My brother went to see her live in the '80s. She took her knickers off and spread her legs while squatting at the front of the stage! It's fair to say he was disgusted, as there were children of various ages in the audience.
They weren't "knickers". They were silk mock knickers that she wore over her real knickers. It was in the Who's That Girl World Tour and the mock pants, after being pulled back and forth between her legs, were thrown into the audience. She has never, ever shown anything that might be constituted as inappropriate live in concert.
with regards to kids, it clearly says on her tickets that content may not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18 and children must be accompanied by adults but the organisers take no responsibility if audience members take offence at what they see.
The clue is in the name: it's a Madonna concert - not an episode of The Teletubbies.
I've been fascinated by her since I was a little girl - grew up listening to her music in the 80s. Her music was consistently good back then & she always released great videos - her music & videos have stood the test of time.
I always think of her career in two halves; pre & post Ray of Light. While ROL was critically acclaimed & sold fantastically well, it's actually not my favourite album of hers. She changed with ROL (music-wise). A lot of the album tracks from that album were not typical Madonna songs - they didn't have that 'pop' sound - they were a bit more experimental & alternative sounding. Music is another album that had a lot of experimental stuff on it. American Life - she was still experimenting but having listened to it again recently, I really like it - better than Music as a collection of songs. I found myself singing along in my car (not really something you could do with a lot of the tracks from Music).
My Madonna masterpiece album is Confessions on a Dancefloor - that is my absolute favourite era of hers in recent years. She absolutely nailed it - great image, a few number one singles, sold over 12m copies & that tour was AMAZING.
I did like Hard Candy & MDNA but not as much as Confessions. The tours that accompanied HC & MDNA were also great - she knows how to put on a show. She didn't promote MDNA enough though.
With Rebel Heart, I feel like we're going to get an album better than the last two efforts - of the songs I've listened to so far, I Iike them all. I would love this album & tour to be another roaring success for her just to prove to the naysayers why she's still The Queen of Pop. I hope the album leaks & the ageism doesn't do damage to this era.
I adored Madonna until Vogue ( apart from the dreadful Material Girl) but for me she then plummeted off a musical cliff, delivering below par music time after time
I grew up in the 80s and fell in love with madonna in 1985 and have stayed loyal ever since. I've always been interested in how much criticism is thrown at her yet we can't seem to get enough of her no matter what she does. Confessions was for me her best album and it was always going to be difficult to follow that but I've stuck with her, not liked everything she's done but she's just so damn clever and knows how to get everyone talking.
The music industry, in fact the showbiz industry as a whole will be a very dull place once she's decided to call it a day which I hope won't be for a while
I've loved her since the beginning and think her voice is best on ballads like Live To Tell, she's a great performer and always puts 100% into everything she does.
True Blue and ROL are my favourite albums and WTG my favourite tour.
I think Living For Love is the best song and video she's made in years and i'm looking forward to the new album!
I'm no big Madonna fan, in fact I've never even listened to a whole album (not sure I've ever even heard an album track of hers if I'm honest). But for what it's worth - as a child of the nineties, Ray of Light - American Life was pretty much the Madonna I 'knew'. And I thought she was actually quite good. I obviously knew she was a big star from the eighties, so basically to me she was a popstar of old who had 'grew up'. In fact listening to tracks like 'Don't Tell Me' now I'm a bit shocked by how sorta- I dunno - credible (?) they sound. By pop standards anyway. So I pretty much stand by the opinion of my youth.
But Hung Up, whilst a killer dance tune and catchy as hell, I think was a step back in some respects. It was like she had something to prove, as if she had fell off the radar and needed a big commercial hit to get out there again (a la Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger). When imo she had been going in the right direction previously and didn't need that sort of 'moment'. And for me, her output (obviously singles-wise from my POV) hasn't been the same since. But hey, she's obviously happy with what she's doing, still has an active fanbase and undertakes successful world tours. I have a lot of respect for her legacy and her obvious passion for what she does, whatever I actually think of her music today.
I grew up in the 80s and fell in love with madonna in 1985 and have stayed loyal ever since. I've always been interested in how much criticism is thrown at her yet we can't seem to get enough of her no matter what she does. Confessions was for me her best album and it was always going to be difficult to follow that but I've stuck with her, not liked everything she's done but she's just so damn clever and knows how to get everyone talking.
