Rain (Madonna song)

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"Rain"
Madonna Rain cover.png
Single by Madonna
from the album Erotica
B-side
ReleasedJuly 17, 1993 (1993-07-17)
Recorded1992
Studio Soundworks (New York)
Genre Pop
Length5:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Madonna
  • Shep Pettibone
Madonna singles chronology
"Fever"
(1993)		"Rain"
(1993)		"Bye Bye Baby"
(1993)
Music video
"Rain" on YouTube

"Rain" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). Written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, in Australia and most European countries, "Rain" was released as single on July 17, 1993. In the United Kingdom and the United States, it was issued on July 19 and August 5, respectively. It was then included on Madonna's 1995 compilation, Something to Remember . A pop ballad with elements of R&B, trip-hop, and New-age music, "Rain" has lyrics that liken water and rainfall to the power of love.

Contents

Critical reception towards "Rain" was generally positive. Critics deemed it a standout in Erotica, and one of the best ballads Madonna had released up to that point. Commercially, the single saw moderate success. In the United States, it reached the 14th spot of the Billboard Hot 100. It fared better in Canada and the United Kingdom, where it reached the chart's second spot and top-ten, respectively.

The accompanying music video was directed by Mark Romanek and finds Madonna singing in front of a Japanese film crew. It was awarded Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography at the MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna has performed "Rain" live on the Girlie Show (1993) and Celebration (2023–2024) concert tours. On 2008–2009's Sticky & Sweet Tour, it was used as video interlude. Additionally, "Rain" has been covered by multiple artists ―particularly for tribute albums― including Madonna's former backing vocalists Donna De Lory and Niki Haris.

Background and release

In early 1992, Madonna founded her own multi-media entertainment company Maverick, consisting of a record company (Maverick Records), a film production company (Maverick Films), and associated music publishing, television broadcasting, book publishing, and merchandising divisions. [1] The first two projects from the venture were her fifth studio album Erotica , and a coffee table book of photographs featuring Madonna, entitled Sex . [1] [2] [3] For Erotica, Madonna primarily collaborated with American producer Shep Pettibone, with whom she had worked during the 1980s in remixes of several of her singles. [4] According to author Mark Bego, the first batch of songs they worked on were the album's title track, "Deeper and Deeper", "Bad Girl", "Thief of Hearts", and "Rain". [5] Pettibone would create the music and Madonna the lyrics. [6] They came up with "Rain" the night before Madonna was scheduled to come in to the studio; "it was a Sunday, it was raining - ha! - and she wrote the words, and sang the song and harmonies all in that day. ['Rain'] came together very quickly", recalled the producer. [7] According to author Matthew Rettenmund, "Rain" was intended to be part of a planned musical adaptation of the 1939 film Wuthering Heights that never came into fruition, set to be directed by Madonna's collaborator Alek Keshishian. [8]

Recording took place at Astoria's Soundwork Studios on June 8, 1992. [9] Personnel working on the song included Pettibone on sequencing, keyboard arrangement, and programming; Anthony Shimkin was in charge of drum programming; Dennis Mitchell and Robin Hancock worked as recording engineers, and Goh Hotoda was the mixing engineer. [9] In Australia and most European countries, "Rain" was released on July 17, 1993. [a] In the United Kingdom and the United States, it was issued as Erotica's final single on July 19 and August 5, respectively. [10] [11] In 1995, "Rain" was added to Madonna's compilation album Something to Remember . [12]

Composition

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Rain"
A 30-second sample of "Rain". A pop ballad, the song incorporates elements of R&B, trip-hop, and New-age.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Rain" has been noted an "optimistic" pop ballad with influence of R&B, trip-hop, and New-age. [b] It has been compared to the work of Peter Gabriel and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. [13] [17] The lyrics use water and rainfall as a metaphor for being in love: Both are cleansing elements that "wash away" past heartache and pain. [18] [19] Joe Lynch from Billboard argued that it is a song that "envisions a love in the age of AIDS". [20] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Rain" is written in the key note of E♭ major, set in the time signature of common time with a moderate pace tempo of 92 beats per minute. [21] It follows a chord progression of B♭sus2–E♭6/9–F in the refrain, and later switches to E♭–F–B♭ in the verses. [21] The song's instrumentation seeks to evoke a "purifying effect", along with "turbulent elements associated with rain", such as raindrops and lightning bolts. This is achieved through rhythmic patterns and orchestra hits. [19]

