Celebration

"Celebration" is Madonna's gift to her longtime listeners, just as much as it's a personal gift for herself. It truly is Madonna's most representative and comprehensive greatest hits set. It is surprising that a star of Madonna's magnitude has only had 2 other greatest hits CDs ("The Immaculate Collection" and later, "GHV2.") In addition to her greatest hits CDs, Madonna also has 3 other compilation albums, "Remixed & Revisted," "Something to Remember," and "You Can Dance" which was the very first full-length remix album of its kind. Perhaps the reason why Madonna rarely, if ever, likes to dwell on the past or repeat herself is because she is too busy living in the present and creating.Released simultaneously around the world is Madonna's brand-new greatest hits, "Celebration." This includes a 2-CD set, in addition to an 18-track CD, and a 2-DVD set. In addition to the full-length CDs and DVDs, there are also a slew of Celebration CD singles put out in both the US and abroad. And, although a limited edition CD has not been pressed for the North American market, a special edition Taiwanese CD which comes with a 40-page booklet and a poster with a specially made notebook as well as a Japanese CD and a special CD for North Korea are currently available. I have been told that since Madonna is very busy with lots of other projects she will not be doing any promotion for "Celebration," so I am sure that Warner Bros. Records will also be putting out lots of promo-only items to help push this to the top of the charts.All tracks have been digitally remastered specifically for this set and sound better than ever. It's almost like Madonna is giving a special concert for her fans right in their own living rooms. She's never sounded richer or stronger or deeper. This is why Madonna is the Queen of Pop.Here are all the tracks included on "Celebration"CD#1from the '05 album Confessions on a Dance Floor1) Hung Up / peaked at #7This was Madonna's song that "went back to her roots." After perhaps one of the most personal records of her entire profession (2003's "American Life") Madonna made a firm effort not to get political or serious on her songs ever again. "Hung Up" is a fast and catchy track that you will love because Madonna sounds spirited and her lyrics match her pitch.from the '00 album Music2) Music / peaked at #1"Music" was Madonna's first #1 song in years and years and this also marked another important milestone for the Material Girl as it became another one of her signature anthems. On this track Madonna shakes it real funky and shakes it really low.from the '90 album I'm Breathless3) Vogue / peaked at #1Even with the Holy Messiah of Gay Icons (sorry Barbra Streisand fans) the dance never caught on. Instead, the song and the video for "Vogue" were literally played every hour and every day on MTV and top-50 stations coast-to-coast, making it one of the most successful singles ever.from the '08 album Hard Candy4) 4 Minutes / peaked at #3This includes a great duet with Madonna's collaborator and friend Justin Timberlake. I love this song because even though it's a new(er) track Madonna still sounds fresh and exciting and over-the-top.from the '83 album Madonna5) Holiday / peaked at #16"Holiday" is just one more of Madonna's trademark hits that she's most likely to sing because the lyrics both reflect her feelings and mirror the benchmark message of her music through the years.from the '83 album Madonna6) Everybody / did not positionMadonna's very first single after being signed as a solo performer to Warner Bros. Records' Sire Records was released in late '82. The song never did well on the charts, but Madonna's fans have never forsaken it.from the '84 album Like a Virgin7) Like a Virgin / peaked at #1Madonna has re-invented this song nearly as much as she's re-invented herself. In the mid `80s she sang it like a true pop princess with her wedding dress on. During "The Girlie Show" she performed her first #1 hit as a drag-king in tribute to the great Marlene Dietrich. And during a special concert that she gave in '03 she sang it a capella, missing some lyrics; claiming that she had forgotten them.from the b-side of the '85 single Angel8) Into the Groove / peaked at #1 (UK)In the US "Into the Groove" was only known as an obscure b-side to "Angel." However with the release of "The Madonna Movie," (otherwise known as "Desperately Seeking Susan") it became a huge club sensation. It's another crazy-moving track that's all about dancing and shaking your booty to the beat.from the '89 album Like a Prayer9) Like a Prayer / peaked at #1Madonna stops bleaching her hair long enough to get serious as she sings about burning crosses, Black Jesuses and S-E-X