The music industry, in fact the showbiz industry as a whole will be a very dull place once she's decided to call it a day which I hope won't be for a while
In an interview this week, she says that the music industry has become safe with limited innovation. She says she feels for young artists, and also feels sad when looking at the past, because she felt incredibly lucky to have genuine interaction with other artists, with other people. You would physically leave the house to go to various studios, to attend actual interviews. If you wanted something doing or created, you would have to leave the house to get it done. She said that the music industry, and the world beyond, is full of loneliness. People rely on their latest gadget or cellphone to arrange everything. Never meeting real people, never feeling the excitement of going somewhere different or meeting someone new. She thinks it is sad that we've regressed in that way. She would like it to go back how it was because the music industry has become safe and unadventurous.It is a really thought provoking statement really. She also said at the end that she will never retire!
Madonna is probably one of the most significant female artists in the history of pop.
She is ranked number 2 on the Billboard Top 100 artists of all time, behind The Beatles, which makes her the No 1 solo artist.
She has sold over 300m records across the world. She has had a career that has lasted over 30 years at the top. She has pushed lyrical and artistic boundaries, has made some great music videos and puts on a good live show. She can look pretty adorable at times. And she has made some great music along the way.
I suspect she is already an American icon and has a profound influence on women in pop music. I'm not even a fan but I can't deny her brilliance and influence.
Madonna is probably one of the most significant female artists in the history of pop.
She is ranked number 2 on the Billboard Top 100 artists of all time, behind The Beatles, which makes her the No 1 solo artist.
She has sold over 300m records across the world. She has had a career that has lasted over 30 years at the top. She has pushed lyrical and artistic boundaries, has made some great music videos and puts on a good live show. She can look pretty adorable at times. And she has made some great music along the way.
I suspect she is already an American icon and has a profound influence on women in pop music. I'm not even a fan but I can't deny her brilliance and influence.
Talking about her being sometimes adorable, one of the loveliest, sincerest things about her, is when you go to her concert and she is coming on stage for the very first time. The roar of the crowd is deafening and there she is, looking towards the crowd with a smile so genuine, so huge that it feels you with cheer. She does this each and every time she tours. She is absolutely thrilled and overcome with the welcoming crowd. I love that smile. It is something I always remember each time I attend her shows.
I've been a huge fan since I was 10 and bought the single Holiday, I was always into listening to music from a young age and spent hours in my room and spent every penny I had buying music from vinyl to CDs to VHS music videos. What interested me about Madonna was her ability to push boundaries and get people talking.
I can remember The Virgin Tour being shown on tv and it was a family party for a relative and it was on in the background and everyone from my granny to neighbours discussing Madonna.
My views over the years haven't really changed as each album has fitted differently into my own life. So each album has different meanings and perspectives for me. Most probably the stand out albums for which have most meanings are True Blue, erotica and confessions. But that doesn't necassarrily mean they are my favourite to listen to I most probably listen to American Life, Bedtime Stories and I'm Breathless the most.
IMO Madonna has most probably been the most influential music artist in my life due to her always being around and releasing music over a 30 year period. Where other recording artists have had some meaning in my life generally as popularity dropped they were either dropped musically or stopped recording music. Madonna I suppose has always been there. Am I an obsessive fan, No i couldn't tell you her birthday or very much about her personal life. Musically I could tell you record releases in order and most probably what year every single, album was released but I could do that with a lot of music because I listen to music a lot and usually music triggers certain memories that fit into time frames of my own life of significance.
Madonna to me has always been in my life and more often than not albums released have had an impact or meaning due to song content or meaning. I must admit the last two albums Hard Candy and MDNA have most probably had the least or trigger the least with me. I didnt dislike either and each one has its own merits but neither one had any significance in my life. Both albums had tracks I enjoyed and overall liked the albums but I know they will never be played much in the future. Only one or two tracks from either album put on a playlist. From what I've listened to with Rebel Heart some songs have already made a bigger impact to me.
