We've been celebrating all week by counting down our favourite songs, tours, and albums from Madonna, but today, we take a look back at her videos! Music video is the medium that helped make her a global superstar, and so to commemorate her 60th (!), Wet Thud presents our ranked list of her 60 Best Videos. Enjoy...
060. "This Used To Be My Playground" (1992)
Director: Alek Keshishian
Director Alek Keshishian had worked with Madonna on the infamous Truth Or Dare documentary before helming the promotional clip for her single from the 1992 film A League Of Their Own. Remarkably wholesome for a Madonna effort in the early nineties, the video integrates scenes from the film and footage of the singer into a sort of living photo album. The visual effects hold up a quarter century on, which means they probably cost a stupid fortune at the time.
059. "I'll Remember" (1994)
Director: Alek Keshishian
After Alek Keshishian directed Truth Or Dare, Madonna returned the love by providing the lead single off the soundtrack of his feature film debut, the 1994 dramedy, With Honors.
058. "Everybody" (1982)
Director: Ed Steinberg
Her very first foray into the medium that made her a star, the video for Madonna's debut single had a budget of just $1500. Shot on location at legendary gay disco, the Paradise Garage, the clip offers a pre-fame glimpse of one of the world's most recognizable people.
057. "You Must Love Me" (1996)
Director: Alan Parker
A pregnant Madonna is tucked behind a piano to perform the sole new track written for the film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice's Evita, in which she stars. Intercut with scenes from the movie, the straightforward clip highlights the song itself, which won both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Song in 1997.
056. "Miles Away" (2009)
Director: Nathan Rissman
Unreleased until the Celebration video compilation in 2009, the clip for Hard Candy single "Miles Away" is a tour document filmed during the 2008 leg of Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour.
055. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (1996)
Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Simple but effective, the video for Madonna's cover of the Rose Royce classic, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" consists of a singular camera shot held for the video's full duration.
054. "Live To Tell" (1986)
Director: James Foley
Another of Madonna's soundtrack videos, the clip for "Live To Tell" intercuts footage from the mostly forgotten Sean Penn-Christopher Walken movie 'At Close Range' with dramatically lit shots of Madonna singing the song on a blackened soundstage. Like many of her videos, it was most notable at the time for Madonna's makeover, depicting the singer out of her usual uber-accessorized, pop-punk aesthetic.
053. "Lucky Star" (1984)
Director: Arthur Pierson
Madonna's third video is a slightly higher budget affair than her prior efforts, but only just. Trivia: the male dancer in the video is Madonna's brother, Christopher.
052. "True Blue" (1986)
Director: James Foley
Madonna heads down to the malt shop in her convertible in this ridiculous eighties homage to the fifties.
051. "Who's That Girl?" (1987)
Director: Peter Rosenthal
The clip for the title track from the soundtrack to Madonna's movie, 'Who's That Girl' sticks pretty close to the formula for soundtrack videos, with shots of Madonna intercut with scenes from the film. Where it loses points for the unexplained presence of the children cavorting with Madonna throughout the video, it balances out for the inclusion of the none-more-eighties animation sequence part way through the song.
050. "Burning Up" (1983)
Director: Steve Barron
Before she was a singer, actor, director, designer, businesswoman, or any of the other titles she's earned over the years, Madonna was a dancer. Famous for her often overtly sexual moves, she has made an art out of writhing on the ground. "Burning Up" marks the first time we saw her literally hit the floor.
049. "Give It 2 Me" [with Pharrell] (2008)
Directors: Tom Munro & Nathan Rissman
There was a time when every new Madonna video seemed like a major event. But over time, as she's become busy with other business ventures, charity projects, and having a family, videos may not always be a top priority anymore. Sometimes that will make them feel a bit like afterthoughts, like with "Give It 2 Me." She looks great, and it's stylish as hell, but it's little more than her 2008 Elle magazine cover shoot come to life.
048. "Jump" (2006)
Director: Jonas Åkerlund
Literal visual interpretations of lyrics in videos are usually the worst, but director Jonas Åkerlund's footage of parkour artists jumping about the streets of Tokyo is beautifully filmed, and the colourful setting fits the feel of the song. The only drawback is, due to the time constraints of being on tour, Madonna's portion of the clip is filmed entirely on a soundstage which, despite its decorations, feels detached from the Japanese aesthetic of the rest of the video.
047. "Love Profusion" (2003)
Director: Luc Besson
Depicting Madonna in her I-write-children's-books-now look, the promo for "Love Profusion" shows her out for a stroll through a green screen fantasy, culminating with her disappearing into a cloud of fairies. Not for the first time, I'm sure.
