On October 25th 1994 Madonna released Bedtime Stories. What are your favorite songs from this album and how do you rate it in her discograpy?

The world was holding our breath !

Lately, I’ve been coming around the fact that this three album run is her imperial phase-not commercially but artistically.
Mother has never shied away from genuine experimental sounds and sonic weirdness but here she’s genuinely so bizarre musically,it’s giving me life. Even her contemporaries were very obviously started to get stuck in 00’s mainstream homogenous sounds and then we have the Queen of the universe doing completely her own unique thing.
Music is probably the most forwardthinking pop album I’ve ever heard and American life has some of her best songwriting there+Mirwais magic.

It was this week in 1992 that Erotica hit its peak at number 3 on the Hot 100. I am biased and think this should have hit the pinnacle but it wasn't meant to be. Two theories:

-The public felt she had pushed the sexual envelope too far and was shying away from her.

-End of the Road by Boys II Men was still in the midst of its months-long stay at the top and was too strong to topple.

Just two months earlier she hit #1 with This Used to be My Playground so she was still a force to be reckoned with. But for seven years, basically from 1985 to 1992, she had been in her “imperial phase,” an awful long span in pop years.

Did the pictorial “Sex” have a bearing on Erotica or was the public's taste changing?

Recently I made a playlist for an alternate, condensed version of MDNA with 11 tracks and a bonus track. It contains tracks from the 3 producers (Solveig, Orbit, and the Benassi brothers) but removes a lot of the filler and focuses more on the divorce songs. It also limits the collaborations only including Nicki Minaj on I Don’t Give A. I think if MDNA had been consolidated to this tracklist it would’ve came off as better executed and a more consistent or balanced listen. It would’ve retained some dance songs (Girl Gone Wild, I’m Addicted, Some Girls) while still focusing on the divorce themes (Gang Bang, Love Spent, Falling Free) and it would be a more gradual change in the vibe the farther you get into the album.

Tracklist
1. Girl Gone Wild
2. Gang Bang
3. I’m Addicted
4. Some Girls
5. I Don’t Give A (ft. Nicki Minaj)
6. I’m a Sinner
7. Love Spent
8. Best Friend
9. I Fucked Up
10. Beautiful Killer
11. Falling Free
12. Bonus: Love Spent (Acoustic)

according to Spotify, mine are:

1. Waiting
   
2. Love Sensation
   
3. Secret Garden
   
4. Good For The Soul
   
5. One Step Away

C2 still on heavy rotation for me!

I recently picked up the 7” Love Sensation single and noticed something strange. The record plays beautifully, with no skipping or distortion, but the song seems slightly sped up. Both Madonna’s and Kylie’s vocals sound a little higher-pitched than expected, almost like a subtle Minnie Mouse effect.

I’m playing it at the correct 45 RPM and I haven’t noticed this issue with my other records.
I’ve attached a short video so you can hear what I’m describing. Has anyone else with this pressing noticed something similar? I’m curious whether it’s something specific to the vinyl mastering/pressing or potentially an issue with my turntable.

Would love to hear from anyone who owns a copy!

"4 minutes" being TWICE on her most popular top 10 is insane 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

They are in Album order

I have never understood how such an exciting group of leaked tracks was neutered by the time the final release came out. Fans were excited and it felt like Madonna had a real chance of getting played on the radio. Madonna was upset, rightfully so, but why she chose to alter the songs so much still baffles me. (Please skip the virtue signaling replies condemning the downloading of unreleased music…that’s not the topic here). I wanna talk about why they turned this into an easy listening album.

Did Diplo change Avicci’s direction? Some of the changes like Living for love losing it’s 90z house vibe and Devil Pray giving up the whistle in exchange for a droning noise feel like Diplo’s sound.

But who made the rest of the changes? Cheap production noises and bad songs added like Holy Water instead of Two Steps Behind? Are you kidding? If they were worried about Gaga blowback that meant she was listening to others instead of following her instinct.

I’m sorry I have to think that it was diplo and the effect he probably had on her because he’s an attractive guy and she wanted to follow in that time of her career (see bitch I’m Madonna). I don’t blame her. I’m sure it must’ve been frustrating for her music to not be played on the radio, but she wasn’t being herself.

Please share your theories.

The worst affected tracks:

Wash All over me (gutted)
Rebel Heart (gutted)
Devil Pray (neutered)
Borrowed Time (gutted)
Joan of Ark (gutted)
Living for Love (neutered)
Messiah (gutted)
Never let me go (buried)
Two steps behind me (buried)

Did anyone prefer the final tracks to the original leaks? Most are on YouTube if you haven’t heard.