"Holiday" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her 1983 self-titled debut album. Written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder of the group Pure Energy,the track was produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez. Originally intended for Pure Energy,the demo was rejected by their label and later offered to other artists before Benitez brought it to Madonna,who was seeking an additional song for her album. Recording took place at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City,with minor modifications to the original demo,including a piano solo by Fred Zarr.
Released by Sire Records on September 7,1983,as the album’s third single,"Holiday" was first issued as a double A-side with "Lucky Star" before being promoted on its own. It is a dance pop and post-disco track built around upbeat instrumentation including guitars,electronic claps,cowbell,and synthesized strings. Its lyrics celebrate the universal desire to take a break from everyday life. The single received positive reviews from critics,who singled out its uplifting energy and catchiness. Commercially,it marked her breakthrough in the United States,reaching number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Dance Club Songs chart. It also became a top-ten hit in several countries and charted multiple times in the United Kingdom,peaking in the top five during its 1985 and 1991 re-releases.
Although no official music video was produced,Madonna promoted "Holiday" through nightclub performances and television appearances in both the US and UK. The song has remained a staple in her live shows,appearing in nearly all of her concert tours,most recently the Celebration Tour (2023–2024). It has since been covered and sampled by various artists,and featured in several films and television programs.
Background
"Holiday" was written and composed by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder,former members of the group Pure Energy. Originally conceived as a ballad,the song was later reworked by Stevens-Crowder into a more upbeat composition.[1] Hudson contributed the bassline and the hook "Holiday,celebrate," while Stevens-Crowder added the line "It would be so nice".[1] They recorded a demo with Stevens-Crowder on vocals and presented it to their label,Prism Records,which declined to release it.[1] The pair had previously worked with DJ and producer John "Jellybean" Benitez,who had remixed Pure Energy's tracks and later offered "Holiday" to several artists —including Mary Wilson from The Supremes,Phyllis Hyman,and disco group The Ritchie Family—all of whom passed on the song.[2] At the time,Hudson and Stevens-Crowder still hoped to record the song themselves and were not involved in its initial pitching.[1]
In 1983,Madonna was recording her debut album with Warner Bros. producer Reggie Lucas,following the success of her debut single "Everybody" (1982) in the club scene.[3] However,there was a shortage of material to complete the album;aside from "Everybody",the only available tracks were "Burning Up","Lucky Star","Think of Me","I Know It",and "Ain't No Big Deal" —the latter of which became unavailable after being sold to another act.[3] Lucas contributed "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline",but one more song was needed.[3] Benitez,working with Madonna at the time,suggested "Holiday" and approached Hudson and Stevens-Crowder. Though initially hesitant,the writers agreed to the idea after meeting Madonna in person.[1]
"Holiday" was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in New York. After receiving the demo, Madonna quickly recorded her vocals, while producer Benitez assembled the musicians and encouraged a "soulful" vocal delivery.[4][5] Hudson played guitar, his brother Raymond played bass, and Madonna contributed percussion by playing the cowbell heard at the beginning of the track.[1]Background vocals were provided by Norma Jean Wright and Tina Baker.[1] Before finalizing the recording, Benitez and Madonna brought the tape to their friend Fred Zarr, who added what the singer called "Zarrisms" —creative flourishes that included the piano solo featured at the end of the song.[6]
According to songwriter Stevens-Crowder, Madonna and Benitez tried to stay faithful to the original demo, making only minor adjustments such as swapping Hudson's LinnDrum for Zarr's Oberheim DMX, and shifting the vocal style from gospel to a more pop-oriented tone.[1] Stevens-Crowder praised Madonna for capturing the original emotion while adding her own character, stating, "She didn’t try to copy it. Madonna did Madonna".[1] Although Hudson and Stevens-Crowder were not credited as producers, they accepted the decision, viewing the recording as an opportunity to gain recognition as songwriters.[1] Musically, "Holiday" is a dance pop, post-disco track with no fixed structure. It is set in common time with a tempo of 116 beats per minute, composed in the key of B minor, and features a chord progression similar to Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (1984).[3][7][8] Its instrumentation includes Chic-style guitar riffs, electronic claps, synthesized strings, and a refrain delivered in a deliberately deadpan tone. The lyrics express a universal desire to escape everyday life through celebration and rest.[3][9]
Release
A double-sided single featuring "Holiday" and "Lucky Star" was initially released in mid-August 1983.[10][11] Although Sire Records originally intended to release "Lucky Star" as a standalone single, the label shifted focus after "Holiday" gained radio traction and topped Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.[3] "Holiday" was officially issued as the third single from the Madonna album on September 7, 1983.[12][2] Early pressings did not include the singer's image on the cover; according to author Rikki Rooksby, this was a deliberate marketing decision by the label to maintain ambiguity about Madonna's racial identity.[3]