I must admit I find it interesting that Madonna gets so much Flack about being relevent or how recent sales have dropped. Not hitting the singles chart etc but I do think that that's part of the music industry. No one has stayed at the top as long as she did do it was inevitable at some point due to age factor alone that it had to come to an end singles wise. I think she will always have good album sales not massive but overall respectable sales and excellent touring potential just fir the legacy of being Madonna. She should never give up making music unless she wants to as that's her career. It makes no difference to her achievements, impact on modern culture or music as what she has done cannot be erased. She will remain one of the most Iconic artists of all time.
I've been a huge fan since I was 10 and bought the single Holiday, I was always into listening to music from a young age and spent hours in my room and spent every penny I had buying music from vinyl to CDs to VHS music videos. What interested me about Madonna was her ability to push boundaries and get people talking.
I can remember The Virgin Tour being shown on tv and it was a family party for a relative and it was on in the background and everyone from my granny to neighbours discussing Madonna.
My views over the years haven't really changed as each album has fitted differently into my own life. So each album has different meanings and perspectives for me. Most probably the stand out albums for which have most meanings are True Blue, erotica and confessions. But that doesn't necassarrily mean they are my favourite to listen to I most probably listen to American Life, Bedtime Stories and I'm Breathless the most.
IMO Madonna has most probably been the most influential music artist in my life due to her always being around and releasing music over a 30 year period. Where other recording artists have had some meaning in my life generally as popularity dropped they were either dropped musically or stopped recording music. Madonna I suppose has always been there. Am I an obsessive fan, No i couldn't tell you her birthday or very much about her personal life. Musically I could tell you record releases in order and most probably what year every single, album was released but I could do that with a lot of music because I listen to music a lot and usually music triggers certain memories that fit into time frames of my own life of significance.
Madonna to me has always been in my life and more often than not albums released have had an impact or meaning due to song content or meaning. I must admit the last two albums Hard Candy and MDNA have most probably had the least or trigger the least with me. I didnt dislike either and each one has its own merits but neither one had any significance in my life. Both albums had tracks I enjoyed and overall liked the albums but I know they will never be played much in the future. Only one or two tracks from either album put on a playlist. From what I've listened to with Rebel Heart some songs have already made a bigger impact to me.
I must admit I find it interesting that Madonna gets so much Flack about being relevent or how recent sales have dropped. Not hitting the singles chart etc but I do think that that's part of the music industry. No one has stayed at the top as long as she did do it was inevitable at some point due to age factor alone that it had to come to an end singles wise. I think she will always have good album sales not massive but overall respectable sales and excellent touring potential just fir the legacy of being Madonna. She should never give up making music unless she wants to as that's her career. It makes no difference to her achievements, impact on modern culture or music as what she has done cannot be erased. She will remain one of the most Iconic artists of all time.
Bedtime Stories is an underrated masterpiece. It was (I think) her first exploration of the R&B sound and it was excellent. Dallas Austin and Babyface (who've worked artists like TLC and Toni Braxton among many others) produced some of the tracks. People sometimes forget that this album was her first flirtation with 'urban' vibes, not Hard Candy which was released 13 or 14 years later. Take A Bow deserved more success in the UK, such a graceful song.
Ray of Light is timeless. Nothing Really Matters and The Power of Goodbye give me them good feelings
I think one of the problems with Madonna is that she herself raised the bar so high people always expect her to stay there, truth is that's difficult.
Madonna has had several albums that received universal critical acclaim and in many ways helped shape pop music of that era. True Blue, Like A Prayer, The Immaculate Collection, Erotica, Ray Of Light, Music, Confessions are the works of a pop genius and look at just how diverse in sound each one is. Madonna constantly reinvented herself and her music.
Despite not having the success of the others American Life is my favourite work she has ever done. It seems ironic now that back when it was realised she was criticised for trying too hard to be serious and mature yet here we just over 10 years later and that's the very thing she is now being told she should be. In many ways Madonna cannot win but when you are at the level of fame Madonna has, and lets face it she is the most famous woman in showbiz, you will always have those who envy your success. The fact is everyone who says bad things about Madonna would kill to have had her career.
Rebel Heart is a very good album and its easily her best work since Confessions and her best both production and lyric wise since American Life. She deserves it to be a success.
One of the more interesting pop stars of the 80's. Star started to fade in the 90's, but came back strong with 'Ray of Light' making her a far more interesting artist, continued (albeit with deminising returns) on 'Music'. Sadly it all started to fall apart here - the misjudged Bond song, the woeful American Pie cover, the Mini Cooper rap, marriage to Guy Richie and the over ambious American Life album.