Towards the bridge, there is a key change from B♭ major to C major, followed by two spoken parts and a harmony alongside it. [18] Madonna recites out of the left and right channels, "By sheer force of will/I'll raise you from the ground/And without a sound, you'll appear and surrender to me, to love". [22] Also present is a crescendo that refers the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" (1969), and marks, according to John Myers from Yahoo! Voices, an "escape from the deluge of the rain with the breaking of the sun". [18] [23]

Critical reception

A critic compared Madonna's vocals in "Rain" to Karen Carpenter's (pictured) Karen Carpenter.jpg
A critic compared Madonna's vocals in "Rain" to Karen Carpenter's (pictured)

Upon release, "Rain" was generally well received by music critics, who deemed it one of the best tracks in Erotica, and one of the best ballads Madonna had released up to that point. [c] On his review of Erotica, Billboard's Larry Flick called it "gorgeous [...] though not as lyrically daring as [previous single] 'Bad Girl', ['Rain'] is a wonderfully constructed tune". [28] Writing for The Independent , Giles Smith said the song was the closest "to the Madonna of Like a Prayer as [Erotica] comes, a big and solemn ballad". [29] Idolator 's Stephen Sears considered it Erotica's "sole expression of pure love [...] a swooningly romantic" track that "revisits the oceanic sonic landscape" of 1986's "Live to Tell". [22] For Rolling Stone , Arion Berger highlighted "Rain" as one of the tracks that help Erotica sustain its "icy tone". [30] Madonna's vocals also received praise. Sal Cinquemani singled out her "rarely acknowledged harmonies", which Stephen Thomas Erlewine described as "comforting and consoling". [4] [15] By his part, Cash Box 's Troy J. Augusto noted that, "at times, [Madonna] almost sounds like Karen Carpenter, all tender and shy". [31] The song's new-age and R&B influences were also singled out for praise. [19] [15] [17]

The song was not without criticism. While Matthew Jacobs from HuffPost opined "Rain" wasn't "terribly distinctive" from other ballads Madonna had released at the time, Rikky Rooksby —author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna— felt that the lyrical theme "had been used in countless [songs]". [32] [18] Chris Willman for the Los Angeles Times , wrote that, "despite having crafted some of the best singles of the '80s, and despite being a genuine wit, Madonna can tend toward terribly banal rhymes", citing "Rain" as an example. [33] Even though she named it a standout track in Erotica, the Sun-Sentinel 's Barbara Walker referred to "Rain" as a "mere also-ran" in Madonna's catalogue. [34] Alfred Soto from Stylus Magazine dismissed the song as a "slushy rewrite of that year's 'This Used to Be My Playground', itself a slushy rewrite of Like a Prayer's 'Promise to Try'". [35]

In retrospect, "Rain" has been ranked as one of Madonna's best by Billboard, Parade , The Backlot, The A.V. Club , and PinkNews . [d] Rocco Papa from The Odyssey deemed it "one of the most beautiful songs on one of her most underrated albums". [38] In this vein, The National 's Saeed Saeed named it an "ethereal beauty", and one of Madonna's "most criminally underrated" singles. [39] Mark Elliott from website This is Dig! referred to "Rain" as a perfect pop ballad, and added that it helped "wash away" the criticism Madonna was facing at the time, and "remind everyone that her art was as much about the power of love as it was the compelling draw of lust or even the wider platform of sexual politics". [11] In this vein, both Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Sal Cinquemani agreed that "Rain" paved the way for the "softer" "post-Sex" image and sound Madonna would adopt in the mid-1990s. [40] [41]

