If there’s a person in this world that doesn’t know who Madonna is they’re either cut off from pop culture in some way or they’re simply too young to know yet. The Material Girl has been quite the icon for a lot of years now and has been known to be about as fringe as she can get without alienating her fan base. The most vocal she’s been in recent years was when Trump took office but throughout her career she’s been one of the queens of controversy when it comes to her music and her accompanying videos. Of course a lot of that came in the 90s, while in the 80s she was still edgy but hadn’t gone so far to the fringe just yet. In this decade shew as more or less the young woman that was trying to sort things out and making a name for herself as she sang about subjects that people cared about and made a big splash in the music industry.
Here are some of her best songs from the 80s.
5. Express Yourself
This song was only a year before the 90s hit and it kind of helped to signal how close she was getting to being absolutely racy and even somewhat borderline when it came to her sexuality in her videos. The song itself is fun and inspiring for women if you listen to it but if you watch the video it really looks like she’s putting herself on a pedestal as the final prize for any man that tries to earn her affection. Of course you can take that any way you want since perception is after all up to the individual. But there’s no mistake about it, this video was a sign that she was starting to change with the times.
4. Papa Don’t Preach
So many young women took to singing this song when it came out that it shouldn’t be any surprise to see it on this list. Madonna has included a lot of material in her songs and her videos about troubled young women attempting to find themselves in a world where men make the rules and dominance is primarily a male thing. But throughout everything she’s had such a forceful and meaningful impression upon others that her message hasn’t gone unheeded or unheard. She’s been a very prominent voice in the music industry and elsewhere for a lot of her career and isn’t stopping in the current era.
3. La Isla Bonita
This is a fun and engaging song that you can, or at least used to, hear in dance clubs and on the radio every now and then. It’s a fun song since it speaks of culture and yet stays on a very modern angle that is all Madonna’s style without fail. It speaks of a deep, meaningful longing that is in truth at the heart of every person but is often quelled by one thing or another. The desire for what one’s heart longs for however is something that is painful at times to really think of without being able to realize it. As songs go this is one that is quite catchy and is among those that might stick in your head after singing it once or twice.
2. Who’s That Girl?
Let’s put it this way, the film was kind of a flop but it had its funny moments since it wasn’t meant to be a blockbuster. In many ways it was just what it was mean to be, a fun movie that was made for the enjoyment of the fans and nothing else. In that case it was fine, and the titular song was perfect. It was one that kind of came and went for a while but has resurfaced more than once throughout the years since it is a catchy song that is very easy to dance and to sing to. You could say that it’s playful and even a bit seductive as its meant to be considering the nature of the film and how it finally ended.
1. Like A Prayer
Topping this list is a song that a lot of people could agree is one of her best ever hands down simply because it works on so many levels and has the kind of feeling to it that a lot of people loved. Even today this song is still one of the best that she’s ever put out and that’s saying quite a bit since she’s been a megastar for some time. The emotions in this song are so strong and so forceful that one can’t help but feel it from the beginning to the end.
Madonna has been an icon now for so long that a lot of people can’t remember life without her in the picture. But for all that she’s done there are those songs that are remembered more than others.
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