Various musical artists have recorded covers of one or more songs written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna. [lower-alpha 1] Many began covering her songs since her debut in the 1980s. These covers are in several different languages and genres, and some have received positive reviews from music critics and featured on record charts.
In regards being a source of numerous covers, Mayer Nissim of Digital Spy stated that "her influence has spread like a spider web into the wider (and weirder) world of music". [2] Similarly, Guinness World Records listed Madonna as the most remixed and sampled act arguing that "is a testament to just how incredibly influential she is". [3] With covers from Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna entering into Billboard charts in 2012, Gary Trust from the magazine said that "Madonna's songs have found a place atop a Billboard ranking even when she's not singing them", adding also that this reinforce that her music "continues to reign among each new generation". [4]
A subject of diverse listicles, media outlets such as Paste , StyleCaster, Rolling Stone , Digital Spy and Stereogum among others have created best-of lists covers of Madonna songs. [5] [6] [7] [2] [8] Writing for The Guardian , Peter Robinson noticed several covers made by male musicians, including Marilyn Manson, Marc Almond, KMFDM and Teenage Fanclub. [9] One of the most commercially releases, is the version of "Like a Prayer" by Mad'House, which marked the debut of the band and sold 2 million copies throughout Europe according to Dutch agent Jan Vis; [10] in France alone, Charts in France reported sales of 326,000 copies as of 2014. [11] Similarly, singers Kelly Osbourne ("Papa Don't Preach") and Cristina Scuccia ("Like a Virgin") made their musical debut covering a Madonna song. [12] [13] In 2023, the staff of Rolling Stone placed Miley Cyrus's redention of "Like a Prayer" among her best 50 songs. [14]
This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2023) |
Title song | Year | Peak chart positions | Artist and album | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [170] | AUS [171] | CAN [172] | BEL [173] | NED [174] | FRA [175] | GER [176] | IRL [177] | SWI [178] | UK [179] | |||||||
"La Isla Bonita" | 1986/87 | — | — | — | — | 25 [180] | — | — | — | — | — | Micaela (from Dureco) | ||||
"Holiday" | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 77 | Who's That Girl! (from Almighty Presents: We Love Madonna) | ||||
"Like a Prayer" / "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 88 | ||||||
"Like a Prayer" | 2002 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Mad'House (from Absolutely Mad) | ||||
"Holiday" | — | — | — | 15 | 17 | 10 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 24 | ||||||
"Like a Virgin" | — | — | — | 31 | 56 | 55 | 67 | — | 98 | — | ||||||
"Papa Don't Preach" | 74 | 3 [181] | — | — | 64 [181] | — | 24 [181] | — | 65 [181] | 3 | Kelly Osbourne (from Shut Up ) | |||||
"Like a Virgin" | 2005 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 91 [182] | — | — | — | Texas Lightning (from Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch ) | ||||
"Papa Don't Preach" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | Glee cast (from Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna ) | ||||
"Express Yourself" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 132 | ||||||
"Borderline" / "Open Your Heart" | 78 | — | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 66 | ||||||
"Vogue" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 106 | ||||||
"Like a Virgin" | 87 | 99 | 83 | — | — | — | — | 47 | — | 58 | ||||||
"4 Minutes" | 89 | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | 42 | ||||||
"What It Feels Like for a Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 125 | ||||||
"Like a Prayer" | 27 | 28 | 27 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 16 | ||||||
"La Isla Bonita" | 2012 | 99 | — | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 152 | Glee cast with Ricky Martin (in "The Spanish Teacher") | ||||
"Like a Virgin" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 97 [183] | Vince Kidd (from The Voice UK albums) | |||||
"Like a Virgin" | — | 9 [184] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Joke Vincke (from The Voice van Vlaanderen albums) | |||||
"Like a Virgin" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | 185 | — | — | — | — | Cristina Scuccia (from Sister Cristina) | ||||
"Like a Prayer" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 79 [185] | Miley Cyrus (from Attention: Miley Live ) | ||||
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |
In an interview, show runner David Caspe explains how character Max Bloom sings "Like a Prayer" at the end of the episode...
The CD also includes a few ballads , the most notable being " Hoy Que No Estás " -a Spanish version of an old Madonna album cut called , " One More Chance . " All in all , Sentidos Opuestos offers a solid album
The fun rendition of "Material Girl" (with puppets!) was performed by Walk Off the Earth
Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen of Pop", she has been widely recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting and visual presentation. Madonna's works, which incorporate social, political, sexual, and religious themes, have generated both controversy and critical acclaim. A prominent cultural pop icon spanning both the 20th and 21st centuries, she remains one of the most "well-documented figures of the modern age", with a broad array of scholarly reviews, literature, and art works about her, as well as an academic mini subdiscipline devoted to her called Madonna studies.