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Rain" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 52, in the issue dated July 24, 1993. [42] It ultimately peaked at number 14 on the week of September 11, spending a total of 20 weeks on the chart. [43] Additionally, it reached the 30th and eleventh position on the Hot 100 Airplay and Hot Singles Sales charts, respectively. [44] [45] On Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, "Rain" peaked at number seven. [46] By the end of 1993, it ranked 38th on the Adult Contemporary chart, and 67th on the Hot 100. [47] "Rain" is Madonna's 40th most successful single in the United States, according to Billboard magazine. [48] In Canada, the single debuted in the 95th position of RPM 's Top Singles chart on the week of July 17, 1993. [49] Two months later, it peaked at number two behind Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover". [50] "Rain" reached the seventh spot on RPM 's Adult Contemporary chart, and was the 15th best-selling single of 1993 in Canada. [51] [52]

In the United Kingdom, "Rain" debuted at the 10th position of the UK Singles Chart on July 31, 1993, and, one week later, peaked at number seven. The song spent 8 weeks on the chart overall, and gave Madonna her 34th top-ten single in the country. [53] [11] According to Music Week magazine, over 130,000 copies of the single have been sold in the United Kingdom as of 2008. [54] In Australia, the song debuted at number 21 on the charts before rising and peaking at number five. It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 copies. [55] It was less successful in New Zealand, where it barely cracked the top 20. [56] Reception towards the single in Europe was moderate: It reached the top-ten in Ireland and Italy, [57] [58] and the top 20 in Sweden and Switzerland. [59] [60] "Rain" reached the top 30 in Austria and Germany, [55] [61] but was less successful in The Netherlands, where it barely managed to enter the top 40. [62] [63] It came in at number 15 of the European Hot 100 Singles chart. [64]

Music video

Background and filming

Mark Romanek (pictured) directed the music video for "Rain". Mark Romanek Tokyo Intl Filmfest 2010.jpg
Mark Romanek (pictured) directed the music video for "Rain".

The music video for "Rain" was directed by American filmmaker and photographer Mark Romanek. [65] Madonna became interested in working with Romanek after seeing his work in En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" (1992), and Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (1993). [66] [65] When she approached him, however, the director turned down the offer, as he felt "intimidated" by the idea of shooting a music video that, "would mark a departure from [Madonna's] ostentatious antics" of the time. [67] He also added, "['Rain'] was really romantic and I didn't really know what to do with something romantic at that point in my life". [65] Romanek eventually accepted, on the condition that he be allowed to make the video "futuristic". [68] According to author Mary Gabriel, Madonna "allowed [Romanek's] imagination to run wild", and he settled with a "simple" idea for the visual: The singer as a "doe-eyed ingenue" filming a music video in Japan. [68] [67] He wanted to have Madonna be "the only Occidental [in the video], which would make her more of an outsider". [68] His influences in creating the aesthetic were Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo. For the filming, he was inspired by a commercial Jean-Baptiste Mondino did with Catherine Deneuve for Yves Saint Laurent; "the way they colored [Deneuve']s face —it just was, at that time, just jaw-dropping how beautiful it was", recalled Romanek. [68] [8]

For the video-within-a-video's role of the director, Madonna approached Jean-Luc Godard and Federico Fellini, but both declined; [65] the latter allegedly faxed her a handwritten personal apology note. [68] At the end, Ryuichi Sakamoto was selected thanks to him being what Romanek called, "the most iconic and famous and attractive Japanese icon". [65] Argentine model Daniel Rossi, with whom Madonna was allegedly romantically involved at the time, also participated. [69] Filming for the video took place at a Santa Monica Airport hangar from May 16–19, 1993. [70] Crew included Krista Montagna in production, Harris Savides in direction of photography, Jon Peter Flack in production design, Robert Duffy was an editor, while David Bradshaw was in charge of wardrobe. [71] A studio was created in the hangar that allowed the filming material —wires, cameras, lights— to be seen. [68] The Japanese crew was allowed to walk freely in front of the camera and around Madonna. [68]