Since then she's played it safe resorting back to bland contemporary pop, commercially it worked on 'Confessions' - however her last two albums have seemed desperate, chasing hits.
I took my niece to see her at Hyde Park in 2012. Even though I'm not a pop fan, it was Madonna and I was genuinely looking forward to it, however I didn't think it was anything special - her voice wasn't strong even to carry the open air and she just seemed to be going though the motions. Although I was probably spoilt as I'd seen the mighty Springsteen the week before.
I used to hate her but over the last couple of years I've got into her music a bit more. I have a few of her albums. Confessions and Ray of Light are my faves out of the ones I have. I don't like her much as a person but I don't dent the massive impact she's had on pop music and culture. She's one of the most iconic female singers of all time and everyone can name several of her songs.
Madonna has lasted a long time in a very hard and fickle industry. I admire her for that. However, I think she’s lucky to have achieved the success she has. She’s made a lot out of very little natural talent. Her voice is distinctly average (not to say a great singing voice is a prerequisite in pop music), her dancing isn't anything special, she isn't particularly beautiful and, like many pop singers in the industry, she's only as good as the talented writers and producers she surrounds herself with.
Madonna’s strength and talent lies in her ability to sell herself and her shortcomings, being a shrewd businesswoman and knowing how to court controversy and get people talking. She made it because she understood how to manipulate the public by shocking them and by pushing the envelope of convention. She more or less dumbed down the music industry. She marked the turning point when sex and nudity became just as important as the music that the controversy sold. She opened the doors to below average talent who have to rely on gimmicks and shock tactics in order to become successful.
I will never understand why people peg her as a trendsetter and an innovator. She follows fashions and trends as much as anyone. She's a bandwagon jumper. She's a sponge who soaks up the ideas of those around her before incorporating it into her own work and then basks in the glory of being called an innovator. Like Cyndi Lauper said: "I think the secret behind her success is that she would find someone who was really successful at what she wanted to do - a writer or a producer - and do it with them."
A few examples:
Erotica - She incorporated New jack swing into her music several years after it had become popular.
Bedtime Stories – She jumped on the R&B bandwagon as a way to increase her popularity after the low sales of Erotica. She knew she had to compete with the likes of TLC, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, which is why she teamed up with writers and producers who had already worked with all three of those artists. Just because Bjork wrote Bedtime Story with Nellee Hooper and Marius De Vries didn't mean Madonna had copy Bjork's vocal style as well as her look in the music video.
Ray of Light - She followed the likes of Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack and Bjork by jumping on popular trip hop bandwagon. Madonna worked with Massive Attack in the mid-1990s after they had already found acclaim and success in the industry. Tracy Thorn and Shara Nelson both worked with the band prior to Madonna. She also worked with Nellee Hooper after he had found success with Bjork. She also worked with Stéphane Sednaoui after Bjork. Beth Orton worked with William Orbit years before Madonna did.
Music and American Life – She jumped on the Folktronica/electrofolk/electronica bandwagon. Those two albums are very reminiscent of Trailer Park and Central Reseveration by Beth Orton, and Moon Safari by Air.
Confessions on a Dance Floor – She might have scored a big hit with Confessions, but several artists had already expressed their love of disco music by incorporating it into their own work years before Madonna did the same. Some of the songs and visuals are very reminiscent of Goldfrapp. I'm aware she released the disco inspired Deeper and Deeper in 1992, but it came out several years after Deee-lite had released similar songs.
Hard Candy – She jumped on the Timbaland and Neptunes bandwagon. She also worked with popular artists like Justin Timberlake and Kanye West.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Madonna following popular trends and fashions, but her fans often make out she was the one who made those trends popular and fashionable. Then there's the fact she has lifted a lot of ideas from other singers and bands. Debbie Harry and Donna Summer are two singers that did things years before Madonna did them yet she gets the credit. She has been successfully sued for plagiarism multiple times in her career, something her fans try and disregard. She has also lifted ideas from film stars and films. There’s nothing genius about recreating fashion, make-up, hairstyles, art direction, etc. from other people and their work. All she has done is taken ideas from one art form and put them into another. She’s the Queen of the homage. It's all mistakenly referred to as "reinvention". What I find funny are the Madonna fans who always accuse other artists of ripping her off despite the fact she was nearly always ripping it off someone else who did it before her. I could link a hundred examples, but my post is long enough. Just google it. She has benefited from having a fan base that is both delusional and easily pleased.
