vogue, material girl, sex goddess, etc. Look how well Confessions did when she took it back to the euphoric disco love songs and sexiness.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Dec 30, 2020 17:15:07 GMT -5
Yes, AL (song and album) probably was somewhat off-putting to the general public. Given the subject matter of the first two singles, combined with her veteran status/years in the game, it would have been tough for her to experience a ROL-level comeback in the USA.
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August
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Post by August on Dec 30, 2020 20:10:12 GMT -5
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Dec 30, 2020 22:48:21 GMT -5
Hollywood sucked. Great video, though.
NF sucked too.
WBR must have been losing their minds at that time.
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SPRΞΞ
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Post by SPRΞΞ on Dec 30, 2020 23:12:01 GMT -5
American Life, the lead single, was the first time for me where I felt she backtracked and took two steps back. Especially when you compare AL to DAD, Music, and Frozen. It's like they took the DAD sound and made it even more clucky and unlistenable with all those bleeps and blips which were substituted for melody. It worked great on DAD cuz of the orchestra in the background and the badass lyrical content, but on AL she became a parody of herself. Made me so mad cuz I feel she was at her absolute apex with DAD, then her mainstream radio career literally collapsed the next single. She went from badass to cringe very quickly.
I think it was also the point where she lost the GP/str8's. Anything after that, especially with Confessions, made her appear too much of a gay artist, like Cher or Kylie. You could play Ray of Light and Music at a party, but not American Life or anything after that. It is what it is tho.
I'm also surprised by 4 Minutes' success. Seems to be a mainstay in her Top 10 on Spotify, and I get it, just seems strange. There are so many better songs on Hard Candy than that.
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Dammn Baby
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Post by Dammn Baby on Dec 30, 2020 23:33:45 GMT -5
I think her biggest mistake of the AL era was working with Mirwais again. She always made a point to switch up her producers and his sound had already overstayed its welcome a bit by Music.
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Carlitoz
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Post by Carlitoz on Dec 31, 2020 0:33:40 GMT -5
I remember back then thinking Love Profusion should have been the first single. It was one of my favorite tracks. It was nice accesible pop to me. I just listened to it after so many years and now find it too bland perhaps, lacking a punch to be a good single. For sure to me the video is awful, one of her worst. I really pushed it to finish watching it 5 minutes ago. I doubt I’ve watched it more than 4-5 times in my whole life. After Die Another Day, it would’ve not been a good follow up perhaps. Always loved Nobody Knows Me. Do you think it could’ve been a good single after DAD? Or too out there for those days and for pop??
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SPRΞΞ
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Post by SPRΞΞ on Dec 31, 2020 1:19:14 GMT -5
I remember back then thinking Love Profusion should have been the first single. It was one of my favorite tracks. It was nice accesible pop to me. I just listened to it after so many years and now find it too bland perhaps, lacking a punch to be a good single. For sure to me the video is awful, one of her worst. I really pushed it to finish watching it 5 minutes ago. I doubt I’ve watched it more than 4-5 times in my whole life. After Die Another Day, it would’ve not been a good follow up perhaps. Always loved Nobody Knows Me. Do you think it could’ve been a good single after DAD? Or too out there for those days and for pop?? Not sure but it was fucking fantastic on tour.
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spiritboy
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Post by spiritboy on Dec 31, 2020 7:51:55 GMT -5
Happy New Year fellow M fans. Hope new year will bring unexpected new Madonna music.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2020 8:54:12 GMT -5
Almost makes ya wonder what her career would be like right now if she never made AL? And if Confessions still came in 2005, after Die Another Day.
She went back with the producer for Madam X. Some of AI could’ve filtered into that album. A combined “greatest hits” of AI&MX would’ve been interesting and folksy in 2018.
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Dec 31, 2020 9:23:22 GMT -5
"Love Profusion" is OK, though kinda bland in the production- the R&R remix less so.
After the AL video was pulled, the album, post-debut, was kinda doomed and never recovered. Interestingly, even without a big hit and with a smaller opening by some 39,0000, AL's sales only trailed those of Hard Candy by ~70K or so.
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Dec 31, 2020 19:16:26 GMT -5
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HolidayGuy
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Post by HolidayGuy on Jan 1, 2021 10:03:51 GMT -5
^Is that the one version, or the two official-posted videos combined?
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Jan 1, 2021 10:22:05 GMT -5
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Post by areyoureadytojump on Jan 2, 2021 10:13:45 GMT -5
Thanks to UnapolgeticKenny!
SPOTIFY UPDATE 12/25 - 12/31/2020
# SONG WEEK STREAMS %± LW TOTAL STREAMS
01 (=) Hung Up 1,229,118 +8.35% 151,473,882 02 (=) Like a Prayer 1,075,400 +9.14% 207,081,368 03 (+1) Material Girl 990,641 +8.50% 190,582,536 04 (-1) La Isla Bonita 983,957 +3.95% 134,528,081 05 (=) Like a Virgin 879,117 +7.40% 157,955,538 06 (=) 4 Minutes 572,013 +2.85% 151,858,356 07 (=) Vogue 571,734 +4.91% 126,125,383 08 (=) Holiday 505,823 +8.50% 98,315,865 09 (=) Crazy for You 347,462 +2.06% 52,762,762 10 (=) Papa Don't Preach 321,966 +1.53% 58,006,032
11 (+2) Into the Groove 278,805 +9.98% 58,073,608 12 (=) Frozen 264,760 -1.94% 56,029,887 13 (+1) Sorry 190,495 -5.51% 36,145,247 14 (+1) Bitch I'm Madonna 178,154 -4.43% 67,518,032 15 (+1) Music 172,332 -3.60% 41,023,187 16 (-5) Santa Baby 147,647 -50.68% 7,734,907 17 (+1) Ray of Light 145,256 -1.58% 36,063,355 18 (+2) American Pie 144,906 -0.44% 26,547,663 19 (-2) Medellín 141,192 -5.35% 54,849,786 20 (-1) Live to Tell 140,250 -4.78% 28,134,363
PS.: Streams from compilation versions and radio edits are merged with the original song's totals PS2.: No remixes are counted for the songs' or album' totals, with the exception of the ones originally released in the album tracklisting (Madonna, LAV, TB, MDNA and RH).
Some milestones:
* Forbidden Love (COADF) - 6 million * SEX - 3 million
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jumpb4uthink
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Post by jumpb4uthink on Jan 2, 2021 13:49:36 GMT -5
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bat1990
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Post by bat1990 on Jan 2, 2021 15:04:30 GMT -5
With all this discussion of American Life, I went back and looked at the track listing to see what I think would've made a better lead single.
"Intervention" actually piqued my interest the most. It's a similar vibe to "Nothing Fails" but with more energy to do better with radio and seems more of an evolution from "Frozen" to "Don't Tell Me" through to "Die Another Day."
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