Why didn't Madonna promote more in the past?

[Justice 365]

She did interviews, which is a promotion, but why didn't she perform songs for TV?

In the 80s she performed for VMA's and that's it. Erotica was the first era where she started to perform songs on TV shows.

Yes, the songs were hits and performing them would be "pointless", but there were other artists who performed their hit songs on TV.

She pretty much promoted a lot for "dark eras" (Erotica, Bedtime Stories, American Life) for obvious reasons. It seems like she didn't bother if her music is a success - Ray of Light and COADF are exceptions.

 

Certain hit songs could have been bigger if she promoted.

And I can't believe she called David Fincher to blame him for Oh Father being a flop. She should have done some promo.

[godonna 67]

I've always thought it's a shame Like a Prayer didn't get a big iconic VMAs style performance. Though it's testament to her cultural power that she managed to score earth-shattering global hits with music videos alone.

[Pootz333 2,887]

Kind of related, promotion wise, but I'll always wish she performed anything other than BBB at the '93 VMA's. That opening slot could have been one of the most memorable, shocking performances of her career. And only the stans remember it. And the WTG performance. Nobody wants to see a performance via satellite. We want you in front of us throwing pumps, kissing the girls, and humping the floor in person, dear. It's wild that her last VMA performance was 20 years ago. 

 

[Andreo 5,987]

Maybe it's silly but... She literally didnt need to. Like, she was EVERYWHERE. It's still surreal to me how LAP and others hits of hers werent performed until the respective tour started

[Anapausis 6,583]

She was booked and busy at film studios

[FrozenRain 358]

In Madonna's hayday MTV was the promotion. Her videos played constantly so I don't think other promotion was needed.

[godonna 67]

56 minutes ago, Pootz333 said:

Kind of related, promotion wise, but I'll always wish she performed anything other than BBB at the '93 VMA's. That opening slot could have been one of the most memorable, shocking performances of her career. And only the stans remember it. And the WTG performance. Nobody wants to see a performance via satellite. We want you in front of us throwing pumps, kissing the girls, and humping the floor in person, dear. It's wild that her last VMA performance was 20 years ago. 

 

She missed a trick not performing Bitch I'm Madonna at the 2015* VMAs. It would've served as much needed promo for the single, promo for the upcoming tour, plus a huge VMAs homecoming moment celebrating her history and legacy, like what we got with the Celebration tour performance.

Edited July 18 by godonna (see edit history)

[Anapausis 6,583]

12 minutes ago, godonna said:

She missed a trick not performing Bitch I'm Madonna at the 2016 VMAs. It would've served as much needed promo for the single, promo for the upcoming tour, plus a huge VMAs homecoming moment celebrating her history and legacy, like what we got with the Celebration tour performance.

Which upcoming tour if RHT was done between 2015-16? I guess you meant a performance for VMA's 2015 right?

Anyways I TRULY believe she'd be panned like she was when she appeared dressed like a Moroccan Gnawa girl to deliver some award to Camila Cabello after talking nonsense about Aretha Franklin and her audition to make part to Patrick Hernandez's crew right? (Guess how much I know about THAT PANNED.)

[godonna 67]

2 minutes ago, Anapausis said:

Which upcoming tour if RHT was done between 2015-16? I guess you meant a performance for VMA's 2015 right?

Anyways I TRULY believe she'd be panned like she was when she appeared dressed like a Moroccan Gnawa girl to deliver some award to Camila Cabello after talking nonsense about Aretha Franklin and her audition to make part to Patrick Hernandez's crew right? (Guess how much I know about THAT PANNED.)

You're right I meant 2015

I think usually when she's panned it's actually her own doing, The outfit you mentioned, the 2021 sex doll look, the Drake kiss, the recent Grammys look (though it was a serve), were all intentionally controversial and provocative. She could get unanimous praise if she wanted it, for sure.

[Adonna 20,348]

56 minutes ago, FrozenRain said:

In Madonna's hayday MTV was the promotion. Her videos played constantly so I don't think other promotion was needed.

Yes, the 80's seemed pretty easy for her with the support of MTV and radio.  There still was promotion behind those 80's albums, but not to the degree we see now.  Performances were saved for awards and tours. That's how a lot of the big artists were doing it.  By the 90's she started to step up her game, by doing more interviews and specials, but still didn't go out of her way to do any promotional performances until RAY OF LIGHT, but even then a lot of that was saved for Awards events. Still, she did Oprah which was a good choice being Oprah was a place to reach middle America more. By Music, she threw in promotional gigs.  But within a few years after, she was starting to lack radio and MTV support.  Going forward, it's going to be harder and harder for her to do promotion that will reach the pop masses. Most sources, cater to younger audiences. Also, much of it is ONLINE/SOCIAL MEDIA promotion.  She can do all the TIK TOKS, SNAPCHATS and what not, but most will just look at her as a dinosaur and just find ways to criticize or poke fun of her.  I'm betting she's only going amp up the whole sex kitten act to show she's still got it.  She'll still make strong statements and find ways to squeeze herself in what is hip and happening now.  Again, it's going to be. harder now.  But then again, I don't feel like she has anything to prove anymore. So whatever she does, we'll just do.