Dale Bozzio, Nina Hagen and Wendy O Williams did things before Madonna. Madonna's "iconic" look in the early-to-mid 1980s was lifted from all three of them.
I don't especially warm to her as a personality but I regard her as an outstanding pop artist at least up to circa Ray of Light. I've not heard much since. Despite her various provocations I always felt these were unnecessary and the music could stand (and sell) by itself.
Technically she's not the greatest singer. But technical and aesthetic judgements are distinct. Someone can be a brilliant singer and create dull music or they can be an adequate singer and create great music.
In terms of being able to create great music in the eyes of fans, I would say that virtually all artists who have a 25-30+ year legacy will typically have a period of 10 years or so when they're at their peak so to speak. During that period they will have, say, three great albums. After that the consistency will decline and you may get a good album every now and then, though usually still not as good as those of the "golden" period.
Comments
She's the pop version of The Simpsons
They weren't "knickers". They were silk mock knickers that she wore over her real knickers. It was in the Who's That Girl World Tour and the mock pants, after being pulled back and forth between her legs, were thrown into the audience. She has never, ever shown anything that might be constituted as inappropriate live in concert.
with regards to kids, it clearly says on her tickets that content may not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18 and children must be accompanied by adults but the organisers take no responsibility if audience members take offence at what they see.
The clue is in the name: it's a Madonna concert - not an episode of The Teletubbies.
I always think of her career in two halves; pre & post Ray of Light. While ROL was critically acclaimed & sold fantastically well, it's actually not my favourite album of hers. She changed with ROL (music-wise). A lot of the album tracks from that album were not typical Madonna songs - they didn't have that 'pop' sound - they were a bit more experimental & alternative sounding. Music is another album that had a lot of experimental stuff on it. American Life - she was still experimenting but having listened to it again recently, I really like it - better than Music as a collection of songs. I found myself singing along in my car (not really something you could do with a lot of the tracks from Music).
My Madonna masterpiece album is Confessions on a Dancefloor - that is my absolute favourite era of hers in recent years. She absolutely nailed it - great image, a few number one singles, sold over 12m copies & that tour was AMAZING.
I did like Hard Candy & MDNA but not as much as Confessions. The tours that accompanied HC & MDNA were also great - she knows how to put on a show. She didn't promote MDNA enough though.
With Rebel Heart, I feel like we're going to get an album better than the last two efforts - of the songs I've listened to so far, I Iike them all. I would love this album & tour to be another roaring success for her just to prove to the naysayers why she's still The Queen of Pop. I hope the album leaks & the ageism doesn't do damage to this era.
I love her!
Her new song is so dull
The music industry, in fact the showbiz industry as a whole will be a very dull place once she's decided to call it a day which I hope won't be for a while
True Blue and ROL are my favourite albums and WTG my favourite tour.
I think Living For Love is the best song and video she's made in years and i'm looking forward to the new album!
But Hung Up, whilst a killer dance tune and catchy as hell, I think was a step back in some respects. It was like she had something to prove, as if she had fell off the radar and needed a big commercial hit to get out there again (a la Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger). When imo she had been going in the right direction previously and didn't need that sort of 'moment'. And for me, her output (obviously singles-wise from my POV) hasn't been the same since. But hey, she's obviously happy with what she's doing, still has an active fanbase and undertakes successful world tours. I have a lot of respect for her legacy and her obvious passion for what she does, whatever I actually think of her music today.
In an interview this week, she says that the music industry has become safe with limited innovation. She says she feels for young artists, and also feels sad when looking at the past, because she felt incredibly lucky to have genuine interaction with other artists, with other people. You would physically leave the house to go to various studios, to attend actual interviews. If you wanted something doing or created, you would have to leave the house to get it done. She said that the music industry, and the world beyond, is full of loneliness. People rely on their latest gadget or cellphone to arrange everything. Never meeting real people, never feeling the excitement of going somewhere different or meeting someone new. She thinks it is sad that we've regressed in that way. She would like it to go back how it was because the music industry has become safe and unadventurous.It is a really thought provoking statement really. She also said at the end that she will never retire!
