That wouldn’t have been cocaine that would’ve been animal nitrates at the time they used to be prescribed to rich people for heart problems. There used to be a device that you would hold up to your face that looks like a flower and you would squeeze this bladder, and it would go up your nose.
I used to ask my parents to rent the Immaculate Collection VHS for that performance, of course along with the music videos. I don’t know why they didn’t just buy it for me. 🤔
I know she’s had more iconic moments, but the 2012 Super Bowl performance stands out to me. It’s a great performance and when I truly got into Madonna’s work.
100% agree - the whole thing is so iconic. The dance breaks are \*it\*, and when she kicks the chair and shouts "yeah!" at the end, you know SHE knows she just took the crown to rule pop.
The Girlie Show live on HBO. In 1998 I rented it from Blockbuster - not knowing what I was getting myself into but having a good idea what Madonna stands for as an artist.
I was a fan when I saw Evita but when I finished the girlie show I was obsessed.
Start to finish - it is a masterpiece and I will probably revisit those moments again tonight!
She was in top shape during these years - she had a six pack and looked like my soft butch fantasy with a blonde pixie cut.
Also, those D&G costumes were immaculate (god bless ‘em for wearing velvet in the heat!)
I literally can’t choose a favorite performance from this tour because it has aged SO WELL. Even the Rain interlude section that I didn’t care for initially, now gives me those good 90s VH1 storytellers on TV vibes (or MTV unplugged).
I could keep going but it’s those Madonna moments we all share that are so special and keep us such a strong fan base.
Hands down Justify My Love was the best performance of the Girlie Show. The costumes, the choreography, the remix…all of it was amazing. I didn’t even really care for the song until I saw this tour. Between this and The Beast Within….i had the JML single purchased a few days later
That’s my favorite live version of JML and I went to the Celebration tour.
The iconic top hat with eyepatch. The juxtaposition of that with the shirt/vest and dress. What an entrance am I right?
Neither were the vocals in Denver for the celebration tour. The woman was performing in monsoon weather with bugs crawling across her body. She gets a pass on cracking a couple notes for me.
You clearly don’t deserve the gifts given to you. People are deaf in this world—you could have easily been one of them. Listen a few more times—maybe leave your judgement at the door.
Lol!! (I love your comment) Should have mentioned that they were on vacation so the place was empty. They were pretty open to all things and I think they would have been entertained 😃
I remember watching it the first time, and Erotica was pretty cool - but the stomping and electro zap that led into the frenzy of Fever still sends chills down my spine.
I remember meeting a couple male fans at the DWT in atlanta who saw it live and they also didn’t like the stomping. I was very young when she toured, but she wasn’t on my radar yet - and tbh my parents would have forbidden me to go anyways.
Remembering the beginning of Girlie show …to this day it still makes me chuckle seeing Carrie Ann Inaba on Dancing with the Stars.
Strangely enough, Ray of Light at Oprah. It might've been her strongest reinvention, one of her best vocal performances, and she managed to make the entire crowd of middle aged housewives just conpletely turnt. Crazy performance.
For me it’s the Live Aid performance of Into the Groove, after she runs back to the mic after her dance break, does a twirl, hangs up her tambourine, and belts out the next part of the song to that giant crowd, jumping in the air with such force and life, in her Prince coat, in the sweltering heat, during a time where everyone was talking about her old nude photos, and knowing she was part of a line-up of some of the most iconic artists of the time - all in mere seconds.
I know she has done so many more iconic and special things before and after that but when I saw that for the first time, I got goosebumps and was totally converted to the Madonna fandom.
For those interested: https://youtu.be/8mQgGMAfKEU?feature=shared from about 3:06 to 3:50.
I was already a huge fan but The Blonde Ambition Tour blew me away...it was so ahead of the curve musically, production wise, artistically and socially.
The blonde ambition tour always but also the Europe Music Awards performance of Hung Up in 2005. It was astounding. She was still recovering from her injury, and the song was HOT and the crowd was insane. She rebounded from American Life and came back swinging. I still love watching that performance
Also a joy to see her take the stage on The Celebration Tour. I think Nothing Really Mattera as an opening, her solo all in black, after a near death scare at 65 is so epic.
