"Career Ending" Erotica album now gets Rock Hall Of Fame Recognition

[wonderboy 1,889]

Its about damn time the rest of the world catches up to Madonna.

 

This past week, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has recognized Erotica as one of the most revolutionary albums of all time.

 

http://www.inquisitr.com/4467746/madonna-erotica-hall-of-fame-sex-1992-backlash/

 

 

When Madonna released her album Erotica in October of 1992, she was called a slut, whore, and every other name used to demean women. She was even compared to Hitler. Madonna talked about the aftermath of

while receiving an award from Billboard last December.

The book SEX, which was (incorrectly) seen as a pictorial accessory to the album, also caused a lot of backlash. It was at this point in her career that headlines ran day after day about Madonna’s career being over with. People were celebrating her alleged failures even though the book sold over a million copies worldwide while Erotica, which might not have lived up to sales of previous Madonna albums, still sold around six million copies.

The album actually earned some praise before the backlash really settled in. Rolling Stone gave the album four stars in November of 1992, calling it a post-AIDS album about romance. Entertainment Weekly, a magazine that had been so pro-Madonna throughout the early 1990s that some even joked they were on Madonna’s payroll, completely turned on Madonna with the release of Erotica. Music critic David Browne ripped on Madonna’s voice, her “coldness,†and her bad lyrics.

Erotica became known as the album that ended Madonna’s career. Of course, two years later, she released Bedtime Stories, which has sold around eight million copies worldwide and launched the longest-running No. 1 song of Madonna’s career,â€Take a Bow.†Then, there was 1998’s Ray of Light, an album many consider the peak of Madonna’s career. However, 25 years later, Erotica is considered a classic. Some even say Madonna’s most maligned album (at the time) became a groundbreaking moment for feminism.

 

“If Madonna spent the ’80s detonating sexual boundaries, then she doubled down on her provocative stance with the release of 1992’s Erotica. From the first track, Erotica celebrates the agony and ecstasy of sex and desire. To articulate her lustful vibe, the album blends sinewy hip-hop grooves and glittery club beats,†the narrator says in the video, which features scenes from the video of Erotica, which was banned.

While Madonna fans celebrate the album being recognized, the sexual imagery in the video (as well as the book) has continued to be divisive within her fan base. There are those who think Madonna made an absolute mockery of herself at the time. However, there are others who think that by exploring her sexual fantasies, Madonna was groundbreaking in giving the world hardcore sexuality from a woman’s point of view – something that was a definite taboo in 1992.

 

It’s important to note that the album Erotica, as a whole, isn’t aural sex; it deals with self-destruction, AIDS awareness (another taboo topic at the time), tolerance of homosexuals (even more taboo for 1992), and one who is yearning for love. It produced some minor hits. The title track was one of the highest debuting singles ever, but immediately dropped off the charts. However, “Deeper and Deeper†became a decent hit in January of 1993. When the third single “Bad Girl†only peaked at No. 36, even Madonna’s biggest supporter Kurt Loder at MTV did a segment which announced the end of her career. It was a truly dark time for Madonna and the supporters she had left.

There are fans that are begging Madonna to release an updated 25th anniversary edition of Erotica in time for the holidays. However, judging by the way she was treated when the album was first released, perhaps Madonna doesn’t want to invest in something that will only bring back horrible memories.

 

 

[DontTemptMe26 2,411]

Finally...Some respect..

[MerBoy13 577]

Imo one of her best if not one of my favourite albums and to damn right it deserves recognition.

[dylanlioncourt 5,780]

My favorite album of hers sadly overlooked because of the controversy.

About time it gets appreciated by the GP. 

[artlover 3,964]

Why are the album and book incorrectly connected? They work right apart but it's awesome to be analyzed together.

[wonderboy 1,889]

I remember skipping school the day it came out. me & a bunch of girlfriends went to the mall & had to get raffle tickets to be able to by SEX, we waited in line for what seemed like forever in front of the Sam Goody, we were finally let in, I bought the CD (Longbox!) but wasnt chosen for the book raffle, but my friend aimee was, so she got her copy & we freaked the fuck out. walked through the mall for HOURS taking turns reading passages outloud to people passing by. we got some major weird looks from people. it was a great day.

[wonderboy 1,889]

and then sat in our car in the parking garage blasting the album on repeat well into the night

[devilpray 2,387]

This is her best album imo. It's so vulnerable and strong at the same time and I love the hip-hop instrumentals     

[star guardian 683]

the best     it was about goddamn time!

[Guest]

The language some people have about Madonna, including some of her fans, and all this talk about her musical choices, career moves, fashion statements, etc. Has been been going on since that time.

 

So, its nothing new.

Madonna has learned that, unless YOU are putting yourself out there and daring greatly every day, your criticism is not only unnecessary, it is nor requested, nor required.

Unless you are doing what she is doing, your feedback just comes off as noise.

 

And THAT is a very valuable lesson.

[Guest]

The language some people have about Madonna, including some of her fans, and all this talk about her musical choices, career moves, fashion statements, etc. Has been been going on since that time.

 

So, its nothing new.

Madonna has learned that, unless YOU are putting yourself out there and daring greatly every day, your criticism is not only unnecessary, it is nor requested, nor required.