As Romanek did not want the clip to be too "clichéd" or literal, he decided to use water, contained in two large walls that were placed on either sides of Madonna. [67] To further capture the track's "crystalline" essence, colored closeups of the singer's face and features —for which she underwent half a day of camera tests— were done. [67] Then, a German lighting fixture was used to achieve a "thoroughly modern, yet classic" effect. [67] Madonna's appearance was inspired by 1940s Paris, and singer Edith Piaf: She wore a "waif-like cap of short black hair with spiky bangs", blue-colored contact lenses and "porcelain-doll perfect" make-up. [68] [72] At Romanek's petition, she also grew her eyebrows back. [72] Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons and Vivienne Westwood provided the wardrobe. [72]

Synopsis, release and reception

The video opens with Madonna in a studio, lying on a riveted aluminum chaise longue —designed by then unknown Marc Newson— decked out in a white dress, with headphones on her ears, composing a song. [8] This precedes closeups of her singing to a blue-toned microphone, in front of a blue backdrop. She is next seen taking a break from filming, following by a scene in which she receives instructions from the director (Sakamoto); they are now both wearing matching black flowing long-sleeved shirts. The director then instructs a scene in which Madonna kisses a long-haired male, and one in which she stands in-between two walls covered with water in a black dress. This last part is interpolated with closeups similar to the ones from the beginning, and of Madonna getting her makeup done by staff.

Final screenshot of the "Rain" music video, depicting an air view of Madonna surrounded by umbrellas. Madonna Rain.jpg
Final screenshot of the "Rain" music video, depicting an air view of Madonna surrounded by umbrellas.

Next is a shot of the singer and a man kissing behind a water-stained crystal wall. Towards the bridge, Madonna, wearing the aforementioned black flowing shirt, poses in front of a wall made up of bright lights. The director and the crew all watch as she dances in front of a backdrop depicting a stormy sky with flashing lights. She now wears a short-sleeved shirt and long skirt. The video closes with an air view of open black umbrellas covering the entire floor, as water from fire sprinklers falls down upon Madonna's face. [73]

"Rain" premiered on MTV on June 21, 1993. [8] Upon release, it was positively received by critics. Both Billboard's Deborah Russell and Los Angeles Times' Maureen Sajbel singled out Madonna's appearance, with the former calling it "chic yet vulnerable, glamorous yet sweet". [67] [72] The staff of The Advocate considered it a "gorgeous video that stands the test of time". [74] Bryant Frazer from website Studio Daily applauded "Rain" for pushing "the boundaries of telecine work at the time". [75] By their part, Dave Marsh and James Bernard wrote in New Book of Rock Lists (1994) that it was an example of the influence of Japanese culture on contemporary arts. [76] At the MTV Video Music Awards, Jan Peter Flack and Savides won for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography, respectively. [77] "Rain" was nominated for clip of the year, and Romanek awarded director of the year at the Billboard Music Video Awards. [78] [79] Russell named "Rain" 1993's ninth best music video. [80]

Retrospective reviews have named "Rain" one of Madonna's finest music videos. [e] Rocco Papa from The Odyssey highlighted its "high-contrast look and meta-narrative concept". [38] Idolator's Mike Neid wrote that, with its "gorgeous set pieces and stunning cinematography, ['Rain'] is sheer class". [81] Slant Magazine considered "Rain" the 70th greatest music video of all time; Sal Cinquemani and Ed Gonzalez opined it was one of Madonna's "most beautiful", as well as a "simple and refreshing break from [her] sex-drenched Erotica period". [82] For VH1's Christopher Rosa, it is one of the singer's most underrated music videos, describing it as "simple, [and] electric", and comparing her short hair look to that of Mia Farrow. [83] Jef Rouner from the Houston Press named "Rain" the ninth best music video directed by Romanek: "One of [his] more light-hearted [...] ['Rain'] is a fascinating treatise on the act of creating a music video itself". [84] "Rain" can be found on Madonna's compilations The Video Collection 93:99 (1999) and Celebration: The Video Collection (2009), as well as on the DVD The Work Of Director Mark Romanek (2005). [85] [86] [87]

Live performances

Madonna singing "Rain" during one of the London concerts of the Celebration Tour (2023--2024) MadonnaO2171023 (131 of 133) (53270486161) (cropped)2.jpg
Madonna singing "Rain" during one of the London concerts of the Celebration Tour (2023―2024)