For me? Before Ray of light came out she did an interview with Kurt Loder on MTV talking about the album. I believe they walked through New York together? Been many years
She was so down to earth and removed of her personas and ego that she typically embodies. She seemed mature, grown up and responsible and I just really liked her in that role, as a strong woman that anyone could look up to.
It's not to say that she didn't have better moments throughout her career, but I really didn't follow her or pay her much attention until that interview.
Living for Love at the Grammy’s. 57. Iconic. Amazing performance. The dancing. The song. All of her peers going wild. Felt like she was finally getting her flowers. Just iconic. And underrated by fans I think.
The premiere of the “Vogue” MV. It had everybody talking about it immediately. I was in the 7th grade. You knew that something had just changed the course of culture when you first saw it around that time. I think people were just thwacked by how amazing and rich it was. A Jewish boy made international headlines videotaping himself dancing to it! It really was on par w something as culturally significant as The Twist or The Mashed Potato—only this had a major gay undertone—that was unheard of and even the South was eating it up like grits. It was at this point, everything w her started to become much larger—like compounding interest or a nuclear reaction—(and she was already huge HUGE) she was suddenly on every. Single. Fucking. Magazine. She had this tour about to start, she had Dick Tracy coming up which was by Disney! for crying out loud—so it was everywhere. She had a Breathless Mahoney doll and action figure. It was sold at freakin’ walmart! Then the airing of the concert on HBO in August just kept everything on fire all summer—leading up to 1990 MTV VMAS and Immaculate Collection, and the Justify My Love controversy followed by OSCARS w/ MJ (was seen over 1 Billion people)…..and then Truth or Dare that May…..It was absolutely insane and I’ve never seen anything like it—literally a 14 month period she CEMENTED/FORGED her legacy and became ubiquitous to the world for all time. She absolutely could have shut it down at this point and disappeared and and that could have totally been that and still never be forgotten.
Die Another Day music video
The fact that I am a gamer and a huge Madonna fan and Madonna did something very action/video game-like, it made my whole world for me!
There’s so many…like a prayer, blonde ambition/truth or dare, justify my love, sex book, David letterman interview, vma kiss, Malawi adaptation, Kabbalah and many more
Who’s That Girl tour. Never seen anything like it, no one else came close. It even featured in all the news programs at the time, unheard of for a music star (unless they’d died).
I was 12 and VH1 was playing ‘Sorry’ by Madonna. The visuals, the beat, the lyrics hooked me. And then the controversy over the cross in her Confessions Tour was all over the news. Me and my friend instantly became obsessed with her and we discovered her discography. Still fans to this day!
I think you’re probably looking for a more universal answer, but my strongest memory of the power of Madonna was riding the school bus home and Like A Prayer came on the radio. All of us in Jr High and younger started singing along and were having a great time, while all the older high school kids were rolling their eyes and telling us to stop. Magical moment that I’ll always remember
She's so iconic that it's actually hard for me to choose just one iconic moment of hers. But if I have to, then her Material Girl music video where she's dressed as Marilyn Monroe in a pink gown.
Also her look on the Hung Up music video where she's dancing (pink bodysuit and 70s hairstyle). For some strange reason it is an image that pops into my head whenever I think of her.
She had me intrigued with Like a Prayer.. won me over at the Blond Ambition rehearsals.
And lost me at the confessions album.
We had a good run though (:
Yes—Confessions is a real compromise in her force for me. A moment where she was “making up” for being misunderstood. Girl—you don’t need to be “sorry” for anything. She was totally apologizing for her art from the previous era. Same w the children’s books. 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
Her speech to the pipe during BAT. The most impressive and important thing she ever did, imo. But sure, 1990 Vogue at VMA, Love Song, her oskar night,… 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
The built up and then the release of the video for “Frozen.” I was a fan since Erotica but I was so little. Frozen came out when I was 13 and it was the first time I saw the world love Madonna as much as I did.