"Holiday" has received consistent acclaim since its release.[20] Writers for Gay Times considered it her first single to achieve critical acclaim, following the underperformances of "Everybody" and "Burning Up".[21] Rikki Rooksby said it was "as infectious as the plague", while author J. Randy Taraborrelli called it a "festive, infectious anthem" that quickly became a staple in dance clubs across the United States.[22][3] Critics have often highlighted its uplifting tone and enduring appeal; in Encyclopedia Madonnica, Matthew Rettenmund noted that it had aged "remarkably well", and Mary Cross described it as a simple, optimistic track with broad appeal.[23][24]Lucy O'Brien emphasized its production, citing Fred Zarr's closing piano riff and "bubbling Latin undertow" as key to cementing Madonna's early sound.[5] Adam Sexton praised the track's "ineffable charm", referring to it as a "loping disco ditty".[25]
Numerous music publications echoed these sentiments in retrospective reviews. Billboard called it a "standard dance tune" elevated by Madonna's vocal charisma, while Rolling Stone's Don Shewey found it simple but clever.[11][26]AllMusic highlighted its "effervescent" quality and electronic groove, with Pitchfork crediting it for helping reposition electronic dance-pop at the top of the pop charts.[9][27][28] Other descriptors include "sparkly" (Portland Mercury), "airy" (Slant Magazine), and "feel-good" (Pitchfork). [28][29][30] In a 2012 readers' poll, Rolling Stone ranked it among Madonna's ten best songs, later placing it at number 22 in a separate editorial list.[31][32] Keith Caulfield of Billboard referred to it as the singer’s commercial breakthrough, and both HuffPost and Gay Star News ranked it among her top ten tracks.[10][20][33]
Later assessments have underscored its legacy. Critics at Variety, PinkNews, and PopMatters praised its longevity, party appeal, and influence on Madonna's later work.[19][34][35]The Guardian's Jude Rogers ranked it eighth among her singles, citing its "freshness and warmth".[36]Entertainment Weekly and PinkNews ranked it as high as second and third in her discography, while Slant Magazine commended its "immaculate" arrangement and Madonna's vocal delivery.[37][38][39]The National Student called it underrated compared to "Like a Virgin" (1984).[40] One retrospective review summed it up as: "A song as utterly '80s as Rick Astley or the Pet Shop Boys, 'Holiday' is also surely the most evocative theme tune ever created when it comes to packing a suitcase and jetting off for beach cocktails [...] a feel-good pop giant with an infectious chorus — and the closest thing we have to bottled sunshine".[41]
Chart performance
Upon its release, "Holiday" achieved significant chart success in the United States. Paired with "Lucky Star", it debuted at number 31 Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart on August 27, 1983, and reached the top spot four weeks later, remaining there for five consecutive weeks; it marked Madonna's first number-one on any Billboard chart.[11][42][43] It ended 1983 as the third highest-ranking song on the Dance Club Songs chart.[44] As a stand-alone single, "Holiday" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 88 on October 29, 1983, peaking at number 16 in January 1984 and staying on the chart for 21 weeks.[45][46] The track was ranked number 79 on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 chart for 1984.[47] Despite not entering the Hot 100's top ten, Madonna later referred to "Holiday" as one of her favorite hits, only to be reminded during a 2005 interview that it had peaked at number 16.[48] In Canada, it peaked at number 32 on RPM's Top Singles chart.[49]
Internationally, "Holiday" became Madonna’s first major hit in several markets. In the United Kingdom, it initially peaked at number six in early 1984, then reached number two during its 1985 re-release —just behind her own "Into the Groove"— and climbed to number five during its third release in 1991.[50][13] With over 700,000 copies sold, it remains her fourth most successful single in the UK.[51] In Australia, the track peaked at number four and spent 16 weeks on the Kent Music Report chart, while in New Zealand, it reached number seven.[52][53] Across Europe, it placed within the top three in Finland, Italy, and Ireland, and reached the top ten in Belgium and the Netherlands.[54][55][56][57][58] By September 1985, "Holiday" had sold an estimated 1.5million copies in Europe.[59] In a 2012 interview, Pure Energy, the song’s writers, revealed that its commercial success allowed them to leave a boarding house and improve their financial situation.[1]
Live performances
Madonna sings "Holiday" as closing number of 2015―2016's Rebel Heart Tour.
"Holiday" has been covered and referenced by various artists and in popular media over the decades. In 1986, MC Miker G & DJ Sven released "Holiday Rap", a reinterpretation that became a top-ten hit in several European countries, including France, the Netherlands, and Sweden.[113][114] The song was later covered by Heaven 17 for the 1999 tribute albumVirgin Voices Vol. 1: A Tribute To Madonna, and adapted into a Eurodance version by French–Dutch group Mad'House for their 2002 album Absolutely Mad.[115][116] Other notable renditions include Girl Authority's 2007 version on their album Road Trip, and Kelis' 2010 London mashup with her single "Milkshake (2003).[117][118]
↑ "Dance/Disco Top 80"(PDF). Billboard. Vol.93, no.37. September 24, 1983. p.41. ISSN0006-2510. Archived(PDF) from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
1 2 "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Madonna".
↑ Sawyer, Miranda (December 2, 2000). "Madonna gets them in". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
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