She only needs one name: MADONNA. I can remember vividly the first time I heard of this chick. She was aloof and her sound was bouncy and happy, and she was just what was missing from American pop music since disco had ended. But she was way more than disco, she was edge. In her softness was severity. Amidst that crazy mane of hair was a purposefulness. This bitch knew what she wanted and she was here to stay, whether we liked it or not. She said as much to Dick Clark on her memorable appearance on American Bandstand, when asked what her dreams and aspirations were for her future: 'To rule the world.' As stated in yesterday’s post about Donna Summer, how does one choose a favorite Madonna song? I can’t even really choose a favorite album! I have loved her music since day one, have identified with at least six of her songs personally. Her music has been the soundtrack of my adulthood. College, moving away from home, living in my own apartments, becoming seriously involved with boyfriends, deaths in my family, etc. And the hits just kept coming: Holiday, Like A Virgin, Into The Groove, Papa Don’t Preach, Like A Prayer, Vogue, Erotica, Human Nature, Music, Beautiful Stranger… Too many to list. Today I celebrate her most amazing ballad, Crazy For You. Heard it for the first time as part of a terrible movie called Vision Quest, and it has stuck to me like glue. There she was in all her oversized torn-up-clothing glory, rubber bracelets up her arms, hair in wild tangles, giant dangling cross earrings. But she was singing a ballad, and I felt it...Today I also celebrate Express Yourself. 1989. I’m redundant with why that summer was the most important, life-changing one of my life, but this song was top of the playlist that year. It’s not about the lyrics with this one as much as it is about the whole package: the beat, the vibe, the wonder...This blog could go on for day about the affect Madonna has had on me over the years. Instead, I hope you enjoy her as much as I do and I’m sure you have your own connection to her music.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: December 17, 2015. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.