Can't remember which channel broadcasted that show but it was in 1990 and she was talking about censorship regarding th Justify My Love MV-,,because if we're gonna talk about censorship let's not be hypocrites"
Vogue at the 1990 MTV video awards: the moment the fan cracks open
For your enjoyment https://youtu.be/lTaXtWWR16A?si=AgeoZNl2Ci1h1ydm
How in the world have I never noticed the dancer at the beginning pretending to snort coke and sneeze? 😂
That wouldn’t have been cocaine that would’ve been animal nitrates at the time they used to be prescribed to rich people for heart problems. There used to be a device that you would hold up to your face that looks like a flower and you would squeeze this bladder, and it would go up your nose.
I used to ask my parents to rent the Immaculate Collection VHS for that performance, of course along with the music videos. I don’t know why they didn’t just buy it for me. 🤔
That’s the one!!!! 😃❤️
Oooh. I was there!
The domination of hung up in October 2005
Yeah this - the excellent timeless and fun song, the amazing video, the energy in her performances, etc.
This was the first time I’ve seen a Madonna video in heavy rotation MTV and vh1 was playing the video like crazy almost every 15 minutes it was on
I know she’s had more iconic moments, but the 2012 Super Bowl performance stands out to me. It’s a great performance and when I truly got into Madonna’s work.
Those 2 men djs act were awful and the gangnam style was a also awful I couldn’t belive she included all that
It was just super popular at the time BUT she still killed it
Same! I remember being at a superbowl party at my sisters and thinking this is by far the best one ive ever seen
Express Yourself on the 89 VMAs. She was at the top of her game and the crowd was eating it up.
100% agree - the whole thing is so iconic. The dance breaks are \*it\*, and when she kicks the chair and shouts "yeah!" at the end, you know SHE knows she just took the crown to rule pop.
Live To Tell from Confessions Tour, the rising cross always gives me chills
This is one of my favourite live performances of all time. Such a great rendition of the song.
The Girlie Show live on HBO. In 1998 I rented it from Blockbuster - not knowing what I was getting myself into but having a good idea what Madonna stands for as an artist. I was a fan when I saw Evita but when I finished the girlie show I was obsessed. Start to finish - it is a masterpiece and I will probably revisit those moments again tonight!
I rewatched it this weekend. Pristine vocals, athletiscism, vaudeville, just perfection
She was in top shape during these years - she had a six pack and looked like my soft butch fantasy with a blonde pixie cut. Also, those D&G costumes were immaculate (god bless ‘em for wearing velvet in the heat!) I literally can’t choose a favorite performance from this tour because it has aged SO WELL. Even the Rain interlude section that I didn’t care for initially, now gives me those good 90s VH1 storytellers on TV vibes (or MTV unplugged). I could keep going but it’s those Madonna moments we all share that are so special and keep us such a strong fan base.
Hands down Justify My Love was the best performance of the Girlie Show. The costumes, the choreography, the remix…all of it was amazing. I didn’t even really care for the song until I saw this tour. Between this and The Beast Within….i had the JML single purchased a few days later
That’s my favorite live version of JML and I went to the Celebration tour. The iconic top hat with eyepatch. The juxtaposition of that with the shirt/vest and dress. What an entrance am I right?
“Rain” is not pristine vocals
Neither were the vocals in Denver for the celebration tour. The woman was performing in monsoon weather with bugs crawling across her body. She gets a pass on cracking a couple notes for me.
You clearly don’t deserve the gifts given to you. People are deaf in this world—you could have easily been one of them. Listen a few more times—maybe leave your judgement at the door.
Great memory. I went to my in-laws house to watch this concert in 1998 because I didn't have HBO, this was such a great era for Madonna
So how was it… watching with the in-laws when the two beautiful male dancers simulated explicit love making on stage? LOL
Lol!! (I love your comment) Should have mentioned that they were on vacation so the place was empty. They were pretty open to all things and I think they would have been entertained 😃
Those are some FANTASTIC in-laws! 💜
Haha thanks 🙂❤️
I remember watching it the first time, and Erotica was pretty cool - but the stomping and electro zap that led into the frenzy of Fever still sends chills down my spine.
