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Happy 25th Anniversary, The Immaculate Collection!


groovyguy
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25 years ago (November 9, 1990) Madonna released her first greatest hits compilation, the fantastic THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION (the title is a reference to M´s religious name and the Immaculate Conception). 15 hits plus 2 new songs, Rescue Me and Justify My Love. 

Madonna dedicated the album to “The Pope, my divine inspirationâ€. This led to many believing it was dedicated to Pope John Paul II, but it was actually dedicated to her brother, Christopher Ciccone, who had spent the year on tour with Madonna (“The Pope†is one of his nicknames).

The album is a huge success and keeps the world record of the best-selling compilation album by a solo artist. Let´s celebrate! 

 

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Celebrating 25 years of #TheImmaculateCollection

http://myfizzypop.blogspot.com/2015/11/madonna-immaculate-collection-25th.html

When you are an enduring and everlasting star such as Madonna, then it is always a 25th anniversary of something. Singles, albums, tours, films, videos, TV performances, and so on. It's rare, however, that much attention gets paid to greatest hits collections - often, these are a collection of already known songs with a couple of newbies added on. There was something so much more to Madonna's own and first greatest hits, The Immaculate Collection. Not only does it (arguably) have the best title of a greatest hits album ever (allegedly changed from Ultra Madonna to avoid confusion with the dance artist Ultra), but there was a certain Madonna-like audacity to it in having all the chosen tracks remixed by Shep Pettibone. It featured 15 of Madonna's biggest hits (but not all of them) as well as 2 new songs that, as time would evidence, hinted nicely at the next stage of her career. It topped the charts for an unprecedented nine weeks in the UK and spawned four singles here (more on that later) - the near-perfect bookend to stage one of her soaring career...

I say near-perfect because the project wasn't without it's controversy. Let's face it, it wouldn't be a Madonna album if it didn't spark heated conversation. Some folks weren't keen on the remixed nature of the songs, bemoaning the fact that these weren't the single versions that made the charts. Others pointed out that several successful singles were missing from the project (Dress You Up, Angel, Gambler and True Blue to name a few). For me, I liked the ballsy move of the remixes - it gave the fans something new whilst also being a really clever way to encourage and promote sales of a back catalogue for those that really wanted to hear songs in their original format. The tracklisting? Well, I've always been a stickler for a comprehensive and chronological greatest hits (bravo to the first Kylie and Erasure collections) but I get why - depending on where you lived in the world Madonna had released at least 25+ singles. Sure, it could have been a double album but it's a snapshot of Madonna's career - and possibly remains the greatest selection of songs of her mortal life. Plus, lucky Britain got to have some additional and nicely matching CD singles to pad out the collection so it was all rather forgiveable in the end...

THE SINGLES:

  • [*]
Justify My Love ~ single number one from the Immaculate Collection was part single, part musical poetry and part seductive love letter to love itself. I remember being absolutely besotten with the mid-tempo groove that was like a gentle caress to the skin while Madonna breathily spoke almost every single word of the song (rather than singing). The track positively oozes sex and was accompanied by a NSFW video that would have had One Million Moms (actually about 2000) clutching their faux-pearls in righteous indignation. I remember there being a "video single" of JML released (which included that phenomenal MTV Award version of Vogue) and my mum buying it for me, shoving it into my hand and whispering "don't tell your dad"! What a woman :) And, of course, the single was a massive smash (2 in UK, chart topper in the US)... [*]Crazy For You ~ In the late 80s and early 90s, it wasn't uncommon for songs to be re-released in the UK. Movie songs would chart all over again if the film was shown on TV, for example, and Madonna being the draw that she was means it shouldn't come as a surprise that the record company wanted to maximise it's returns as well as garner more publicity for the behemoth that was now The Immaculate Collection. Crazy For You was re-released in Feb 1991 (Valentine's Day) with the Shep Pettibone single remix of Keep It Together on the b-side (never a single in the UK). The single artwork looked like an outtake from Justify My Love video which a) didn't really fit with the song and b) didn't have the cohesive visual imagery that went into the next single (in terms of it being an extension of the album - it certainly matched the JML and Rescue Me covers). Regardless, you can't keep a good song down and this IC-version went all the way to number two (it's original peak position from 1985)... [*]The Holiday Collection ~ The song Holiday had already reached the top ten twice (6 in 1984, 2 in 1985) but Warner Bros were clearly convinced it could do it again. By packaging it as The Holiday Collection with artworkthat fitted nicely alongside The Immaculate Collection, they proved themselves right. It rose all the way to number three in the summer of 1991 - partly because, like Crazy For You, it was a song that people loved and wanted to hear all over again; and partly because it gave collectors additional tracks like True Blue, Who's That Girl and Causing A Commotion to add to their own immaculate collection. None of these were remixed in the album style but it was a nice tip of the hat. [*]Rescue Me ~ the other new track was a blistering house meets pop meets dance extravaganza that still sounds radiant to this day. Ace gospel and soul influences abound and it's no wonder this was another top three hit in the UK (although due to the radio play/sales nature of the US charts, it peaked a number nine over there). A worthy legacy to end the Immaculate Collection period - and if you play Vogue, Justify My Love, this, Erotica and Deeper & Deeper back to back you have a sizzling collection of Shep-Madonna songs that still sound great to this day.