She is ranked number 2 on the Billboard Top 100 artists of all time, behind The Beatles, which makes her the No 1 solo artist.
She has sold over 300m records across the world. She has had a career that has lasted over 30 years at the top. She has pushed lyrical and artistic boundaries, has made some great music videos and puts on a good live show. She can look pretty adorable at times. And she has made some great music along the way.
I suspect she is already an American icon and has a profound influence on women in pop music. I'm not even a fan but I can't deny her brilliance and influence.
Talking about her being sometimes adorable, one of the loveliest, sincerest things about her, is when you go to her concert and she is coming on stage for the very first time. The roar of the crowd is deafening and there she is, looking towards the crowd with a smile so genuine, so huge that it feels you with cheer. She does this each and every time she tours. She is absolutely thrilled and overcome with the welcoming crowd. I love that smile. It is something I always remember each time I attend her shows.
I can remember The Virgin Tour being shown on tv and it was a family party for a relative and it was on in the background and everyone from my granny to neighbours discussing Madonna.
My views over the years haven't really changed as each album has fitted differently into my own life. So each album has different meanings and perspectives for me. Most probably the stand out albums for which have most meanings are True Blue, erotica and confessions. But that doesn't necassarrily mean they are my favourite to listen to I most probably listen to American Life, Bedtime Stories and I'm Breathless the most.
IMO Madonna has most probably been the most influential music artist in my life due to her always being around and releasing music over a 30 year period. Where other recording artists have had some meaning in my life generally as popularity dropped they were either dropped musically or stopped recording music. Madonna I suppose has always been there. Am I an obsessive fan, No i couldn't tell you her birthday or very much about her personal life. Musically I could tell you record releases in order and most probably what year every single, album was released but I could do that with a lot of music because I listen to music a lot and usually music triggers certain memories that fit into time frames of my own life of significance.
Madonna to me has always been in my life and more often than not albums released have had an impact or meaning due to song content or meaning. I must admit the last two albums Hard Candy and MDNA have most probably had the least or trigger the least with me. I didnt dislike either and each one has its own merits but neither one had any significance in my life. Both albums had tracks I enjoyed and overall liked the albums but I know they will never be played much in the future. Only one or two tracks from either album put on a playlist. From what I've listened to with Rebel Heart some songs have already made a bigger impact to me.
I must admit I find it interesting that Madonna gets so much Flack about being relevent or how recent sales have dropped. Not hitting the singles chart etc but I do think that that's part of the music industry. No one has stayed at the top as long as she did do it was inevitable at some point due to age factor alone that it had to come to an end singles wise. I think she will always have good album sales not massive but overall respectable sales and excellent touring potential just fir the legacy of being Madonna. She should never give up making music unless she wants to as that's her career. It makes no difference to her achievements, impact on modern culture or music as what she has done cannot be erased. She will remain one of the most Iconic artists of all time.
Love this post!
Ray of Light is timeless. Nothing Really Matters and The Power of Goodbye give me them good feelings
Madonna has had several albums that received universal critical acclaim and in many ways helped shape pop music of that era. True Blue, Like A Prayer, The Immaculate Collection, Erotica, Ray Of Light, Music, Confessions are the works of a pop genius and look at just how diverse in sound each one is. Madonna constantly reinvented herself and her music.
Despite not having the success of the others American Life is my favourite work she has ever done. It seems ironic now that back when it was realised she was criticised for trying too hard to be serious and mature yet here we just over 10 years later and that's the very thing she is now being told she should be. In many ways Madonna cannot win but when you are at the level of fame Madonna has, and lets face it she is the most famous woman in showbiz, you will always have those who envy your success. The fact is everyone who says bad things about Madonna would kill to have had her career.
Rebel Heart is a very good album and its easily her best work since Confessions and her best both production and lyric wise since American Life. She deserves it to be a success.
I have to admit I've kind of lost track of her musically since Confessions. None of her singles since have really interested me...
Since then she's played it safe resorting back to bland contemporary pop, commercially it worked on 'Confessions' - however her last two albums have seemed desperate, chasing hits.