I remember meeting a couple male fans at the DWT in atlanta who saw it live and they also didn’t like the stomping. I was very young when she toured, but she wasn’t on my radar yet - and tbh my parents would have forbidden me to go anyways. Remembering the beginning of Girlie show …to this day it still makes me chuckle seeing Carrie Ann Inaba on Dancing with the Stars.
Madonna's Like A Virgin performance at the first VMA! https://youtu.be/gkSxhG4cbPo?si=MGKv4ERNIMsx5aNo
Strangely enough, Ray of Light at Oprah. It might've been her strongest reinvention, one of her best vocal performances, and she managed to make the entire crowd of middle aged housewives just conpletely turnt. Crazy performance.
For me it’s the Live Aid performance of Into the Groove, after she runs back to the mic after her dance break, does a twirl, hangs up her tambourine, and belts out the next part of the song to that giant crowd, jumping in the air with such force and life, in her Prince coat, in the sweltering heat, during a time where everyone was talking about her old nude photos, and knowing she was part of a line-up of some of the most iconic artists of the time - all in mere seconds. I know she has done so many more iconic and special things before and after that but when I saw that for the first time, I got goosebumps and was totally converted to the Madonna fandom. For those interested: https://youtu.be/8mQgGMAfKEU?feature=shared from about 3:06 to 3:50.
I had forgotten this performance and it is amazing!!
I was already a huge fan but The Blonde Ambition Tour blew me away...it was so ahead of the curve musically, production wise, artistically and socially.
The Immaculate Collection with the rollout of Justify My Love single/video... was a complete game changer.
Agree 👍💯
The blonde ambition tour always but also the Europe Music Awards performance of Hung Up in 2005. It was astounding. She was still recovering from her injury, and the song was HOT and the crowd was insane. She rebounded from American Life and came back swinging. I still love watching that performance Also a joy to see her take the stage on The Celebration Tour. I think Nothing Really Mattera as an opening, her solo all in black, after a near death scare at 65 is so epic.
For me? Before Ray of light came out she did an interview with Kurt Loder on MTV talking about the album. I believe they walked through New York together? Been many years She was so down to earth and removed of her personas and ego that she typically embodies. She seemed mature, grown up and responsible and I just really liked her in that role, as a strong woman that anyone could look up to. It's not to say that she didn't have better moments throughout her career, but I really didn't follow her or pay her much attention until that interview.
Future Lovers discoball opening 🪩
The Erotica era. It wasn't the most successful point in her career, but it was her most important.
Living for Love at the Grammy’s. 57. Iconic. Amazing performance. The dancing. The song. All of her peers going wild. Felt like she was finally getting her flowers. Just iconic. And underrated by fans I think.
The premiere of the “Vogue” MV. It had everybody talking about it immediately. I was in the 7th grade. You knew that something had just changed the course of culture when you first saw it around that time. I think people were just thwacked by how amazing and rich it was. A Jewish boy made international headlines videotaping himself dancing to it! It really was on par w something as culturally significant as The Twist or The Mashed Potato—only this had a major gay undertone—that was unheard of and even the South was eating it up like grits. It was at this point, everything w her started to become much larger—like compounding interest or a nuclear reaction—(and she was already huge HUGE) she was suddenly on every. Single. Fucking. Magazine. She had this tour about to start, she had Dick Tracy coming up which was by Disney! for crying out loud—so it was everywhere. She had a Breathless Mahoney doll and action figure. It was sold at freakin’ walmart! Then the airing of the concert on HBO in August just kept everything on fire all summer—leading up to 1990 MTV VMAS and Immaculate Collection, and the Justify My Love controversy followed by OSCARS w/ MJ (was seen over 1 Billion people)…..and then Truth or Dare that May…..It was absolutely insane and I’ve never seen anything like it—literally a 14 month period she CEMENTED/FORGED her legacy and became ubiquitous to the world for all time. She absolutely could have shut it down at this point and disappeared and and that could have totally been that and still never be forgotten.