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God, i remember being 8 years old (back in 1990) and my Mum would take me and my brother shopping at the weekend and she'd play this constantly. She also had the Like A Prayer album and so when i first heard like a prayer and express yourself on IC it confused me LOL as they were the same songs, but different- i mean i had never heard of remixing then, but i liked the uptempo-ness of them and they maybe appealed to me more at that age as they were more perky and upbeat (though now i much prefer the original album versions). At 8 i wasn't really into music but this was played a lot so it reminds me a lot of that time. When i was a lot older and bought my own copy, along with other Madonna albums, i liked the fact the tracklist was chronological, as it kind of charted her musical progression. Apart from the obvious LAP and EY, which were fully remixed, i didnt really notice too much in the way of remixing for the most other tracks, just some small differences mainly, but i think the extra production on the tracks helped freshen them up a bit and subtly made the whole collection feel more cohesive.

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I always found it very strange to release a Greatest Hits album with photographies that didn't represent her image in the 80s. But then again the Herb Ritts pictures were so beautiful, she looked strong, sexy - and like noone else.

 

In fact it's my favourite Madonna album artwork EVER! :Madonna042:

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March 1991, my birthday, nine years... My mother and I went to a record store and I remember well... I wanted a record as a birthday present, but had nothing in my mind. Then my mother asked to the shop owner: What's the best-selling record? The answer? The Immaculate Collection! Since then I'm dedicated to Madonna... My first big concert was The Girlie Show in Sao Paulo, I was only 11! Oh! Madonna!

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Madonna's Immaculate CollectionTurns 25: All 17 Tracks Ranked

Video @ http://www.people.com/article/madonna-immaculate-collection-turns-25-songs-ranked

 

The best-named greatest hits compilation ever, Madonna's The Immaculate Collection, first hit shelves 25 years ago this week – on Nov. 9, 1990. At the time the album was compiled, Madonna was mining less than a decade's worth of hits. (The oldest, "Holiday," debuted on Sept. 7, 1983.) However, The Immaculate Collection is easily one of the best greatest hits albums ever, and over the years it's risen to become the 26th-best-selling album ever, right behind the soundtrack to Titanic and in front of Metallica's Black Album. But what are the best tracks? (And in asking that, what are the best songs of the early phase of Madonna's career?) We took a stab at ranking all 17 of them, and while we'll try to talk through how we determined the ranking, do feel free to tell us in the comments how we did your favorite Madonna track a disservice by not giving it the No. 1 spot. (We're expecting complaints.)

17. "Rescue Me"

It's not a knock against the track, but when you're the new single that's not "Justify My Love" and you're debuting on a greatest hits album, you're going to look like the slacker. "Rescue Me" is a solid Madonna track; it's just not as iconic, celebrated or important as every track on The Immaculate Collection.

 

16. "Borderline"

Classic early Madonna, classic dance pop. Originally released Feb. 15, 1984, "Borderline" is catchy but in the context of The Immaculate Collection seems more like a promise of even better things to come.

15. "Crazy for You"

A ballad that has easily outlived its origins as the love theme to the 1985Matthew Modine drama Vision Quest, "Crazy for You" was Madonna's second No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. So it's an important part of Madonna history, but perhaps not one of the first tracks anyone thinks of when they recall Immaculate Collection.

