Instead, the list represents some of her best tunes that are most likely overlooked based on their lack of time in the limelight. However, these songs don’t all represent singles that should have been, as some would have very clearly bombed upon release. They tend to be more introspective than those tracks she’s released as A-sides, which proves her misstep in believing that people would rather hear entertainingly vapid music then personal songs that also rock. What follows is a list of the best Madonna songs that were never released as singles. Either way, some have gladly accepted that Madonna’s strength no longer lies in massive hit singles, but rather in consistently good full-lengths. Over a career that lasted for decades, Madonna ushered underground sounds. Fusing post-disco dance with effervescent pop, 'Borderline' seemed unexpected and fresh, a trick that soon became her signature. You could blame the change of the musical landscape for Madonna’s fizzled impact, or her inability to truly distinguish which tracks on her LPs pack the biggest punch. Madonna changed the trajectory of popular music not long after 'Borderline' became her first Top Ten hit in 1984. One could argue that 2005’s “Hung Up” from Confessions on a Dancefloor was Madonna’s last great single. Subsequently, her singles have had less of an impact on popular music, with the odd exception. Madonna’s albums from 1994’s Bedtime Stories to 2008’s Hard Candy have been more consistent in quality. However, in the turn of the century, this pattern of throwaway tracks from a jam-packed singles album became less and less true. Madonna placed all her effort on hit songs, which by coincidence produced some bad LP-only material. 16: ‘Rebel Heart’ (2015) Madonna’s 13th studio album saw her work with a merry-go-round of contemporary songwriting talent, such as producer Diplo and the late Avicii, resulting in solid songs, among them the accomplished ballad Ghosttown and. Just have a listen to “Think of Me” from her debut album, “Jimmy Jimmy” from True Blue, or “Pray for Spanish Eyes” from Like a Prayer, and you’ll know what I mean. Listen to the best of Madonna here, and check out our run-down of the best Madonna albums, below. Ironically, album-cuts from this era in the pop star’s illustrious career were very clearly never released for a reason.
Her albums were weighed based solely on the success of the singles that came from them, and who could blame her for doing this? Madonna, in the 80s, was on FIRE! Have a look at Sound Affects’ “Top 15 Madonna Singles of All Time” list and you’ll see that eight of the entries are from the ’80s. Throughout the duration of the 1980s and into the early ’90s, it was these releases that defined her career.