Madonna — Like A Virgin

This one came out in the fall of 1984, right around the time we were transitioning from that first post-college, just-married apartment into the second. (I wrote about that time a little bit when talking about The Kinks’ “Word of Mouth.”) Whenever I think of this record, I think of our bright little apartment in a renovated Victorian on Green Street in Syracuse, where we had such a lovely little life.

This was the album where Madonna really became Madonna – looking for that edge, that controversy, pushing things more than a little. Without video, this album couldn’t have made the mark it did. She became all about the image, and the image worked. The videos for “Material Girl” and “Like a Virgin” really set the standards, and embraced an aggressive femininity that helped define the ’80s. They’re great songs, but so overplayed at this point that they just have no impact on me. She showed she could go beyond dance with “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” which is a nice change. But overall, this just isn’t a record I listen to anymore.

“Into the Groove,” which isn’t on my version of the album, was the B-side of a 12″ version of “Angel,” and was a featured song in the great film “Desperately Seeking Susan,” which of course also starred Madonna. “Into the Groove” is my Madonna track. Again, not really a dance music guy, but this one really works for me, and I have always loved it.

But after this, I just lost interest in Madonna’s doings. To me, she became more and more about the image, and the music on its own just didn’t attract me, so I was done.