The stuff of legends
Most gay people agree that they love Madonna, but no one can agree on which is her best look or her best song. With a career that has had as many makeovers as a “Queer Eye” marathon, it’s hard to choose one favorite.
After years of eschewing her early hits, the Material Girl’s latest tour, Re-Invention, includes Material Girl and many of the fan favorites that haven’t been part of her live shows for years.
In celebration of the tour’s stop in D.C. on Sunday, June 13, and Monday, June 14, at the MCI Center, the Blade asked two prominent local DJs to name their top 10 favorite Madonna tunes. And to see how the experts’ picks squared with those who populate the dance floor, staff members of the Blade were polled on their favorites. The results are listed below.
DJ Ed Bailey, a fixture of D.C. gay nightlife for more than 15 years, used to spin at the legendary nightclub Tracks, and as a co-promoter of the current popular gay Saturday night dance party VelvetNation, he created Madonnarama. The all-Madonna, all-night party (the most recent one was held Saturday, June 5) is one of D.C.’s hottest nights, and is a theme that Bailey has introduced to gay clubs around the country.
DJ Jason Royce is a resident at 17th Street hotspot Cobalt, in Northwest Washington, and the resident DJ at the club’s weekly Tuesday night retro party where, of course, Madonna’s early hits are a staple.
Royce will be turning out the old-school hits on Saturday, June 12, after the Capital Pride parade, at Cobalt’s annual Retro Tea Dance.
The results of our informal survey reveal differences of opinion on which songs are truly the best of her Madge-sty’s career.
DJ Ed Bailey
Like A Prayer: While there are like a million mixes of this song, I think the original 12-inch mix is still the best.
Rain: There is nothing that represents Madonna’s singing ability better.
Holiday (Music Sounds Better With You mix): There is nothing like this song to get people excited on the dance floor.
Music: I just love the whole let’s have fun and music is a part of having fun’ attitude of the song.
Keep It Together: I admit I just like it when Madonna shows her funkier side.
Up Down Suite: A little-recognized dance track. (A B-side on the Rain single.)
This Used to be My Playground: This holds a special place in my heart because it was the final song that I played on the closing night of Tracks.
Secret (Junior’s Sexy Sirens Mix): Junior Vasquez has unofficially remixed many of Madonna’s hits, and this is one of his best.
Ray of Light (Sasha remix): I love the funky break-beat sound of the remix.
La Isla Bonita (Drowned World Tour acoustic version): I love she got down and funky with the version in her concert.
DJ Jason Royce
This Used to be My Playground: One word: Tracks. If you were around during that era, you know the significance of this song.
Sidewalk Talk: This JellyBean [Benitez] track from 1984 features vocals by Madonna. She tried to stop him from releasing it, but be glad she didn’t succeed.
La Isla Bonita: It was fun when Madonna went through her Spanish thing.
Candy Perfume Girl: Ray of Light was Madonna’s last great album, and this track was such a hot number during her last live show.
Angel: I think this song reflects Madonna when she was still young, hot and up-and-coming.
Express Yourself: To me, Madonna’s new music just doesn’t have the punch and energy of this more upbeat and higher energy song.
Papa Don’t Preach: I’m a much bigger fan of her older stuff, like this song.
Burning Up: This is one of the ’80s songs that still retains its quality and energy years later.?
Deeper & Deeper: A hot single from the overlooked album Erotica.
Rescue Me: A deep funky groove that shows Madonna knows how to get down and dirty.
Blade staff
Material Girl: The song that made Madonna famous is still as catchy as ever. To this day, Madonna wishes she could escape this nickname.
Vogue: The song that brought the gay underground dance style to the mainstream. There’s nothing like a good vogue, both the song and the dance.
Secret: What’s her baby’s secret? We don?t know, but this is one damn funky groove.
Like A Virgin: Who can ever forget that sexy MTV Music Video Awards performance with one wedding dress and a whole lot of writhing?
Beautiful Stranger: Try not getting this light, airy confection stuck in your head for hours on end. The perfect summertime song.
Don?t Tell Me: Sexy cowboys and acoustic guitars. The inescapable remixes at gay clubs were better than the album cut, but still one of her finest new gems.
Like A Prayer: The religious icons! The controversy! All that with a beat you can dance to.
Express Yourself: If any one song epitomized her career, it would be this one.
American Life: Madonna proves that white girls can rap ? about their nannies and butlers.
Live To Tell: While her ballads don’t often get played in the dance clubs, this is probably her best slow song.
Article by Brian Moylan
Source: Washblade.com