[Pootz333 2,887]

1 hour ago, godonna said:

She missed a trick not performing Bitch I'm Madonna at the 2015* VMAs. It would've served as much needed promo for the single, promo for the upcoming tour, plus a huge VMAs homecoming moment celebrating her history and legacy, like what we got with the Celebration tour performance.

Agreed. The response to the Jimmy Fallon performance of that song seemed mostly positive. And anything would have been better than the MJ/ Aretha speeches. And I'm not gonna argue about it with anyone lol

[androiduser 2,757]

the videos were doing all the promo, and she was mega successful with the minimal promo.. and it made rare interviews and performance even bigger events.

[Blue Jean 16,732]

Even tv interviews were scarce in the 80’s. It was part of her brand, being a kind of enigma and out of reach.

Michael Jackson and Prince did even less tv performances and tv interviews than she did.

[MDNA22 1,268]

She just didn;t need to for many of her era's as there was so much interest and being a bit elusive only added to the excitement when she did do an interview or performance or appearance. As others have said in the 80s the amazing videos did the promo for her

She would be on the front page of every newspaper in the UK in the early 90's just for landing at a UK airport like when she visited for 24 hours to do the Jonathan Ross interview for he Erotica launch/Sex book promo in October 92

[MikeyK 957]

2 hours ago, Blue Jean said:

Even tv interviews were scarce in the 80’s. It was part of her brand, being a kind of enigma and out of reach.

Michael Jackson and Prince did even less tv performances and tv interviews than she did.

This is true.

To the OP’s question, back in the 80s & 90s big successful stars didn’t really go around and perform their singles any and everywhere they could. You only did that if you were up & coming (which she did early on), or if your album wasn’t doing well. Otherwise video was the main promotional tool. Award show performances were considered special occasions.

That changed in the late 90s during the pop/teen pop revival. Britney and the boybands were out there hawking their songs anywhere they could. And it seemingly continued for years to come. Gaga would perform at the opening of an envelope circa 2008-11.

[Aiwa08 18,449]

7 hours ago, Justice said:

She did interviews, which is a promotion, but why didn't she perform songs for TV?

I don't know if you lived through the '80s, but Madonna in the '80s wasn't just a musical phenomenon, she was a social phenomenon. Any act, phrase, word, or song from her would automatically appear on the radio, news, TV, everywhere. Anything related to Madonna was promoted by society itself at that time. I know it's hard to understand if you didn't experience that era.

But then came Erotica/Sex...

[Piksel8 713]

7 hours ago, Andreo said:

Maybe it's silly but... She literally didnt need to. Like, she was EVERYWHERE. It's still surreal to me how LAP and others hits of hers weren't performed until the respective tour started

You got it. For any musical act/artist before the internet, they only needed to dominate 1 vehicle, RADIO!

The significance of MTV in pop culture also pushed artist to further promote their music via music videos. That's all that was needed to get people to buy albums.

[Blue Jean 16,732]

In the 80’s she didn’t have to do press junkets, the media came to her

 

[Roland Barthes 6,079]

Because that was De Mann's strategy, one he validated with Michael Jackson, rarity made a superstar. They were everywhere without being out there. As for Like a Prayer, she was shooting Dick Tracy as the album was being released, she even had to fight Warren to be allowed to make the Express Yourself video because he did not want her to spoil her new look and image designed by the movie's stylist Milena Canonero and Peter Savic which was more glamourous, Hollywood slick than she ever did (they finally managed to pluck her bushy eyebrows which were a big part of her looks before that and her hair was a more classic Hollywood blond bob which was also new for her (and she stole that man suits she wears on the factory stairs in the DT costume dept.). 

She really started maaking more interviews especially in Europe for ToD and Erotica which were exclusive events, until then she did one or two interviews for an outlet and the chosen tv station sold the rights to other tv stations around the world. For True Blue/WTG there was only the Jane Pauley one and Carson and Meldrum for Lap. 

[Blue Jean 16,732]

47 minutes ago, Roland Barthes said:

Because that was De Mann's strategy, one he validated with Michael Jackson, rarity made a superstar. They were everywhere without being out there. As for Like a Prayer, she was shooting Dick Tracy as the album was being released, she even had to fight Warren to be allowed to make the Express Yourself video because he did not want her to spoil her new look and image designed by the movie's stylist Milena Canonero and Peter Savic which was more glamourous, Hollywood slick than she ever did (they finally managed to pluck her bushy eyebrows which were a big part of her looks before that and her hair was a more classic Hollywood blond bob which was also new for her (and she stole that man suits she wears on the factory stairs in the DT costume dept.). 

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.