on an alter! The song is very subdued. But more than that, "Like a Prayer" is a very beautiful track that really cemented Madonna's place in pop culture. It was also Madonna's very first CD single and Warner Bros. pulled out all the stops for it. If you own the original 3" US single hold on to it!from the '98 album Ray of Light10) Ray of Light / peaked at #5As the world was crossing the threshold into the `00s Madonna wrote about a "day in the life of the world." Such a fast-moving track and so beautiful and easy to listen to.from the '05 album Confessions on a Dance Floor11) Sorry / peaked at #58Even with nearly zero radio play, "Sorry" became an instant party hit because Madonna showcased an entirely new sound this time around. She sounded young and fresh, but she was also bold and confident and her lyrics were in a variety of fun-sounding languages.from the '89 album Like a Prayer12) Express Yourself / peaked at #2"Come on girls, do you believe in love? Because I got something to say about it..." IMO this is probably Madonna's definitive signature anthem. It is the ultimate party hit. And when I listen to it I am fondly reminded of Madonna coming down on the go-go ball during "The Girlie Show." I adore this song because it sounds fantastic and has such a great message.from the '86 album True Blue13) Open Your Heart / peaked at #1I looooooooove "Open Your Heart." The song was written at a time when Madonna was happily married so it's difficult to tell who she was talking to or about, but that doesn't matter. It's a song about a woman trying to get her boyfriend to listen to her and open up.from the '83 album Madonna14) Borderline / peaked at #10"Borderline" became Madonna's very first track that broke into the top-10. It almost reminds me of "Like a Virgin" but has somewhat of a somber and slower quality to it.from the '94 album Bedtime Stories15) Secret / peaked at #3It's no wonder that with a blend of both dance and R&B New York's Hot-97 often played "Secret" in heavy rotation. This was also a fine track to bridge the gap between Madonna's prior sound and more current material, making it the lead single off of "Bedtime Stories."from the '92 album Erotica16) Erotica / peaked at #3I know for a fact that Madonna was very disappointed that this song did not go to #1 because she put so much energy and effort into her entire "Erotica" persona. The song is beautiful and one of my personal favorites because Madonna whispers frankly about many things that were rarely heard of on the radio beforehand.from the '90 album The Immaculate Collection17) Justify My Love / peaked at #1"Justify My Love" is similar to "Erotica," but it also has its own identity firmly rooted in dance and R&B. For its time the song was considered very risqué. And if you have the maxi-single there are also a slew of other great tracks, such as the "Beast within Mix" which also received heavy rotation on the airwaves.new track for this album:18) Revolver / not releasedThis is Madonna's newest track, produced specifically to cap off this CD. "Revolver" is a fantastic pop track that was produced by both Lil Wayne and Madonna, and is the perfect compliment to this collection.CD#2from the '85 album Like a Virgin1) Dress You Up / peaked at #3"Dress You Up" is total in-your-face pop. In this very danceable track Madonna sings about "dressing up" her boyfriend with her love.from the '85 album Like a Virgin2) Material Girl / peaked at #2Another one of Madonna's signature hits; although she has rarely sang it over the years. The song is about excess but Madonna claimed that "no one got it." Instead like that proverbial scarlet letter, she will forever be branded the Material Girl.from the '86 album True Blue3) La Isla Bonita / peaked at #2Madonna's very first track to mix both English and Spanish is a lovely song that everyone will relish. It also became Madonna's very first #1 song in France. "La Isla Bonita" is a super-sensitive and sexy dance-track.from the '86 album True Blue4) Papa Don't Preach / peaked at #1At the time of this songs release it was played constantly on radio stations and the video was in extremely heavy rotation. This time Madonna mixes controversy and pop to lend a great message to "Papa Don't Preach."from the '83 album Madonna5) Lucky Star / peaked at #4"Lucky Star" became Madonna's very first top-5 hit. There's no real rhyme or reason to the lyrics; instead Madonna just sings about her "lucky star." But does that matter?from the '83 album Madonna6) Burning Up / did not position"Burning Up" is Madonna's second single. It's a high-tempo song that moves quickly and perhaps not surprisingly has a strong message about what a girl will do to win her man's affection.from the '85 