"Who's That Girl" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack of the 1987 film of the same name. Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, it was released in Europe as the soundtrack's lead single on June 29, 1987; in the United States, a release was issued the following day. An uptempo pop song, "Who's That Girl" continued the singer's fascination with Latin pop, a genre she had previously explored on her single "La Isla Bonita". It features instrumentation from drums, bass, and trumpets, and has lyrics sung both in English and Spanish. While shooting for the film, then called Slammer, Madonna had requested Leonard to develop a song that captured the nature of her character; the producer worked on a demo and, afterwards, Madonna added the lyrics and decided to rename the song, as well as the film, to "Who's That Girl".
"Material Girl" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna for her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on January 23, 1985, by the Sire label as the second single from Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, in its original form on the 2009 greatest hits compilation, Celebration and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022). The song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans, while Nile Rodgers produced the track. Madonna explained that the concept of the song was indicative of her life at that time, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative.
True Blue is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on June 30, 1986, by Sire Records. In early 1985, Madonna became romantically involved with actor Sean Penn, and married him six months later on her 27th birthday. Additionally, she met producer Patrick Leonard while on the Virgin Tour, and formed a professional relationship with him. The first songs they created together were "Love Makes the World Go Round", and the ballad "Live to Tell", which was featured on At Close Range, a film which Penn starred. On late 1985, Madonna and Leonard began working on her third studio album; she also enlisted the help of former boyfriend Stephen Bray, with whom she had worked on her previous record Like a Virgin (1984). Titled True Blue, the record saw Madonna co-writing and co-producing for the first time in her career. Inspired by Madonna's love for Penn, to whom she dedicated it, True Blue is a dance-pop album that features influences of Motown sound, girl groups, and Latin pop.
"Dress You Up" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984). It was released as the album's final single on July 24, 1985, by Sire Records. Written by Andrea LaRusso and Peggy Stanziale, and produced by Nile Rodgers, who also played guitar on the track, it was the final song to be added to the album. Rodgers had asked the writers to compose something similar to the work of his band Chic but, due to LaRusso and Stanziale being busy with other projects, the composition took time. When the lyrics were submitted, the producer initially rejected them, as he felt there was no time to compose a melody; Madonna, however, liked the lyrics and convinced him to include the song on Like a Virgin. Musically, "Dress You Up" is a dance-pop song whose lyrics are an extended metaphor for fashion and lust, comparing dressing up with passion.
"Ray of Light" is a song by American singer Madonna. It is the title track from her seventh studio album, Ray of Light (1998), and was released as the album's second single on April 27, 1998, by Maverick Records. The song was also included on the compilation albums GHV2 (2001) and Celebration (2009). Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Clive Maldoon, Dave Curtiss, Christine Leach, and produced by Madonna and Orbit, "Ray of Light" is based on Curtiss Maldoon's "Sepheryn" and is an electronic dance song with techno, trance, Eurodance, and disco influences. "Ray of Light" consists of a main synth sound oscillating on the primary musical note and an electric guitar riff. Lyrically, the song has a theme of freedom.
"Like a Virgin" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. The song was written and composed by Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and it was released as the album's lead single on October 31, 1984. A dance song with two hooks, Madonna sings in a high register while a continuous arrangement of synths are heard along the bassline. The song's lyrics are ambiguous, consisting of hidden innuendos and open to various interpretations.
"Lucky Star" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut studio album (1983). Produced by Reggie Lucas, it was written by Madonna with the intention that her friend Mark Kamins would play it in his sets at Danceteria, where he was the resident DJ. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12" singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. However, problems between Madonna and the producer arose and he ended up leaving the project; she then called John "Jellybean" Benitez, her boyfriend at the time, to work on the remaining songs.
"Borderline" is a song by American singer Madonna from her debut self-titled studio album (1983), written and produced by Reggie Lucas. In 1982, Madonna was signed on by Sire Records for the release of two 12-inch singles; after the success of first single "Everybody", the label approved the recording of an album, and the singer decided to work with Lucas. "Borderline" is a pop song with post-disco elements whose sounds recall the music of the 1970s, while the lyrics find a woman complaining of her lover's chauvinism.
"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album (1983). It was written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder for their own musical act Pure Energy, and produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez. Hudson came up with the lyrics of the song while watching negative news on television, and together with Stevens-Crowder worked on the music. They recorded a demo, which was turned down by their label Prism Records. Afterwards, Benitez pitched the track and offered it to several artists, including former The Supremes singer Mary Wilson, but it was rejected. Around the same time, Benitez was working with Madonna on her album; after realizing they needed a song for the project, Benitez thought of "Holiday" and approached Hudson and Stevens-Crowder.