On the Girlie Show of 1993, Madonna sang "Rain" with her backing vocalists Niki Haris and Donna De Lory, interspersed with lyrics of the Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (1971). [88] [89] The stage was bathed in blue light, with the three women donning long black choir robes. [88] Haris recalled that it was the "first time [on stage] we sat down together and felt our harmonies. Madonna's voice was starting to get strong and she was into trying new things". [90] The number was praised by The Baltimore Sun 's J. D. Considine, who opined that, even though the artist "just sat and sang, that hardly took away from ['Rain']'s gorgeous harmonies". [91] The performance recorded at Sydney was included on The Girlie Show: Live Down Under home video release (1994). [92] [93]

A mashup of "Rain" and Eurythmics ' "Here Comes the Rain Again" (1984) was used as video interlude on 2008―2009's Sticky & Sweet Tour. [94] [95] The video depicted the cartoon of an "alien woman chasing fish", while dancers onstage did an Asian-inspired choreography. [96] [94] On her review of the Barcelona concert, Lourdes López from La Vanguardia was critical of the number, as she felt it "bordered on boring". [94] The performance was included on the Sticky & Sweet Tour live album release (2010), recorded in Buenos Aires. [97]

The performance of "Rain" on the Celebration Tour (2023―2024) sees a "shadowy reaper" embrace Madonna —who's decked out in a long cape— and "pull[ing] her into the darkness". [98] [99] Reviewing the tour's opening concert in London, the staff of OutInPerth criticized the "anti-climactic" number. [98] By contrast, Metro Weekly 's André Hereford deemed it a "powerful vocal [performance] in a night where her lungs and body worked prodigiously". [100]

Covers and usage

In 2000, British gothic rock band Rosetta Stone covered "Rain" for the tribute album Virgin Voices: A Tribute to Madonna, Vol. 2; AllMusic's Heather Phares considered it one of the album's finest moments. [101] The following year, a cover by Who's That Girl! was included on the album Exposed, released through Almighty Records. [102] The Vitamin String Quartet covered "Rain" for The String Quartet Tribute to Madonna (2002), while Los Angeles based band Motor Industries did it for The Dancefloor Tribute to Madonna (2003). [103] [104] In 2008, the song was recorded by Da Capo Players, and included on Strung out on Madonna: The String Quartet Tribute. [105] That same year, a remix of "Rain" titled "Klubkidz House Party Mix" was included on Madonna impersonator Melissa Totten's album Forever Madonna. [106]

In May 2016, Donna De Lory and Niki Haris recorded an acoustic version of "Rain" and released it as a digital single; this release also included a remix created by Willie Ray Lewis. [107] An EP containing four additional remixes was released on October. [108] As to why they chose to cover the song, Haris told the HuffPost in an email: "I believe [the lyrics] are indicative of the many years [Donna and I] have been together, alternating between sunshine and stormy [...] We feel blessed every time we sing [it]". [109] In the 2019 film Uncut Gems , "Rain" was used in a scene in which Adam Sandler's character walks into his apartment and finds it empty and dark. [110]

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [9]

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for "Rain"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [141] Gold35,000^
United Kingdom—130,771 [54]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ See sources cited on "Weekly charts" section
  2. ↑ Per multiple sources [13] [14] [15] [16]
  3. ↑ Attributed to multiple references [24] [25] [26] [27]
  4. ↑ Attributed to multiple references [16] [17] [36] [15] [37]
  5. ↑ Attributed to multiple references [38] [40] [65] [81]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erotica (song)</span> 1992 single by Madonna

"Erotica" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album of the same name (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's lead single on September 29, 1992; in the United States, it was set to be released the following day, but after being leaked and played on several radio stations, the release date was held back until October 13. The song continued Madonna's exploration of spoken word vocals, which she had introduced in "Justify My Love" (1990). A pop hip-hop and dance song with Middle Eastern influences, its lyrics talk about sadomasochism, with the singer using the alter ego Dita and inviting her lover to be submissive while she makes love to him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bye Bye Baby (Madonna song)</span> 1993 single by Madonna