Unless you are doing what she is doing, your feedback just comes off as noise.

 

And THAT is a very valuable lesson.

Exactly.  If people think Madonna has suffered some horrible critiques in the last several years, they hardly live the release the EROTICA album. The hype and anticipation was extremely high. I know when I got the SEX BOOK, those who I knew that disliked Madonna begged me to see the book. In fact, the person that helped me get the book couldn't stand her.  But he and his wife were dying to look at it.  The album definitely overwhelmed many. I know it did me. I remember sitting in my apartment listening to the album, and was a bit bored with it. It definitely took some time for me to warm up to it.  I now have a totally different respect for it.  It's hardly my favorite album by her, but it's definitely a classic album... a hard jump from the subtle direction she had already taken with prior songs, especially "Justify My Love".  

 

And people were horrid to her and I recall many thought she trashed her career.  Yet at the same time, and looking back, it was merely people just talking.  While she did suffer a dip in sales, she still did quite well.  Honestly, this was a huge depart from the pop friendly songs she did before. While "Rain" wasn't a smash hit, I think that and "I'll Remember" helped soften up her image some after the fact.  But then she went on David Letterman and released the "F" bomb multiple times and people got annoyed at that.  Obviously, the music still won out because in the U.S. where she really suffered a lot of backlash from Erotica/Sex/BOE, "Take A Bow" was huge on radio.  And when she released "Something To Remember" and had Lourdes, people really started seeing her for being more warm and less cold.   

[Nick 2,362]

No kidding, it's about time! Definitely some of her best work here.

[Bobo 1,218]

For me, Erotica was the only logical step considering the direction her sound and lyrics had been going in since Like a Prayer. Club beats juxtaposed with hip hop / new jack swing. That together with suggestive lyrics, innuendo and this need to be vocal about the devastating effects of AIDs, Erotica was inevitable.

 

I loved it from the first time I listened to it, having patiently waited for it's release for what seemed like years. Even before the release the media were already mentioning the book together with the album on radio, tv and the papers. I remember Jonathan Ross referring to yet-to-be released album but mentioned the upcoming book as being an encyclopedia of sex.

 

It was a dark time for a child to be a Madonna fan and anything to do with her became forbidden in my home, and I went to Catholic school where my classmates pretended they were puritans but were secretly dying to see and hear what all the fuss was about.

 

By the time the tour came and Letterman, even as a child you could still see the double standards and hypocrisy of it all. She was a woman doing and saying what we didn't dare and she was being vilified for it. It was a sad reflection of the society we created. Erotica was a strong stance against this.

[DiscoThomas 1,171]

Erotica was, and remains an amazing album.  Madonna at her best.

[Madgesty 2,743]

I love Erotica. I love this whole era. My #1!

[Dazedmadonna 16,422]

Her best album

[wtg1987 10,162]

If it wasnt for Erotica we wouldnt have 2 of her(And imo best ever) greatest music videos - Bad Girl & Rain )Both sadly overlooked at the time - The Girlie Show was also pretty decent too but at the time was overlooked - i dont feel like she ever got past the backlash until Take A Bow slayed America but soem weird reason was her lowest charting single in the UK(At that time ) wtf ???

[LikeAMelody 728]

This album will always be special to me and it's a shame that Madonna had to deal with all that negativity after releasing a sublime album.

[me1981 1,358]

I have always felt that Erotica was a masterpiece. It is the full embodiment of a woman. Her hopes, fears, desires, pain and joy. I have never heard anyone be so honest on an album about the human experience. No pop star has the guts to do it, even now. The rawness of the sound and the underground feel to it wasn't new, but it was not what was mainstream at the time, so a mainstream artist doing this was not appreciated.

 

SEX overshadowed it and the press had been waiting since 1985 to rip her a new one, they were almost gleeful about it all. I can understand Madonna's anger about it at the time. She didn't deserve it.

 

In terms of being called a slut, whore and so on, well that started as early as 1984, so that was nothing new. Women enjoying sex for purely physical reasons is as taboo as men enjoying emotional intimacy. We have boxed everyone in and it is to the deteriment of social progression.

 

And trust me, Madonna wasn't the only one getting shit, us fans at the time got it too. Was not the best time to be a fan. Part of the reason why I often feel a kinship with Madonna is because it felt like we all went through that horrible time together.

[Robocup 43]

I have to say that I missed all the fanfare around Erotica for obvious limits of time. I first bought Erotica in a cassette edition in the late '90s, as I had been keen on Madonna since after Evita, which had me become the fan I still am today.

 

To me Erotica felt immediately different from anything she had previously done. The songs were solid and complex. The album was long and possibly not immediate in its delivery. I remember following every verse of each song with the help of the lyrics in the booklet. Ah! Booklet lyrics! They created such an intimacy between a listener and an album!

 

....

 

This album is a pop bible. Its irony and wit are genius (Where Life Begins ranks among my all-time M faves). It's sensual. It's warm. It's girly. It's New York. It's modern, maybe not current, but modern. Full stop.

 

 

Americans have voted for Trump, why would their point of view on Madonna count for anything?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk