Do you really think that Madonna hates her back catalogue?

[Aiwa08 16,189]

 

It's 2021 and it's been 40 years since Everybody. Other artist milk their back catalogue with strange demos, obscure remixes, and b-sides, all packed in fancy boxsets. They remaster their songs and videos with an amazing quality. But Madonna don't do that. 

Many times I've heard that she hates her back catalogue,  the one that made her the queen of pop and dance music during 40 years. 

Do you think this is real? Does Madonna hate her back catalog? Why she doesn't remaster her only vinyl tracks? Why she doesn't remaster her videos using the original negatives? She is part of the music history and apparently doesn't care.

What is your opinion?

[aleex123 625]

Yes.

[Sultrysully 2,864]

Nope.  I think that she is just an artist who has more to say.  New feelings.  

[Rocco Comelon 5,251]

I don't think she hates it but I think it is for her posthumous purposes so her children and her grandchildren will be the one receiving the royalties. Like MJ's son and daughter Prince and Paris. Just my opinion.

[Cedric 3,191]

Maybe because "she's not going to compromise her artististic integrity!" or bla bla bla...

 

 

[Cedric 3,191]

12 minutes ago, cedric said:

Maybe because "she's not going to compromise her artististic integrity!" or bla bla bla...

 

 

It's a joke... ok?

[Brendanlovesu1 11,870]

we know there's certain songs she has been vocal about disliking like cherish and she said something about still being associated with the material girl nickname when she's 90 and god forbid irony should be misunderstood

[VogueMusic 677]

No.

As for this 'hating of her old songs' thing, I think fans take it all way too literally. First, she's not the only artist to feel that way about old songs. And two, she moved beyond that period where she really wasn't interested (around ROL). If she truly hated it all, she wouldn't do old songs in her tours, and they would probably be very different shows. She would have never done anything like Tears of a Clown. Or even Re-Invention. Clearly, she likes some songs better than others. And she's said multiple times that certain songs are just of a certain time that she feels silly just pulling them out without doing something to make them reflective and who/where she is today. I respect that, and it's given us some of her best live tour moments (that very few of her peers/followers even bother to attempt...or could).

As for remasters, box sets, anniversary re-issues, etc...yeah, we'd all love it. But clearly she's not interested in milking that part of her career...yet. She probably feels that stuff can be done later, and I don't blame her (though I'd love it now just as much as any fan). Personally, I think it would make sense to start doing those things into her mid-to-later 70s, probably once large-scale touring finally stops, and she moves on to other creative endeavors/life/etc. As for now, she's a contemporary artist working 'in the now' (as she always has), and she sees herself that way. I don't see that changing for at least a good ten more years or so.

That being said, around the time of the biopic release, it may be a good time to do a 'legacy' era of some sort.

[Aiwa08 16,189]

Nice post @VogueMusic I totally agree with you.

[cake 320]

Madonna doesn't hate her back catalogue. Maybe the old songs make her feel old and she defenitely doesn't like that.

[wtg1987 10,150]

I just hope that her archives are being kept in good condition- I would hate to think that her demos from the 80s are being left to deteriorate and then we will never get to hear them ? seeing as how she “lost “ the Paris blond ambition tour footage im seriously worried about how her archives are being looked after ?

[Overloaded 151]

No, I think she just likes to keep moving forward. She definitely seems more fond of looking back in recent years though.

[wtg1987 10,150]

58 minutes ago, Overloaded said:

No, I think she just likes to keep moving forward. She definitely seems more fond of looking back in recent years though.

Agreed but I still think it’s been too long since she released something from her past - we’ve not had an unreleased demo since 2006 when history was released on the jump single and the piss poor upscales of her videos on YouTube leave a lot to be desired too ?

[Candy Perfume Boy 6,074]

I think the artists milking their back catalogues  have poorer current sales performance. She doesn’t need to flood the market with all that content when she’s making money from the currently available catalogue and upcoming new releases.

 

when she releases a Christmas album you can be assured the unreleased stuff will quickly follow.

[Enrico 15,786]

It has nothing to do with art.

She doesn't get enough money from these re-releases and does not give Warner permission to publish. She asked for more money and they said no.

[Aiwa08 16,189]

36 minutes ago, Candy Perfume Boy said:

 She doesn’t need to flood the market with all that content when she’s making money from the currently available catalogue and upcoming new releases.

I think that we don't want  the market flood with her compilations. And of course we prefer new content. But it's been 40 years since her first single. And many tracks (promos, rare edits and remixes, etc) from the 80s (and the 90s) are lost in the vault. At least her 80s catalogue should be "restored/remastered" to be available for her fans and general people (but that is my opinion). 

[thegoldencalf 12,571]

2 hours ago, wtg1987 said:

I just hope that her archives are being kept in good condition- I would hate to think that her demos from the 80s are being left to deteriorate and then we will never get to hear them ? seeing as how she “lost “ the Paris blond ambition tour footage im seriously worried about how her archives are being looked after ?

Haha SHE didn’t loose anything. She’s not personally storing her work. That’s the label’s responsibility.

And it’s a strong possibility the Truth Or Dare reels have not been lost forever. They’re probably just misplaced and couldn’t be found at the time.

[thegoldencalf 12,571]

I don’t think she hates her back catalogue but she’s seen and heard all these things so many times that they don’t excite her anymore. 
When you make something yourself it’s a different experience. Often you just see the flaws in it and you think this and that could have made it better. Or it’s just attached to a bad memory that people don’t know about. 
As for the releases, she’s done way more than most artists. And WB has went through many major changes in 40 years and I’m sure some stuff got lost or misplaced and it’s a huge effort to find it. 
And her back catalogue is very popular and sells well regardless. So there’s no real incentive to make it more “desirable” with remasters and outtakes and stuff like that. Also, the best way to promote the old catalog is by releasing new stuff and touring which Madonna has done a lot of. Once she retires or dies all that stuff will start to come out (unless her estate will want to keep it unreleased). 
Also the biopic might trigger some exiting releases of old stuff. 

[Dj Garrido 1,689]

I think that we have a series of problems: her gems (that we wanted relaunched) are in the Warner ´s catalog. She´s not in Warner anymore. She didn´t have a peaceful exit from the company. And, the biggest problem of all: her incompetent and disinterested team who does NOTHING to fix it.

Maybe the solution (or miracle?) would be she signing again with Warner or maybe just having a good reunion meeting where W people convinced her about how great and necessary it is to do these relaunches. 

[Régine Filange 2,582]

No, maybe she dislikes some songs like Material Girl, cause everyone uses that song to describe her, but i think she just doesn't want to be seen as a "legacy" artist or a has-been yet, that relies in her old hits cause her music career is over. 

[Prayer 14,259]

Only she knows. She lived in the present for most of her career (up until "Rebel Heart") and that's why her pop peak lasted for so long. She was always interested in the present and the future, not so much in the past.

I'd like to believe she's proud of everything she's done? But look back on your own life: I'm sure that even if you're proud or happy there are certain things you simply don't want to go back to or stuff you prefer, or brings back good memories, etc.

Obviously her biopic will change everything, now she's forced to look back. 

[Husam Elzien 656]

I don't think she hates it. I think she just doesn't feel like she can bring herself to perform a lot of it given her mindset being different 20-30 years later. Like it would seem weird to have ROL Madonna do Cherish or a sexual Erotica performance during her more Modest Lady of the Manor era. Material Girl has stayed being hated even since the 80s.

Right now, she'll only break out the hits if she needs to do damage control. American Life flopped so we have break out the hits to pull people back in. Rebel Heart flopped so we have to break out the hits to pull people back in. Like a lot of people have already said, the biopic will probably launch the Legacy era where we'll hopefully get the actual GH Tour. 

In terms of the video remasters. I don't know why they aren't remastering from the original reels/tapes. Take That and Eurythmics have gotten HD and 4K remasters that look better than M's upscales and they've sold a fraction of what M has even in their home countries. It's embarrassing on her team's and/or Warner's part that no one could be bothered to shell out some extra money to give us some high quality shit. Like maybe cut the Boy Toy's allowance off for a little bit to help out? 

[valinecode 291]

No.

She loves that girl she was ... so she loves that songs.

Our tribe has so many leaked demos and so many leaked instrumentals and so many leaked remixes ... and studio versions.

Why we still want more?

Just Enjoy it...

It's our problem not hers.

Why she doesn't care? .... Maybe it's not the right time yet.

Or maybe it's boring work for her.  

[steady75 9,565]

She’s just outgrown some and some don’t resonate with her anymore. Others she may feel the production is too if it’s time it that the song was a business decision rather than an artistic one.

ive written songs that I love and ten years later cant bare to listen to. 

[brank000 2,145]

I think it's all about the money. She would start releasing things if she was guaranteed a lot of money, otherwise it's not worth the time and effort. At this point her old stuff is selling well enough so there's not much point (for her) to start releasing box sets and collections that only the hardcore fans would buy.