"Bye Bye Baby" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Madonna, for her fifth studio album Erotica (1992). It was released on November 15, 1993, as the sixth and final single from the album only outside the US. "Bye Bye Baby" was written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone, and Anthony Shimkin and was produced by Madonna and Pettibone. The song is inspired by Madonna's emotions of that time and her S&M thoughts. Musically, it is a hip hop song, sampling a hook from LL Cool J's track "Jingling Baby", released in 1990. Madonna's vocals were filtered to make them appear as sound coming out from an answering machine. "Bye Bye Baby" features instrumentation from keyboard and lyrically finds Madonna asking questions to a lover she is about to abandon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deeper and Deeper</span> 1992 single by Madonna

"Deeper and Deeper" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's second single on November 17, 1992; in the United States, a release was issued on December 8. It was included on Madonna's second greatest hits compilation, GHV2 (2001). A dance-pop and deep house song, it has disco and Philadelphia soul influences; the bridge features instrumentation from flamenco guitars and castanets and features background vocals from the singer's collaborators Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. Lyrically, the song talks about sexual desire, though it has been argued that it is actually about a young man coming to terms with his homosexuality. It includes a reference to Madonna's single "Vogue" (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Girl (Madonna song)</span> 1993 single by Madonna

"Bad Girl" is a song by American singer and songwriter Madonna from her fifth studio album, Erotica (1992). It was written and produced by both Madonna and Shep Pettibone, with additional writing from Anthony Shimkin, and released by Maverick, Sire and Warner. In Australia and most European countries, the song was released as the album's third single on February 2, 1993; in the United States, a release was issued on March 11. "Bad Girl" is a pop and R&B ballad with lyrics that describe a woman trying to escape her reality through self-destructive behaviors, such as drinking and chain smoking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You'll See</span> 1995 single by Madonna

"You'll See" is a song by American singer Madonna from her ballads compilation, Something to Remember (1995). She wrote and produced the song with Canadian musician David Foster. "You'll See" was released on October 23, 1995, by Maverick Records as the lead single from the album. An acoustic pop ballad, "You'll See" features instrumentation from percussion, tremolo guitar and piano, while lyrically it speaks of independence after the end of a love affair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madonna videography</span>

American singer Madonna has released 80 music videos, eleven concert tour videos, two documentary videos, four music video compilations, two music video box sets, four promotional videos, and four video singles. Nicknamed as the "Queen of Videos" or "Queen of MTV", her music videos were often considered by critics as works of art, depicting various social issues. Her early videos also received a significant academic attention. Madonna has won 20 MTV Video Music Awards, including the 1986 Video Vanguard Award for which she became the first female honoree. In 2003, MTV named her "The Greatest Music Video Star Ever", saying "Madonna's innovation, creativity and contribution to the music video art form" is what puts her at the top of the list. In 2020, Billboard ranked her at the top of their list "100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madonna albums discography</span>

American singer Madonna has released 14 studio albums, three soundtrack albums, six live albums, seven compilation albums, and 39 other limited releases. Recognized as the world's best-selling female recording artist of all time by the Guinness World Records, Madonna has accumulated a total record sales of more than 300 million units worldwide, with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) confirming in 2006, that Madonna's albums alone had sold over 200 million copies worldwide. She is ranked by the RIAA as the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and third highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 65.5 million album units. She holds the all-time record for the most number-one albums by a female artist in major music markets such as Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Used to Be My Playground</span> 1992 single by Madonna

"This Used to Be My Playground" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna. It is the theme for the film A League of Their Own, which starred Madonna, and portrayed a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Madonna was asked to record a song for the film's soundtrack. At that time she was busy recording her fifth studio album, Erotica, with producer Shep Pettibone. They worked on some ideas and came up with "This Used to Be My Playground" in two days. Once presented to director Penny Marshall's team, the song was released as a standalone single on June 16, 1992, by Warner Bros. Records. However, it was not available on the film's soundtrack due to contractual obligations and was later added to the Olympics-inspired Barcelona Gold compilation album, released that summer. The song was included on Madonna's 1995 ballads compilation Something to Remember.

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