046. "Living For Love" (2015)
Director: J.A.C.K.
We might have known Madonna had a thing for matadors after already featuring them in the videos for both "Take A Bow" and "You'll See," but it wasn't until her clip for "Living For Love" that we realized what those first two videos were sorely lacking: More. Men.
045. "You'll See" (1995)
Director: Michael Haussman
The sequel to the previous year's "Take A Bow" video, "You'll See" um...sees Madonna getting her revenge and walking out on her matador love interest.
044. "Material Girl" (1985)
Director: Mary Lambert
To this day, the words "Material Girl" remain synonymous with Madonna for people who think it's still 1985. Pretty much as iconic as the film performance it's referencing, the song's video clip riffs on Marilyn Monroe's rendition of "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" in the film version of 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.'
043. "Beautiful Stranger" (1999)
Director: Brett Ratner
You'd be forgiven if, for nearly the first two minutes of the video for "Beautiful Stranger," you assumed this was one of those weird celebrity collaborations where the two parties complete their filming entirely separately, and were never in the same room together. However, around the midpoint of the clip, Madonna makes it very clear she is indeed in the same space as funnyman Mike Myers through an escalating series of flirtatious moves.
042. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" [with M.I.A. & Nicki Minaj] (2012)
Director: Megaforce
Madonna scored the lucrative gig of the halftime show at the 2012 Super Bowl, and we're stuck with this weird, football-themed tie-in for the rest of time as a result.
041. "Fever" (1993)
Director: Stéphane Sednaoui
Light on narrative, but heavy on impactful visuals, the video for "Fever" further cemented Madonna's role as a fashion icon. In various shots, director Stéphane Sednaoui portrays M in styles that appear to reference figures as disparate as Medusa, Joan of Arc, Venus, and an ancient goddess.
040. "Me Against The Music" [with Britney Spears] (2003)
Director: Paul Hunter
You may have noticed that the YouTube thumbnails for each of these videos features a still of Madonna's face. Except for this one. "Me Against The Music" was a duet, technically billed as Britney Spears featuring Madonna, from the former's In The Zone album. Not entirely sure what's going on in this video. There's some sort of power struggle. There's suggestions of a lesbian relationship. Are they fighting for that bed frame? Why is there a swing?
039. "Hollywood" (2003)
Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
"Inspired by" the photography of Guy Bourdin, the video for "Hollywood" resulted in a lawsuit between Bourdin's estate and Madonna, director Jean-Baptiste Mondino, and Warner Brothers Records.
038. "Turn Up The Radio" (2012)
Director: Tom Munro
Madonna outruns the paparazzi (real ones--this video was filmed in Italy), and goes on a joyride with some friends.
037. "Celebration" (2009)
Director: Jonas Åkerlund
One of the best things about seeing Madonna live is the jaw-dropping talent of her dancers. Filmed in Milan between shows of her Sticky & Sweet excursion, the video for "Celebration" captures that tour's hoofers in all their glorious free styling action.
036. "Like A Virgin" (1984)
Director: Mary Lambert
Venice, the gondola, the lion, the wedding dress, the 'Boy Toy' belt...need we say more?
035. "Ghosttown" (2015)
Director: Jonas Åkerlund
There's been a nuclear event, but Madonna, of course, has survived. Dressed in her post-apocalyptic, steampunky finest, she goes for a walk, only to bump into Terrence Howard. They solve everything through dance. The end.
034. "The Power Of Good-Bye" (1998)
Director: Matthew Rolston
Madonna plays a game of sexy chess against sexy Goran Višnjić in a sexy beach house.
033. "La Isla Bonita" (1987)
Director: Mary Lambert
The video for "La Isla Bonita" might seem mired in stereotypes by today's standards, but it's worth noting some of the trends depicted actually became overused tropes in part because of the popularity of this video. Trivia: One of the teenaged background characters is actor Benicio Del Toro.
032. "American Pie" (2000)
Director: Philipp Stölzl
A cover of "American Pie" is about as necessary or welcome as a cover of "Stairway To Heaven," but Madonna did it anyway. The video for Madonna's version is like a more inclusive take on those national anthem reels that TV stations used to play, back when they actually signed off for the night.
031. "Sorry" (2006)
Director: Jamie King
One of the more curious storylines to a Madonna video, the clip for "Sorry" picks up where the promo for "Hung Up" left off, catching M and her dancers leaving the club and piling into a white, windowless van. After driving around the city at night, abducting a series of men, we're suddenly in a cage match watching Madonna fend off her would-be attackers with a string of combative yoga moves. Naturally, the whole affair ends at a roller rink.
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