I took my niece to see her at Hyde Park in 2012. Even though I'm not a pop fan, it was Madonna and I was genuinely looking forward to it, however I didn't think it was anything special - her voice wasn't strong even to carry the open air and she just seemed to be going though the motions. Although I was probably spoilt as I'd seen the mighty Springsteen the week before.
Madonna’s strength and talent lies in her ability to sell herself and her shortcomings, being a shrewd businesswoman and knowing how to court controversy and get people talking. She made it because she understood how to manipulate the public by shocking them and by pushing the envelope of convention. She more or less dumbed down the music industry. She marked the turning point when sex and nudity became just as important as the music that the controversy sold. She opened the doors to below average talent who have to rely on gimmicks and shock tactics in order to become successful.
I will never understand why people peg her as a trendsetter and an innovator. She follows fashions and trends as much as anyone. She's a bandwagon jumper. She's a sponge who soaks up the ideas of those around her before incorporating it into her own work and then basks in the glory of being called an innovator. Like Cyndi Lauper said: "I think the secret behind her success is that she would find someone who was really successful at what she wanted to do - a writer or a producer - and do it with them."
A few examples:
Erotica - She incorporated New jack swing into her music several years after it had become popular.
Bedtime Stories – She jumped on the R&B bandwagon as a way to increase her popularity after the low sales of Erotica. She knew she had to compete with the likes of TLC, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, which is why she teamed up with writers and producers who had already worked with all three of those artists. Just because Bjork wrote Bedtime Story with Nellee Hooper and Marius De Vries didn't mean Madonna had copy Bjork's vocal style as well as her look in the music video.
Ray of Light - She followed the likes of Portishead, Tricky, Massive Attack and Bjork by jumping on popular trip hop bandwagon. Madonna worked with Massive Attack in the mid-1990s after they had already found acclaim and success in the industry. Tracy Thorn and Shara Nelson both worked with the band prior to Madonna. She also worked with Nellee Hooper after he had found success with Bjork. She also worked with Stéphane Sednaoui after Bjork. Beth Orton worked with William Orbit years before Madonna did.
Music and American Life – She jumped on the Folktronica/electrofolk/electronica bandwagon. Those two albums are very reminiscent of Trailer Park and Central Reseveration by Beth Orton, and Moon Safari by Air.
Confessions on a Dance Floor – She might have scored a big hit with Confessions, but several artists had already expressed their love of disco music by incorporating it into their own work years before Madonna did the same. Some of the songs and visuals are very reminiscent of Goldfrapp. I'm aware she released the disco inspired Deeper and Deeper in 1992, but it came out several years after Deee-lite had released similar songs.
Hard Candy – She jumped on the Timbaland and Neptunes bandwagon. She also worked with popular artists like Justin Timberlake and Kanye West.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Madonna following popular trends and fashions, but her fans often make out she was the one who made those trends popular and fashionable. Then there's the fact she has lifted a lot of ideas from other singers and bands. Debbie Harry and Donna Summer are two singers that did things years before Madonna did them yet she gets the credit. She has been successfully sued for plagiarism multiple times in her career, something her fans try and disregard. She has also lifted ideas from film stars and films. There’s nothing genius about recreating fashion, make-up, hairstyles, art direction, etc. from other people and their work. All she has done is taken ideas from one art form and put them into another. She’s the Queen of the homage. It's all mistakenly referred to as "reinvention". What I find funny are the Madonna fans who always accuse other artists of ripping her off despite the fact she was nearly always ripping it off someone else who did it before her. I could link a hundred examples, but my post is long enough. Just google it. She has benefited from having a fan base that is both delusional and easily pleased.
Dale Bozzio, Nina Hagen and Wendy O Williams did things before Madonna. Madonna's "iconic" look in the early-to-mid 1980s was lifted from all three of them.
Technically she's not the greatest singer. But technical and aesthetic judgements are distinct. Someone can be a brilliant singer and create dull music or they can be an adequate singer and create great music.
In terms of being able to create great music in the eyes of fans, I would say that virtually all artists who have a 25-30+ year legacy will typically have a period of 10 years or so when they're at their peak so to speak. During that period they will have, say, three great albums. After that the consistency will decline and you may get a good album every now and then, though usually still not as good as those of the "golden" period.