album Vision Quest7) Crazy for You / peaked at #1"Crazy for You" became Madonna's very first #1 ballad. It's sexy, slow and somewhat of a glum-sounding hit. But it's also the type of song you want to listen to with someone you love close by. Perhaps it's no coincidence that "Crazy for You" is often played at weddings and commitment ceremonies.from the '87 album Who's That Girl8) Who's That Girl / peaked at #1"Quien es esa niña..." I am so excited that "Who's That Girl" is included because it deserves to have a place on this record just as much as all of the other tracks. If you're a longtime fan I don't need to tell you how much Madonna despises this song and has refused to perform it at any of her concerts since her first world tour. "Who's That Girl" has been described as a "La Isla Bonita" knockoff or a "throwaway" track from "True Blue." But I personally love it because it's pure popular dance with a little bit of Spanglish thrown in for good measure.from the '98 album Ray of Light9) Frozen / peaked at #2"Frozen" was Madonna's first single since training for EVITA and boy could we see a difference. She once said that this was her best song to reintroduce herself on her first studio record in over 3 years and I agree. Yes it's a slow-moving song, but that doesn't make any difference because Madonna's voice is so beautiful.from the '08 album Hard Candy10) Miles Away / did not positionThis is a song that Madonna wrote about the discontent in her second marriage (although not nearly as dramatic as "Till Death Do Us Part" about her first marriage to Sean). Perhaps because it came out while she was on tour (and thus received limited support) the song did not do very well. However, fans fell in love with it.from the '94 album Bedtime Stories11) Take a Bow / peaked at #1"Take a Bow" was produced by Madonna and Kenny Edmonds, becoming Madonna's most successful single ever, staying on the charts longer than any of her other songs. It's a lavish and slow track that includes a nice tempo.from the '86 album True Blue12) Live to Tell / peaked at #1"A man can tell a thousand lies, I've learned my lesson well..." One of my very favorite Madonna songs, ever. I could write 10 pages just about "Live to Tell." It's such a moving and touching track. Although the song was included in the movie "At Close Range," Madonna chose to release this ballad as the lead single for "True Blue." During "The Blond Ambition Tour" Madonna performed "Live to Tell" side-by-side with "Oh Father" (another one of my favorites) but has rarely sang it over the years since.from the '99 album Austin Powers13) Beautiful Stranger / peaked at #19This is a frenzied and fast-moving track. It's almost harkens back to the `70s, but with its electronica beat "Beautiful Stranger" has its roots firmly planted in the `90s.from the '03 album American Life14) Hollywood / did not positionPerhaps because of the public backlash of "American Life," "Hollywood" did very poorly commercially. However, this was again a time that Madonna's legion of fans supported her. We did not forget this song and we stood firmly by Madonna because she never abandoned us when we needed her.from the '02 album Die Another Day15) Die Another Day / peaked at #8Such a dramatic and almost violent song. It even has a sexy quality to it. "Die Another Day" is the type of song that will get into your mind long after the MP3 has stopped.from the '00 album Music16) Don't Tell Me / peaked at #4As a huge country music fan I love this song. "Don't Tell Me" is a pop-fabulous track that mixes country and dance. It was written by Madonna and her brother-in-low, Joe Henry.from the '89 album Like a Prayer17) Cherish / peaked at #2This' such a sweet and happy song that will bring a smile to anyone's face and warm your heart, too. Like Madonna has done for the past quarter of a century, "Cherish" is a reminder to be kind to others and to show compassion and love to your fellow (wo)man.new track for this album:18) Celebration / still positioningThis is the perfect song to launch Madonna's greatest hits collection. It's a memorable track because Madonna gives it her all. She sounds like she did 27 years ago: bold, fresh, exciting, sexy and very ambitious!With a star of Madonna's caliber it could not have been an easy task to pick out which songs to include on "Celebration." She has more hits and more top-10 singles than any performer and is the most successful female pop star in the entire history of the UK charts. So perhaps it's no coincidence that several of Madonna's chart toppers are noticeably absent. In my humble opinion, these tracks deserve an honorable mention: Angel (1985) / peaked at #5, Gambler (1985) / peaked at #4 in the UK, True Blue (1986) / peaked at #3, Love Makes the World Go Round (1986) / was not a commercial single, Causing a Commotion (1987) / peaked at #2, The Look of Love (1987) / peaked at #7 in the UK, Spotlight (1988) / peaked at #32 in Japan, Oh Father (1989) / peaked at #20, Keep it Together (1990) / peaked at #8, Hanky Panky (1990) / peaked at #10, Rescue Me (1991) / peaked at #9, This Used to Be My Playground (1992) / peaked at #1, Deeper and Deeper (1992) / peaked at #7, Bad Girl (1993) / peaked at #36, Fever (1993) / peaked at #6 in the UK, Rain (1993) / peaked at #11, I'll Remember (1994) / peaked at #2, Human Nature (1995) / peaked at #46, You'll See (1995) / peaked at #6, Don't Cry for Me Argentina (1997) / peaked at #7, Shanti/Ashtangi (1998) / was not a commercial single, Nothing Really Matters (1999) / peaked at #93, American Pie (2000) / peaked at #1 in the UK, American Life (2003) / peaked at #37, Nobody Knows Me (2003) / was not a commercial single and Isaac (2005) / was not a commercial single.We've seen her left leg and her right leg and everything else. But what matters most is the art that is her music. For 3 decades, like a lioness holding onto her prey Madonna has been entertaining the world with her number one hits, eye-popping concerts, performances and music-videos. Just because she's a mother, a divorcee and a half a centurion doesn't mean this multi-platinum blonde has any plans to stop dancing "into the groove" anytime soon.The universal message on all of Madonna's music is that dreams do come true. You can do whatever you choose if you work hard and set your mind to it. From the most serious ("Like a Prayer" and "Live to Tell") to the most ambitious ("Open Your Heart" and "Express Yourself") to the most sweet and silly ("Lucky Star" and "Cherish") Madonna's lyrics are both inspirational and life-affirming. Madonna was the voice for an entire generation. As a fan for the past 30 years I can only give Madonna my deepest gratitude and respect for bringing so much happiness and entertainment and joy to the world. Remember, you are what you listen to.

This Madonna 2 disc collection is the best thing for me. I have read mixed reviews here and it seems no one actually thinks the collection is bad but the issue is rather the number of collections she has already released and that this one is not all encompassing of her career. I am a casual listener of Madonna. I was a hurge fan early in her career and then around the time of EROTICA I wandered away and stopped buying her albums. When I saw this new 2 cd collection I thought what a great way for me to see how I feel about how Madonna has evolved over the decades. So I listened to the 30 second samples of each song and became very intrigued. I had to have it.I found myself totally in awe from the first song HUNG UP till the end with CELEBRATION. We basically have 2 1/2 hours of musc here and for this casual Madonna listener it is pure joy. I have my early favorites BORDERLINE, HOLIDAY, CRAZY FOR YOU and LIKE A VIRGIN that were necessities in order for me to purchase it. I am not always a huge fan of techno music or extended dance tracks but what I must say immediately about Madonna is that her music all has a depth and quality that is timeless. I love the mix of techno, dance, pop and ballads and love all the versions included here. I never get bored and also love the order of the tracks. The songs are not in the order of release but there must be some form of magic to its madness that works amazingly well. To go from the later song DON'T TELL ME and to have it smoothly go into the early CHERISH shows how Madonna has always had the magic.I am giving this collection a huge 5 star rating for my enjoyment of it. I totally understand the frustration of those Madonna followers who have every album, even the hits collections and see this as yet another one. It seems to be a consensus that it is lacking many necessary tracks so it is not a career all inclusive set. Luckily for me since I strayed away from Madonna for a while all this is new and awesome to me plus my early career favorites are here. I think all will agree with the detail put into the packaging with the enclosed posters and very unique design. Also the digital remastering of all the tracks is superb. For me this is a huge welcome back to Madonna and catching me up on how much she has grown.Favorite tracks for me are MUSIC, VOGUE, INTO THE GROOVE, SORRY, EXPRESS YOURSELF, REVOLVER, 4 MINUTES, FROZEN, TAKE A BOW and HOLLYWOOD. For me this whole collection flows effortlessly from beginning to end with the extended mixes, shorter tracks and songs of the more pop/ballad genre blending together with perfect cohesion. I am thrilled with this purchase.