14. "La Isla Bonita"

The fifth single off the 1986 True Blue album, the song has gone on to become one of the songs Madonna has frequently incorporated into her live shows, so it seems like one of her favorites. Chart-wise, "La Isla Bonita" hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Hot Dance Singles charts and climbed as high as No. 4 on the Top 100.

13. "Cherish"

It's Madonna Lite. And that's not to say it's not good, but in the context of Madonna's career, songs like "Cherish" – bouncier, poppier songs in which she's reigning in the sex appeal – are the outliers. Of that group, "Cherish" is one of the best, but perhaps not as much one of the songs we'd think of as being iconically Madonna.

12. "Open Your Heart"

And now we're getting into the good stuff. Released Nov. 12, 1986, "Open Your Heart" is a fun pop song about falling in love. It also happens to be Madonna's fifth No. 1 single. That chorus is unforgettable, but it's a minor hit compared to the other major hits of Madonna's early career.

11. "Live to Tell"

Easily one of Madonna's better ballads,"Live to Tell" was featured in the 1986 film At Close Range, which starred Madonna's husband at the time, Sean Penn. It hit No. 1 on both the Top 100 and the Adult Contemporary charts and hit No. 3 on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart – remarkably, since it's not the danciest song ever. More than anything, the song is famous for debuting Madonna's first makeover – a more conservative, retro-glam, Marilyn Monroe-esque look.

10. "Lucky Star"

The only track on the entirety of The Immaculate Collection that the Donner wrote solely by herself, "Lucky Star" is the fourth single from the 1983 self-titled album. Fans might be surprised to learn that song wasn't a No. 1 hit; it only hit No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100. It's nonetheless become a enduring part of Madonna's legacy and a song that she continues to sing in live performances even today.

9. "Holiday"

Another weird one for Madonna fans to consider: While "Holiday" has become one of the singer's most famous songs ever, it wasn't technically a huge hit, at least going by its chart performance. The third song from her 1983 self-titled debut album, "Holiday" only ever reached No. 16 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. Madonna clearly doesn't care about the fact that it wasn't a chart-topper (and likely neither do her fans), for she's performed it regularly at her all her live shows since.

8. "Express Yourself"

One of Madonna's most joyful songs, "Express Yourself" also happens feature Madonna exhorting her fans to accept, love and respect themselves. That sentiment underscores a lot of what Madonna has tried to preach during her pop reign. But as wonderful as the song might be, it was never actually a No. 1 hit. Instead, it peaked at No. 2 on the Top 100. Again, the legacy of the song would overshadow its performance on the charts.

7. "Into the Groove"

The big single from Madonna's 1985 movie Desperately Seeking Susan, "Into the Groove" was never actually released as its own 7-inch single. Instead, it was a B-side on the "Angel" 12-inc single and therefore never charted on theBillboard Top 100. Nonetheless, it's a perfect '80s dance pop song and one of Madonna's best. Billboard would ultimately honor the song as the Dance Single of the Decade.

6. "Papa Don't Preach"

Arguably the best track from the True Blue album, "Papa Don't Preach" gets straight to the heart of a lot of what makes Madonna, Madonna: sex, rebellion against the patriarchy, and a whole lot of Catholicism thrown in. It's a fantastic song, and it will always be one of Madonna's best. It's no wonder it not only hit the No. 1 spot, but also spent two weeks there.

5. "Material Girl"

More than 30 years after this song's release, we're still calling Madonna "the material girl." Clearly the song has staying power; just listen to a few lines and see how the song immediately gets stuck in your head. While it never hit No.1 on the Top 100, the song has proven to be a defining song for Madonna, both representing her public persona in the early years and giving her something to contrast herself against as she matured as a performer.

4. "Justify My Love"

Perhaps the most fascinating chapter in the book of Madonnology (so far), "Justify My Love" was not an existing hit when The Immaculate Collection was released. It was a new song recorded specifically to promote the album, and boy did it work. The story behind its ban by MTV and the resulting sales bonanza Madonna found in marketing the video as a "VHS single" is the stuff of pop music legend, but even apart from all that, "Justify My Love" is a sexy, daring track that's not quite like anything Madonna had released before.

