Saturday, June 30, 2012

Happy 26th Anniversary True Blue

No More Sadness, I Kiss it Goodbye.

26 years ago today Madonna released her untouchable True Blue album.  It reached Number One in 28 consecutive countries and became not only the biggest selling album of 1986 but one of the greatest selling albums of all-time selling more than 25 million copies worldwide. It also spent 34 consecutive weeks at the top of the European Top 100 Albums Chart - longer than any other album in history.  All 5 singles went into the Top Five on the Billboard Charts with three of those singles reaching number one: Live To Tell, Papa Don't Preach and Open Your Heart.  

True Blue remains one of my favorite Madonna albums and also one of my favorite incarnations.  Delving into the glorious 50's Americana period, Madonna solidified herself during this time as 
The Greatest Star That Has Ever Lived.

38 comments:

  1. Love TRUE BLUE! Got the record the day it came out and played it to death. Most people got the tape, but I wanted the whole package, poster and all! White Heat was a favorite at the time. And Where's the Party got a lot of radio play even though not a single in Texas. Good times...

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    1. Where's the Party got radio play in NY too. Good times indeed.

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    2. I remember hearing "Where's The Party?" on the radio a lot too! It was a great song.

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  2. true blue baby, i love you!

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  3. Aw! You always say it best Pud. :)

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  5. What an amazing time for MADONNA FANS to see her transform. Wish i was old enough to remember and live through it.

    For those who have, what was your first reactions seeing the new image?
    Did you like? Were you shocked? Did you think she made a mistake? Were you confused? Did it captivate you even more?

    xoxo

    Ps: Happy pride! Today is PRIDE in Toronto!!

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    1. I first heard of Madonna in 85, i just loved Into The Groove, that song drove me wild, I made my mum buy it me on 7" which i still have with my writing all over the cover, That whole image drew me in, i'd wear rubber bangles and rip up my T-Shirts, My mum would go mad too, Then the whole Shanghai Surprise era came out and i had to throw those bangles away, She made the news at ten with this image though, At Sean Penn's film premier and i remember my mum videoed it for me, I thought she looked so cute, They made Penn look like a proper cunt, I came home from school and my mum got me the LP as a surprise, I would have shoved it up my jumper from HMV if she hadn't, Happy 26th baby blue,

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    2. themadonnablog. It was a great time! Of course everyone expected the rubber bracelets and sexpot look. I remember my friend Donnie calling me and telling me the new Madonna video was on MTV. I threw the phone down and turned it on. I was just in awe. Seriously. She was absolutely gorgeous. The song (Live to Tell) was sweet, beautiful and a completely different Madonna than what we had seen before. After the video ended, I picked the phone back up. Donnie was still there. I asked him what he thought shaking with excitement. He said "I love it" and I did too. Sorry for such a long rant. I could go on!

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    3. Sadly, I wasn't a fan at this stage in her career. I jumped on board shortly after Immaculate Collection/JML/Sex Era. But I do remember her influence at this time. Her videos were always on and this album sold like no other. I think it was the change in look that people gravitated to, and the music definitely kept them hooked.

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    4. to continue my memories of this era.......I do remember specifically not liking Madonna for the song La Isla Bonita. I thought that a "white girl" shouldn't be singing a Spanish-influenced style song like that. Of course I was racist and wrong for thinking that. I was 14 and dumb. LOL. But it's funny how this song taught me about my own racism, when only a few years later, Like A Prayer addressed racism in the video and that caused a lot of controversy. Anyway, today, La Isla Bonita is definitely in my top 10 of Madonna's best songs. It's really a brilliant song. I'm thankful that Madonna has taught me so much in my life.

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    5. It's funny you mentioned that Angel. I didnt like La Isla Bonita when the album was released or when it hit the radio, but now as an adult it's one of my favorites. It's held up very well over the years too.

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  6. Was in Grade 5 during this era. Pleasantly surprised with the appearance change and didn't think it was a mistake. I think the wedding was a big mistake, though. All my school chums, my sister and even some older cousins were really into Papa Don't Preach. I even remember myself and my older cousing writing the lyrics down on paper. I was such a silly bitch, I wrote "I'm in troublty, I'm in losity" instead of I'm in trouble, deep and I've been losing sleep.

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  7. True Blue=Madonna's First Masterpiece. Made me smile, made me cry! I Never Looked Back After True Blue. My adulthood began with True Blue. From this point on, rock & roll was for adults only. One of the very best records of AOR
    -(adult-oriented rock). First Classic Rock record of its kind! With True Blue, Madonna got tough and became a Superstar, a romantic, lovable punk if you will-doing it with brilliance and class. Set the template from Like a Prayer to MDNA! Madonna will Never Look Back Because of True Blue's Brilliance! One of the many Eighties records that erased what the 1980's had hitherto and formerly stood for-Reagan, televangelists and Just Say No. Suddenly Madonna was on top. Prince and Michael Jackson were passe, over, cliched and done. Because of Madonna, she paved the way for the likes of U2 and John Mellencamp. This was a record that kicked, knocked and smashed down the door. With True Blue, Madonna Cried "I Am Sad, Heartbroken, Brilliant and Immortal! What I Want Is to Live Forever! Notice Me! Remember Me! Love Me, that's right-Love Me! And Inside, I Am Still Wet!-I Am Drawn to Sadness!" It's True. True Blue was the first Madonna record to stake her Ciccone claim and keep her Evita/Wallis Promise. Finally, Madonna Took Her First Bow! She would Live to Tell. The Material Girl was history. The Reinventions began. A New Era in Rock started. My life was never the same again thanks to Her Difficult Third Album by the novel True Blue. Key Chapter-Live to Tell. Madonna Forever!-In the Evidence of Her Brilliance!

