On October 19 2002, Madonna’s Die Another Day debuted at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA. The hit single spent 17 weeks on the chart, eventually peaking at #8 on November 9.
Today in Madonna History: October 18, 2005
On October 18 2005, the lead single for Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor album, Hung Up, was released.
Rolling Stone magazine had this to say about the release:
Going back to disco, as she always does and always should, the queen hustled up a chintzy-sounding Abba sample, a drag queen’s wet dream of a chorus, and Stuart Price’s electrobeats. The result? One of her most captivating hits ever — and thanks to those deceptively hard-hitting lyrics, one of her most personal.
The following tracks were included on the Hung Up CD maxi-single:
Radio Version
SDP Extended Vocal
Tracy Young’s Get Up and Dance Groove Edit
Bill Hamel Remix
Chus & Ceballos Remix
SDP Extended Dub
Today in Madonna History: October 17, 1987
On October 17 1987, Madonna’s Causing A Commotion peaked at #37 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in the USA.
Today in Madonna History: October 16, 2012
On October 16 2012, the 20th Anniversary of A League Of Their Own was released on Blu-ray.
The 20th Anniversary edition includes 15 deleted scenes, an exclusive documentary and the music video for Madonna’s This Used To Be My Playground.
Today in Madonna History: October 15, 1994
On October 15 1994, newswires shared photos of Madonna participating in Jean-Paul Gaultier’s spring/summer 1995 ready-to-wear collection fashion show in Paris, France (the show took place October 14). The show focused on 30’s, 40’s and 50’s fashion.
This is what Jean-Paul had to say about his approach to the show:
“I tried to capture a synthesis of each period: the silhouette that was the most important, the print, the fabrics. It’s a mix of the periods I love and admire, what I remember most about each of them. But it wasn’t pretentious. I’m not trying to make it better than they did then, because it’s impossible to make it better.”
Today in Madonna History: October 14, 1996
On October 14 1996, Madonna gave birth to Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon (Lola), her daughter with Carlos Leon. Happy Birthday Lourdes!
Today in Madonna History: October 13, 1983
On October 13 1983, Madonna performed Burning Up, Everybody and Holiday at Camden Palace’s Thursday Party Night in London, England.
The following article about Madonna’s performance was originally published on October 15 1983 by The Guardian:
This could be the way pop promotion is going – new artists launched not with a full concert, but with the live equivalent of a video clip.
The scene at the Camden Palace in the early hours was like something from a British version of Flashdance. The place was packed with the usual exotically dressed clientele – there to see and be seen rather than just listen to the music – when the dancing was interrupted by what’s known on the American disco scene as a “track date.”
Pioneered by the likes of Grace Jones, this is a cut-price promotion device in which a disco artist suddenly appears for half an hour, singing live to backing tapes.
This demonstration was by a white girl in her early twenties, known simply as Madonna, a dancer who moved to New York from the Mid-West as an ambitious teenager and is currently the most important new figure in the American dance scene.
She succeeded partly because she makes great records and partly because she has turned the boring idea of a track date into an exotic event.
Dressed in holocaust chic – black top, black skirt and leggings, lots of bare midriff, and hair in ringlets – she sang well, with a husky, black-sounding voice, and danced even better. She hurtled around the stage, mostly swivelling her hips like a belly-dancer while performing her songs like Lucky Star and the stirring Holiday.
Given a full set and a live band behind her, Madonna would seem to have the makings of a major star, so it’s no wonder she is now being managed by the man who guided Michael Jackson’s recent career.