3. "Like a Virgin"

It's classic Madonna. It has defined who she is ever since its November 1984 release, and when we remember Madonna 100 years from now, we're still going to identify her as "singer of hits such as 'Like a Virgin.' " It was her first No. 1 hit on the Top 100, and we can't imagine a better song to cement her status as an icon.

2. "Vogue"

The newest hit to be featured on The Immaculate Collection, "Vogue" has Madonna namechecking the Hollywood stars of yesteryear, from Greta Garboto Grace Kelly to Ginger Rogers, and as a result it's hard not to also think of Madonna as inheriting a bit of their twinkly fame magic as a result. "Vogue" was the world's best selling single in 1990, and its effects on dance music (and Madonna's status as a pop icon) have been immeasurable.

1. "Like a Prayer"

It's not only Madonna's greatest song but also Madonna in a nutshell – Catholic imagery wrapped up in human sexuality with a dash of commercialism (the video began as a Pepsi commercial) and controversy (oh, just about everything about it). But if you can divorce everything you know about the video and just listen to the song? It's inspiring.

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By a FB friend:

‎Maxim Beaudoin

About 10 years ago, i was 15 and my father bought Confession on a dancefloor. I heard it in his car, and that's how i fell in love with Madonna. It's the first album I listen form track 1 to track 12 on repeat soooooo many time, it's the only Madonna album my mother agreed to listen with me and she really like it 

she knows all the lyrics and all. Bref. 
Today, 10 years after, my dad isn't here anymore and i thank him so much for all the good memories. 
And now i'm at work and i listen my fav song of the album with nostalgia .
Happy Birthday Confession wink emoticon 
My fav is Get Together !
What's yours ????

( sorry if my english isn't that great, i'm french canadian lol, hope you'll understand and just thx everyone on this page, i can spend hours just to watch all the post and the pictures and comments, we're all RebelHeart :cute: )

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When The Immaculate Collection came out, it was like a huge, huge event to me. I had first gotten into Madonna when Like A Prayer came out... and then came I'm Breathless... so, The Immaculate Collection was the third Madonna album I ever had. I'd heard many of her older hits on the radio, but it didn't necessarily occur to me that songs as different as La Isla Bonita, Into The Groove, Crazy For You and Holiday were all by the same artist!  So, having all these songs on one CD was pretty major... getting any CD back then was a big deal to me, because I was really little and just starting to collect CDs of artists that I liked. It was around the holidays (December '90) and I had ordered the CD through the mail and had to wait impatiently for it to come. The anticipation of waiting for it just made it an even bigger deal to me. I remember the first time I listened to it, dancing around the living room while my parents were watching tv in the next room. And then when it was over, my mom telling me it was time for bed. haha... It's weird how a thread like this can bring back these memories. I was also excited about the dance mixes of LAP and Express Yourself that were included. Those were (more or less) the versions I knew from the radio, and it was a big deal to finally have them on CD. I spent the next year playing "catch up" and getting all of Madonna's earlier, pre-Like A Prayer albums. The two-year gap between this and Erotica gave plenty of time to catch up.

 

This CD definitely had its own mystique about it, which isn't something I can say about most greatest hits collections I've heard since. The blue polka-dot artwork on the Cd itself, the unique pictures of Madonna that didn't look like any I'd seen up to that point, the crisp sound quality of the Q-sound mixing, and the two new songs-- rather than simply including 2 filler tracks at the end of the end of the CD, the two new songs were bold and felt like a step forward from the previous 15 tracks. The Q-sound mixes are not my favorite versions of the songs, but (as a previous post mentioned), they do help to give the album its own cohesive identity, separate from the previous albums, and it gave me an excuse to purchase Madonna's back catalog (I remember being at a Tower Records, having to convince my mother to let me get Madonna's first album, telling her the versions on that CD were totally different from the ones I already had).

 

I also remember the VHS video compilation. I rented it from Blockbuster video (lol) and that was another big deal to me. We didn't get MTV in my house at the time, so I had to go to the neighbor's house to watch MTV, and sit there and wait hoping they'd play a Madonna video. When I was watching the VHS, my dad saw the Open Your Heart video and he told me Madonna was a "slut"... I had no idea what that word meant. :laughing:

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