Madonna (album)
Madonna is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer Madonna, released on July 27, 1983, by Sire Records. In the late 1970s, Madonna had established herself as a singer in downtown New York City; alongside her Michigan boyfriend Stephen Bray, she put together a demo tape with four dance tracks and began pitching it around local nightclubs. She managed to get Mark Kamins, the resident DJ at Danceteria, to play "Everybody" —one of the songs from the tape. The song was met with a positive reception from the crowd, and Kamins took Madonna to Sire Records, where label president Seymour Stein signed her on for three twelve-inch singles. Following its release on October 2, 1982, "Everybody" found success on the dance scene, and the label approved the recording of an album.
For Madonna's album discography, see Madonna albums discography. For other albums, see Madonna (disambiguation).Madonna
July 27, 1983
April 1982 – May 1983
40:47
For the album, Madonna worked with Warner Bros. producer Reggie Lucas, who had worked with artists like Roberta Flack and Stephanie Mills. Soon, however, problems between the singer and Lucas arose, as she was not happy with his production outputs. Madonna then invited John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work and remix the rest of the album. Madonna is mostly a dance-pop post-disco album, and features the newest technology of the time, including the LM-2 drum machine, Moog bass and Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. Its songs talk mostly about love and partying. Five singles were released from the album: "Everybody" and "Burning Up" were published months before it was even completed; both songs failed to make a major impact on the charts. "Holiday", "Lucky Star" and "Borderline", however, were international Top 10 hits, with the former being deemed Madonna's breakthrough.
Upon release, Madonna received generally positive reviews from critics, who highlighted its dance-oriented nature and sound. In the United States, it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and was certified five-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It reached the Top 10 of the charts in Australia, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and has sold an estimated 10 million copies worldwide. Between 1983 and 1984, Madonna promoted the album and singles through a series of live appearances in nightclubs and television programs across the United States and Europe. The singles were also included on the Virgin Tour of 1985, Madonna's first concert tour. In retrospective reviews, Madonna has been referred to as one of the greatest debut albums of all time, and one of the best albums from the 1980s. Critics have also said that it helped to make dance music popular again, and "set the standard" of dance-pop for decades afterwards; its influence can be seen in the work of female artists such as Janet Jackson, Debbie Gibson, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga.
Composition[edit]
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Sal Cinquemai from Slant Magazine noted that Madonna is a dance-pop post-disco album.[1][2] Most of its songs talk about "love, heartbreak and hedonism in general".[28] In his book The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, author Rikky Rookbsy wrote that the record's overall sound is "dissonant, upbeat synthetic disco".[8] Instrumentation includes Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer, some of the newest technology from the time.[8] Opening track "Lucky Star" begins with the sound of a "shimmering, programmed" glissando, which is followed by "clanging rhythm guitars, synth atmospherics, and [a] chugging bass";[2] the lyrics are a double-entendre and compare a lover's "heavenly body" with the stars in the sky, while the "simple" refrain refers the nursery rhyme "Star Light, Star Bright".[20][29] Second track "Borderline" has Madonna singing in a more "refined and expressive" way, and lyrically finds a woman complaining of her lover's chauvinism.[3] Its sound has been compared to Stephanie Mills' "Never Knew Love Like This Before" (1980), while the chord progression evokes Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" (1974);[8][11] the inversions are similar to the sound of the 1970s, specifically disco, Philadelphia soul, and the work of Elton John.[8]
"Burning Up" is a "yearning" New wave-influenced dance track, with lyrics that conflate sex with ambition. It has a "starker" arrangement brought about by bass, single guitar and drum machine.[30][3][7] Also present are tom-tom drum beats ―similar to the ones used on the work of Phil Collins― and electric guitars.[31][32] The refrain is a repetition of the same three lines of the lyrics, while the bridge consists of a series of double entendres that describe what she is prepared to do for her lover, showcasing that she "has no shame" and is "not like the others".[32] Fourth track "I Know It" features "shades of ’60s girl-group melodrama", with instrumentation from piano and saxophone.[32][33] In the song, Madonna brushes off a lover who's hurt her.[2] The next song is "Holiday", which talks about the "universal sentiment" that everybody needs a holiday from their daily lives.[32] It has been noted as being "devoid of any particular structure", and has a chord sequence comparable to that of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (1984).[32] The refrain is sung by the singer in a "completely deadpan" way, while for the verses, she uses her lower register to give the lyrics a "more positive spin".[34] Present throughout the song are "Chic-styled" guitar flickers, electronic clapping, and synthesized strings.[32]
Sixth track "Think of Me" opens with high staccato piano notes, which are followed by the sound of drums.[32][35] The R&B influenced song features a "slinky" saxophone solo towards the middle, and has Madonna warning her lover to pay attention to her or else she'll leave him.[33][32] Lasting almost seven minutes, "Physical Attraction is the longest song the album.[33] It is a medium-paced track, in which Madonna "tellingly offer[s] her permission to take things to the next level" over a "libidinous" bass line.[2][35] Also present is a spoken section and "Collins-style" drums.[32] Madonna's vocals were doubletracked for album closer "Everybody", which, in her own words, talks about "getting people to dance and lose their inhibitions".[32][36] Billboard's Joe Lynch pointed out that the track "drops the bright, buoyant vibes that characterized the rest of the album and closes it on a dark, sensuous note".[35]
Commercial performance[edit]
In the United States, the album debuted on the Billboard 200 chart at number 190 on the week of September 3, 1983.[16] It had a slow and steady climb, ultimately peaking at number eight the week ending October 20, 1984, more than a year after its release.[106] Madonna also reached the 20th position of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[107] Within a year, the album had sold 2.8 million copies in the United States.[108] By the end of 1985, it ranked 25th on the Hot 100.[109] After 17 years since its release, the album was certified five-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of five million copies across United States.[110] With the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the album sold a further 450,000 copies as of August 2010.[111] In Canada, the album debuted at number 87 on the RPM chart on March 10, 1984.[112] After 6 weeks, on April 14, it reached number 57.[113] Madonna re-entered the chart at number 95 on August 4;[114] it reached its peak at 16 during its 29th week on the chart, where it remained for a total of 47 weeks.[115][116] Madonna was 1984's 50th best selling album in Canada.[117]
In the United Kingdom, the record debuted at the 85th position of the albums chart on the week ending February 11, 1984;[118] almost two months later, on the week April 20, it reached number 37.[119] On July 13, 1985, following the Madonna: The First Album re-release, it re-entered the chart at number 91, eventually peaking at 6 five weeks later.[120][121] On December, the album was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 300,000 copies.[122] Throughout Europe, the record saw a moderate success; in Spain, despite not charting during its inicial release, it was certified Gold by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE) association for shipments of 50,000 copies.[123] It wasn't until November 2019 that Madonna entered the Spanish album charts at number 35.[124] The album reached the top ten of the charts in the Netherlands and France;[125][126] it saw less success in Sweden and Italy, where it barely cracked the top 50.[127][128] Madonna went on to reach the 14th spot on the European Top 100 Albums chart.[129]
In Australia, the album peaked at the 10th spot of the Kent Music Report albums chart, and received a Triple Platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[130] In New Zealand, it reached the chart's sixth spot and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).[131][132] In Japan, Madonna reached the 20th position of the Oricon albums chart.[133] In Hong Kong, it was granted a Platinum certification for shipments of 20,000 copies.[134] Worldwide, Madonna has sold over 10 million copies.[135][47]
Notes