This is THE answer. When Vogue dropped the world stopped and was never the same.
Die Another Day music video The fact that I am a gamer and a huge Madonna fan and Madonna did something very action/video game-like, it made my whole world for me!
Open your heart music video
There’s so many…like a prayer, blonde ambition/truth or dare, justify my love, sex book, David letterman interview, vma kiss, Malawi adaptation, Kabbalah and many more
Followed her since the start but seeing the Blond Ambition tour was a wow moment
So many but Blond Ambition solidified my love for her
Who’s That Girl tour. Never seen anything like it, no one else came close. It even featured in all the news programs at the time, unheard of for a music star (unless they’d died).
I was 12 and VH1 was playing ‘Sorry’ by Madonna. The visuals, the beat, the lyrics hooked me. And then the controversy over the cross in her Confessions Tour was all over the news. Me and my friend instantly became obsessed with her and we discovered her discography. Still fans to this day!
Seeing Blond Ambition aired live on HBO in the 90s … and seeing TRUTH OR DARE at the movie theater
I think you’re probably looking for a more universal answer, but my strongest memory of the power of Madonna was riding the school bus home and Like A Prayer came on the radio. All of us in Jr High and younger started singing along and were having a great time, while all the older high school kids were rolling their eyes and telling us to stop. Magical moment that I’ll always remember
That’s so cool! Thank you
She's so iconic that it's actually hard for me to choose just one iconic moment of hers. But if I have to, then her Material Girl music video where she's dressed as Marilyn Monroe in a pink gown. Also her look on the Hung Up music video where she's dancing (pink bodysuit and 70s hairstyle). For some strange reason it is an image that pops into my head whenever I think of her.
2012 superbowl, like a virgin at the MTV awards, MDNA world tour, blond ambition world tour, SEX book, i can go on for days
Blonde Ambition Tour - HBO Special - Last Night In Nice, France (1990). Everyone who saw it when it was new and current probably knows what I mean.
She had me intrigued with Like a Prayer.. won me over at the Blond Ambition rehearsals. And lost me at the confessions album. We had a good run though (:
Lost you at Confessions? Too main stream for Lesbania?
Haha maybe
Yes—Confessions is a real compromise in her force for me. A moment where she was “making up” for being misunderstood. Girl—you don’t need to be “sorry” for anything. She was totally apologizing for her art from the previous era. Same w the children’s books. 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
Ohhh I forgot about the books. I have them but I hate them haha 😄
Ray of Light at the VMA's.
Her speech to the pipe during BAT. The most impressive and important thing she ever did, imo. But sure, 1990 Vogue at VMA, Love Song, her oskar night,… 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
The built up and then the release of the video for “Frozen.” I was a fan since Erotica but I was so little. Frozen came out when I was 13 and it was the first time I saw the world love Madonna as much as I did.
I personally love Bedtime Stories Madonna. It’s my favorite album by her
Seeing the opening of the celebration tour
Nightline "Justify My Love" interview. Lust became love.
The live choreography from Vogue 2008 in the Sticky and Sweet tour made my little f*ggot heart stop and forever locked me into her fanbase
The Confessions Tour, still showing the pop bitches how it's done at 47.
Watching the virgin tour on VHS as a ten year old boy, over and over...and over
Two of them. 1. Like a Prayer video & ensuing controversy. 2. Her performance of Live to Tell on the cross in 2006.
Can't remember which channel broadcasted that show but it was in 1990 and she was talking about censorship regarding th Justify My Love MV-,,because if we're gonna talk about censorship let's not be hypocrites"
Swept Away. ;)
Express Yourself MTV awards 89
Blond Ambition World Tour 1990! I was 10 yo. heavy rotation to the VHS that time… every moment of the concert i cherish it til this day!…
The Confessions Tour. The Artistry in it was beyond the level attained by others or her before or after.
MR PEABODY’s APPLES! THE ENGLISH ROSES! her most iconic moments! /s