Track Listing

1. Lucky Star
2. Borderline
3. Burning Up
4. I Know It
5. Holiday
6. Think of Me
7. Physical Attraction
8. Everybody
9. Burning Up [12" Version]
10. Lucky Star ["New" Mix]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3655 in Music
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Published on: 2001
• Released on: 2006-05-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.com essential recording
Madonna became a star upon the release of this, her self-titled debut. But because her stardom was thanks largely to her videos, which found her dressed provocatively and rolling around on the floor, most folks were all too willing to look past the overall quality of the album itself. Even with its somewhat dated keyboard textures and mechanized drum sounds, the album holds up incredibly well. There's "Borderline," which exudes a certain naiveté, something rarely associated with Madonna; "Holiday," which is sweet and celebratory; and "Lucky Star" a dance-floor classic. Songs like "Everybody" and "Burning Up" split the difference between dance music and new wave, which was popular at the time. That latter tune, in fact, contains a line that could be seen as a ready indicator of all that was to follow in Madonna's storied career. "Unlike the others, I'll do anything," she sings. "I'm not the same / I have no shame." No kidding. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

"I have no shame"
Madonna debuted with this record in late 1983, initiating the most successful female pop career in history. At the time, disco was dead and dance music was verboten on pop radio. Along with Shannon, Madonna helped bring dance music back into the mainstream. Thus, although "Madonna" sounds like safe pop music now, it was actually pretty cutting edge at the time. "Everybody" was her first single; it became a solid dance hit but didn't cross over to pop radio or the Hot 100. With its unusual shuffling beat, it should have been a hit and still sounds great today.

"Madonna" eventually yielded three pop hits, each one charting higher then the previous - Holiday (#16), Borderline (#10), and Lucky Star (#4). "Borderline" was her first ballad, although relatively up-tempo. Her voice is thinner here than it would be on later ballads, but she still sounds lovely. The video was also a huge hit and introduced people to Madonna's breakthrough style. I became aware of Madonna for the first time through that video and have been a fan ever since. "Lucky Star" sounds a bit dated with too many synthesizers, although it's still a great pop song. Although "Holiday" was the smallest hit, it's perhaps the most enduring of the three: a real party anthem.

Along with these hits, the non-singles are also uniformly solid. "Burning Up" is the closest thing to a rock song that Madonna made during her early years, although the guitars are paired with a terrific dance beat. "Physical Attraction" is another highlight - a dance song that really shows off Madonna's sex appeal and slither. "Think of Me" and "I Know It" are the two least memorable songs on this CD - straight ahead dance tunes without much of Madonna's panache. With just 8 songs, "Madonna" breezes by quickly and sometimes seems a bit insubstantial. However, the CD is an undeniable dance classic that began the Queen of Pop's career. Most highly recommended.

The Album That Made Madonna A Star
In an excellent move, the folks at Warner Music have decided to re-release Madonna's self-titled debut album in conjunction with the start of her "Drowned World" tour. I had purchased the original release many years ago, but decided to purchase this edition due to the addition of two previously unreleased tracks that were only available on vinyl.

Being that "Burning Up" is one of my favorite Madonna songs of all time, I purchased this album because the 12" remix of the single was available on CD for the first time in over two decades. When I pushed the play button on my compact disc player, I was truly amazed on the quality of the sound. If I only could use to words to describe the sound quality on this album I would choose "crystal clear." Truly, this remastered edition was a great idea and I was so elated to hear all of Madonna's great early hits from "Lucky Star" to "Everybody" again.

In addition to the "Burning Up" 12" remix, this remastered album also features a remix of "Lucky Star" remixed by John "Jellybean" Benitez himself. Both remixes are amazing and the album brought back many memories growing up during the decade of decadence. If you are a true Madonna fan, you will want to add this album to your collection.

In the beginning...
These days, many people compare Madonna's early music to Britney Spears or the Spice Girls, but there really is no comparison. Today's bubble gum pop stars have a host of producers, songwriters, and stylists to create a cookie-cutter image for them that can be marketed to the mainstream. Madonna, however, was a very different story. At the time she recorded this album, Madonna was living in the ghettos of New York City, and hanging out at clubs that were largely populated by minorites. In other words, she was NOT part of the mainstream! In addition, most of the songs on this album began life as demos that Madonna wrote and recorded HERSELF in a tiny apartment without the help of a host of producers or marketing execs. She also had developed her own unique fashion sense. Madonna didn't have to consult a crew of stylists; even when she was penniless in New York, she had her own style down pat! Unlike today's manufactured pop princesses, Madonna was a true musical and visual artist at work, long BEFORE she signed a record contract.

That said, this album invented dance-pop as we know it. Highly synthesized and highly danceable, this was the style of music that took the 1980s by storm, and still exists today in many forms (including the electronica that Madonna currently dabbles in!). The album was revolutionary, because it brought the underground worlds of urban dance music and punk into the mainstream world of pop. The punk elements are heard in the scorching single "Burning Up", which prominently features an electric guitar and a rock-like bassline, but in a clubby, danceable song. Also, Madonna's personality comes through very strong on this album, so you never feel like you are listening to an anonymous "dance diva". Even on pedestrain fare like "I Know It" and "Physical Attraction", Madonna sings with so much conviction that you KNOW she means it!

When the album was first released, people assumed Madonna was African American, and her music was played primarily on R&B stations... she was not immediately accepted by the pop world, and was truly a cutting-edge "fringe" artist who redefined pop. In addition to being a great historical document, this album is worth buying because it's so much FUN! What party is complete without classics like "Holiday", "Everybody", or "Lucky Star"? These songs have stood the test of time, because, unlike Britney and Co., Madonna is an innovator, NOT an imitator, and she has been innovative since day one, as this album proves.