"Burning Up" is a song written and recorded by American singer Madonna included on her debut studio album Madonna (1983). Written by the singer and produced by Reggie Lucas, the song was released as a double-sided single with "Physical Attraction" on March 9, 1983. In early 1980, Madonna was beginning her music career as a member of band the Breakfast Club; together with band drummer Stephen Bray, they formed a new band, Emmy and the Emmys, but shortly after, she decided to pursue a solo career. She and Bray created demos for three songs: "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal", and "Burning Up".
"Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured on the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the singer wrote it while watching a Latin American man whom she was attracted to. Its instrumentation features synthesizers and drum machines, with Madonna's voice being double tracked on the chorus. Sexual innuendos and undertones are present throughout the lyrics, which are written as an invitation to dance with the singer. Originally written for her friend Mark Kamins, Madonna later decided to use it on the film, as one of the scenes needed a dance song. It was later added to the 1985 international re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin (1984), and remixed for her compilations You Can Dance (1987), The Immaculate Collection (1990), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is a song written by Miles Gregory and originally recorded by Rose Royce. It was produced by former Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield for Whitfield Records. Lead vocals were sung by Gwen Dickey and the song was released as the second single from their third studio album Strikes Again. The song was developed as a result of producer Whitfield's interest to work with Paul Buckmaster, the British arranger and composer. Together they asked songwriter Miles Gregory to write a song for them. Gregory's undergoing medical care for his deteriorating physical health became the inspiration behind the song. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" incorporated the use of the Pollard Syndrum TwinDrum, and was one of the first songs to effectively use the sound reverbs of the instrument. The song was mainly recorded at music contractor Gene Bianco's house, where Dickey was present during the recording.
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album True Blue (1986). Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch created it as an instrumental demo and offered it to singer Michael Jackson, who turned it down. When Leonard met Madonna to start working on True Blue, he played the demo for her. Madonna came up with the title, wrote the lyrics and produced the song with Leonard. It's her first song with Latin influences. Its instrumentation features flamenco guitar, Latin percussion, maracas, and includes four lines sung in Spanish. The lyrics talk about an island named San Pedro, whose location has been debated. Madonna said the song was her tribute to Latin Americans.
"Like a Prayer" is a song by American singer Madonna from her 1989 fourth studio album of the same name. It was released as the album's lead single on March 3, 1989, by Sire Records. Written and produced by both Madonna and Patrick Leonard, the song heralded an artistic and personal approach to songwriting for Madonna, who believed that she needed to cater more to her adult audience. Thematically, the song speaks about a passionate young girl in love with God, who becomes the only male figure in her life.
"Vogue" is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album, I'm Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna's compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
American singer Madonna has released 94 singles and 24 promotional singles and charted with 23 other songs. Among those releases, a total of 44 Madonna singles have topped the official chart in at least one of the world's top 10 music markets, from "Like a Virgin" (1984) to "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (2012). Globally, she has sold more than 100 million singles, which were predominantly in physical formats. According to Billboard, Madonna is the most successful solo artist in Hot 100 chart history, second overall behind the Beatles. In the United Kingdom, Madonna has scored a total of 64 top-ten hits and 12 number-two peaks. In 2012, she was ranked as the best-selling singles female artist in the UK with 17.6 million singles sold. At the 40th anniversary of the GfK Media Control Charts, Madonna was ranked as the most successful singles artist in German chart history. Her long-standing success with the single format was remarked upon in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), where editors wrote that she is a "deserving candidate for the title of greatest singles artist since the 1960s heyday of the single"; the staff of Slant commented in 2020 that "by every objective measure, she's the most successful singles artist of all time".
The Glee cast has released sixteen soundtrack albums, six compilation albums and eleven extended plays (EPs), containing 754 different performances of an individual song or a mashup of two or more songs in a single performance. Of the performances on the various albums and EPs, 460 were also released as singles. Glee features on-screen performance-based musical numbers, most of which are cover versions of popular songs, with genres ranging from R&B and pop to country and show tunes. The cast consists of fifteen main characters; some actors were cast following Broadway theatre experience while others were required to audition to prove singing and dancing capabilities. Recordings of performances on the show are sold as singles the week of broadcast, available for download.
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna is the debut extended play (EP) by the cast of the musical television series Glee. It contains eight songs from the season one Glee episode, "The Power of Madonna", which was a tribute episode dedicated to American recording artist Madonna. She had sold the rights to her entire catalog of music to Glee in 2009, and producers of the show developed the episode called "The Power of Madonna"; the show featured a number of cover versions of Madonna's songs by the cast. The accompanying EP released with the airing of the show was called Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna.