A Dream Setlist for Madonna’s “The Celebration Tour”
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The post A Dream Setlist for Madonna’s “The Celebration Tour” appeared first on Consequence.
Madonna has never been a huge fan of nostalgia, particularly where her career and music are concerned. That’s certainly not a bad thing — in fact, her desire to push forward and keep breaking boundaries (sonic and otherwise) has kept her in the public eye for forty years.
In recent years, Madonna’s tours have also been focused heavily on the present day, specifically whatever her latest record is at the time. But on Tuesday (January 17th), Madonna announced a career-spanning run dubbed “The Celebration Tour,” subtitled “Featuring Four Decades Of Greatest Hits.”
(To get tix, a Live Nation pre-sale will take place starting Friday, January 19th at 10:00 a.m. local time — use access code SOUND — prior to the public on-sale beginning Friday, January 20th via Ticketmaster. Tickets will also be available via StubHub.)
The big question, of course, is what will she play? Although she’s continued to perform some of her most iconic songs — including “Vogue,” “Like a Prayer” “Holiday,” “La Isla Bonita,” and “Music” — she has a huge catalog of hits that haven’t been in setlists recently.
Here are the Madonna songs — a mix of major hits and fan-favorites — that we’d like to see her dust off and perform. You can also scroll to the end for a playlist of every track.
Editor’s Note: Head here for more details on how to buy tickets to Madonna’s “The Celebration Tour.”
“Burning Up” / “Everybody” (Madonna, 1983)
Madonna played music around New York City before going solo, but became capital-M Madonna with the release of her first two singles, the spunky “Burning Up” and disco-pop jam “Everybody.” Chances are good both tunes will make the cut of her anniversary tour; after all, Madonna’s career took off because of the dancefloor. However, she hasn’t had “Everybody” in regular live rotation since the 1990s, so hearing that song again especially would be a treat.
“Who’s That Girl” / “Causing a Commotion” (Who’s That Girl soundtrack, 1987)
Although Madonna’s star turn in 1987’s Who’s That Girl didn’t help the movie’s commercial fortunes, the music she contributed to the film’s soundtrack was a different story. The soaring title track was a top 10 hit in both the US and UK, while the squiggly electro-pop jam “Causing a Commotion” is one of her most underrated (and forgotten) big hits, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Dear Jessie” (Like a Prayer, 1989)
“Dear Jessie” was released as a single but, incredibly enough, Madonna has never performed the song live. That’s perhaps due to its musical complexity: It’s a delicate song with strings, synths and a waltzing tempo that nods to orchestral pop. But while “Dear Jessie” was never a hit, it’s one of the highlights from Like a Prayer — and a precursor to her more sophisticated ‘90s work.
“Rescue Me” (The Immaculate Collection, 1990)
Another rarity — some of the lyrics appeared during her “Madame X Tour” shows, but otherwise the song has never been played live — “Rescue Me” embodies the creativity driving her many collaborations with noted remixer/producer Shep Pettibone. Sleek grooves and gospel-influenced vocals collide with Pettibone’s trademark rhythmic stabs; the result is pure dancefloor bliss.
“Rain” (Erotica, 1992) / “Take a Bow” (Bedtime Stories, 1994)
As the ‘80s ended, Madonna embraced changing musical trends much better than many of her peers. Accordingly, you can’t tell the story of her career fully without covering the massive success she had with ballads in the ‘90s. The swooning, gorgeous “Rain” is a highlight of the polarizing Erotica — and presages the mellower grooves she embraced at the end of the decade — while the Babyface collaboration “Take a Bow” remains one of Madonna’s most moving, vulnerable tunes. (Honorable mentions for potential live airings go to a pair of soundtrack hits, the meditative “I’ll Remember” and nostalgic “This Used to Be My Playground.”)
“Beautiful Stranger” (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack, 1999)
Madonna’s songwriting and production collaborations with William Orbit on 1998’s Ray of Light pushed her music in more cosmic directions. This was also evident on the soundtrack hit “Beautiful Stranger,” a bubbly synth-pop song which captured the psychedelic vibe of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
“The Power of Good-Bye” (Ray of Light, 1998) / “Gone” (Music, 2000)
As Y2K approached, Madonna dug deep within herself and released more personal songs than she had done before. The introspection suited her well: The glacial, trip-hop-kissed electro of “The Power of Good-Bye” and the stripped-down, acoustic “Gone” boasted emotional depth that was immensely moving.
“Jump” (Confessions on a Dance Floor, 2005)
Madonna could basically play anything off the electro-disco explosion Confessions on a Dance Floor and have it sound great. While odds are good the ABBA-sampling “Hung Up” will make any hits setlist — it topped the charts globally in multiple countries — the retro ‘80s jam “Jump” is also begging to be presented live.
“4 Minutes” (Hard Candy, 2008)
Madonna’s collaborations in the last 15 years or so have been hit or miss, so it might be tempting to wish for a setlist that eschewed more recent albums in favor of her older songs. But Madonna’s work since the mid-2000s has its moments — especially her Timberland/Justin Timberlake collaboration “4 Minutes,” which sounds as vibrant and playful as it did upon release.
“Joan of Arc” / “Ghosttown” (Rebel Heart, 2015)
The Rebel Heart era is one of Madonna’s most understated (if misunderstood) eras — a time when she paired the inward-looking music of the late ‘90s with modern pop production. As a result, she came out swinging with brooding songs like “Ghosttown” and the heart-wrenching, deeply personal “Joan of Arc.”
“Vogue,” “Like a Prayer” “Holiday,” “La Isla Bonita,” “Music”… and all the rest
It wouldn’t be a Madonna show without her most iconic tracks, and we’re expecting these to be sprinkled throughout the set, whether they appear as pretaped intro/outros, instrumental interludes or remixes.
Madonna Dream Setlist Playlist:
A Dream Setlist for Madonna’s “The Celebration Tour”
Annie Zaleski
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