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  8. Such a great album! One of her best.

    I always find it amusing when people say it's not one of her best albums and that it is full of filler.

    Two songs are filler:

    Jimmy Jimmy
    Love Makes the World Go Round

    Then you have ALL of these classics:

    Live to Tell
    Papa Don't Preach
    True Blue
    Open Your Heart
    La Isla Bonita

    Then the hit that wasn't a single:

    Where's The Party

    And a great song that some might consider filler:

    White Heat

    Oh yes. Such a bad album with a ton of filler! LOL!!

    Some people. Really?? lol.

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  9. Like a Virgin was an album with a lot of filler. Not that I don't LOVE every song. Jimmy Jimmy took a very long time to make me like, but Love make the world go round was always not skipped!

    White Heat was great, one of my faves off that album.

    Where's the Party should have been a proper single. It got great radio play and a lot of people (My sister and her cheerleader friends) loved that song.

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    1. I love, 'White Heat' and, 'Where's The Party'!

      LAV wasn't full of filler.

      'Stay' and 'Pretender' were both great. Love Don't... made it's mark in 1996, which is when I fell in love with it.

      Shoo Be Doo is okay, definite filler.

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    2. I always LOVED Stay. I thought if they put out another single from LAV it would be the one before Dress you up actually. I was a dreaming boy at the time!

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  10. I remember when me and my friends made a big deal when the la isla bontia video came out. This was my favorite era, because this was last of her "girlie" image. Back when everyone loved her. She became as big as MJ at this time. The true blue and wtg era defined my childhood :)

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  11. This is my least Nonna album. And it spanned her worst looks. It has a lot of fillers, such as Jimmy Jimmy (hideous), Love makes the world go round (appalling), Where's the party (awfully produced, almost amateurish) and White heat (fun but not her best effort). I acknowledge it sold huge numbers around the globe, but sales don't always have to do with quality. My heart belongs to Like a virgin. I'm not gay and back in those days she was really, really sexy in a non-agressive way. Hence her appeal to straight men. I was shocked when she changed her musical style and whole appearance with True blue, and I think she lost a good deal of fans in the process.

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    1. Lot of fillers? It has 5 classics, 3 duds. That's not a lot of filler lol

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  12. Forgot to mention this is not a cool record. La Nonna was cool during her Virgin days. And was cooler around the Sex years and Truth or dare. Sadly she was never cool again...

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    1. "My heart belongs to Like a virgin. I'm not gay and back in those days she was really, really sexy in a non-agressive way. Hence her appeal to straight men."

      Your quote makes absolutely no sense. The BOY TOY Like a Virgin era was extremely sexually aggressive. No woman had ever pushed the sexual boundaries as far as Madonna at the time. At least not in a commercial pop sense. It's the reason so many people were outraged and intrigued at the same time. Sure straight guys wanted to fuck her, but they seemed afraid of her at the same time. Which is brilliance. SEX and TOD are even more sexually aggressive, so your comments are completely strange. Sorry if True Blue lost you, but you seem pretty lost from the beginning. Rant ended. Peace

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    2. Rodrigo hasn't like madonna in years yet found this little blog to comment on that?

      Sounds like an aging, closeted gay man who now enjoys Lady Gaga??

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    3. Ha, ha... no, Tony. I don't like Gaga. Do I have to apologize for not bieng gay? I'm about to turn 42 and this whole thing about the Super Bowl made a bit nostalgic. I'm revisiting old stuff.

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    4. Dear Trey, it's your point of you. Not mine. You don't have to be so uptight. Peace.

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    5. It's good for a gay man to be tight.

      Just an FYI. :)

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    6. Rodrigo. You are correct. My point of view. Have fun revisiting Madonna.

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  13. To talk about the biggest stars of pop music you can vote in the surveys of my research project or give your opinion thanks :)

    www.thethroneofpopmusic.blogspot.com

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    1. There is only one. Surveys are bullshit and so are popularity contests. Try harder.

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    2. But I'm sorry, I don't agree Lady Gaga is the most important pop star music. She is good for the moment right now.

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    3. She'd be important if she was doing ANYTHING with an ounce of originality. If she was sincere about her anti-bullying nonsense, etc.

      Her music is just RedOne recycled.

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    4. Again. Surveys are bullshit and subjective. Right now is just a blink.

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  14. I love this post! So happy I discovered your blog thanks to DJ Chauncey D

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  15. I love this post! So happy I discovered your blog thanks to DJ Chauncey D

    ReplyDelete