SIXTH ANNUAL AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS: TOP 10 ALBUMS

What a year, right. I know that every song or album we listen to affects us in different ways, so here are the albums this year  that made me laugh, cry, find my joy, express my pain or simply sit and contemplate. The purpose of music, in my opinion, is to move one emotionally, whether to elevate a current mood or to facilitate healing. These artists and their music have put a smile on my face, brought a tear to my eye and a couple of them even turned out to be pretty good sex music. See, music can do anything. So can you. Enjoy all of these albums, have a happy holiday season and a wonderful new year. Bring it, 2015.

10. AM Static - fDeluxe. The old group is back again. The follow up to their stellar 2011 comeback album Gaslight, fDeluxe dips into the past for this excellent cover album of funk and rock from the 70s. The former Family keep consistent with their sound while updating all these classics from Eric Carmen's All By Myself to Come Together, the Beatles classic. This is a cohesive, excellent album by a group steeped in Minneapolis funk.

9. It's The Girls - Bette Midler. The Divine Ms. M doesn't miss a step with her covers the girl group goodies that made an impact on not only her, but American music as a whole. Taking on The Supremes, the Andrews Sisters and, yes, TLC, Bette hits all the right notes with her signature take on classic songs. The real standout here is her melancholy cover of TLC's Waterfalls. Bring a tissue, cuz you are gonna jizz cry for sure.

8. I'm Not Bossy, I'm The Boss - Sinead O'Connor. After years of uneven releases, Sinead comes back with her most honest, hard hitting and pop-friendly record since her 90s heyday. I'm Not Bossy, I'm The Boss drips with confessional freedom from one of the most troubled, forthright artists of the modern pop generation. Take Me To Church is perhaps her poppiest song ever and 8 Good Reasons belongs in the pantheon of her greatest songs like Black Boys on Mopeds and Mandinka. A true return to form from the queen of brutal honesty.

7. Sheezus - Lily Allen. Never one to hold back, Lily Allen made the bold move to mock Kanye by calling her album Sheezus. Lily still kept her same sarcastic bite on songs like Hard Out Here and the excellent Insincerely Yours, but also expressed her softer side singing about love on As Long As I Got You and loss on Take My Place. Luckily deciding to record again after a self-imposed break, Lily's sound continues to evolve and I'm glad we have her back.

6. Nostalgia - Annie Lennox. The third and final cover album on my list, Ms. Lennox washes her luscious alto over every song she chose from the Great American Songbook to create a truly stunning work with Nostalgia. Her take on classics like I Put A Spell On You and Summertime will leave you with chills and her rendition of Strange Fruit is drenched in heartbreak for what is unfortunately a still-timely song. Every single track is made better by one of the truly great artists of our time.

5. ART OFFICIAL AGE/PLECTRUMELECTRUM - Prince/Prince and 3rd EYE GIRL. Prince never went away, as far as I'm concerned. Sure, he stopped writing radio hits, but he is still a genius of the highest degree. This year he had so much new music, including new jams with his band 3rd EYE GIRL, that he put out two albums at once. One, ART OFFICIAL AGE, a throwback to his 80s pop domination, and two PLECTRUMELECTRUM, a full-on rocker worthy of Purple Rain. I decided to count them as one because it's just not fair to everyone else to have to compete.

4. Morning Phase - Beck. To say that Beck's Morning Phase is a dreamy masterpiece would be a huge understatement. Every chord on this album drips with a melancholy California dewdrop. Waking Light is one of the most stunning works of the year and Morning will make you weep tears of joy. The songs evoke the psychedelic 70s with strings, guitars and Beck's subtle delivery lending itself to beautiful effect.

3. 1989 - Taylor Swift. Girl, you got me again. Songs so catchy and so poppy, how could you not love them? 1989 opens with Welcome to New York, Swift's ode to her new hometown, and from there on it delivers beat after infectious beat. Not so much a replica of the year Taylor was born as a reference point, songs like Style, Blank Space, All You Had To Do Was Stay and This Love prove you are not listening to your mom's older sister's Taylor Swift. Her sound is more full, sophisticated and her experience is broader. I'm loving the new Taylor and 1989 is a perfect aural demonstration of person growing up in front of us.

2. Food - Kelis. Sexy, funky and full of spicy lyrics. Kelis has always combined these things in her work, from the R&B of Tasty  to the EDM/club bangers on her last album Flesh Tone, but arguably it has never come together in such a fully satisfying way as it does on the retro-groove of Food. Influenced by her Harlem upbringing and her love of food, Food is soulful and introspective on tracks like Rumble and Breakfast, soft and sexy on Dreamer and funky as hell on Jerk Ribs. You'll listen from beginning to end and go back for seconds for Food.

1. Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey. Nothing really came close to Lana's Ultraviolence this year. Lana's debut album and its extension Born to Die: The Paradise Edition, was moody, pouty and offbeat and Ultraviolence keeps most of that and adds some truly amazing production and lyrics that draw you into her story and build on it with each song on the record. Lana's voice coos over first single, the 70s inspired West Coast and longingly hurts over the fantastic title track. As a whole, the album is a cornucopia of dreamy emotion. It's consistent, beautiful, naughty, dichotomous and beyond the scope of all other albums I enjoyed this year. My #1 album of 2014.

REVIEW: MADONNA - REBEL HEART (SO FAR)

This might come as a great shock, but I'm obsessed with the truncated version that Madonna released of her upcoming album Rebel Heart. The Queen decided that, instead of having people listening to unfinished demos that some asshole leaked, she would just go ahead and release six new songs as an "early Christmas present" much to the delight of us who have been waiting patiently. How do I not oversell this? They are EPIC!!! I seriously love them. Madonna's last two albums, although very good, did seem a little distant in parts. Some say that she allowed the producers to take the lead too much, but listening to these lyrics it sounds like she is pretty passionate about her new album. Oh, and don't even get me started on how flawless the cover art is. I MEAN!!! First song Living For Love (which you can listen to below) is like a mash-up of Like a Prayer's gospel soul sounds and Erotica's 90s club grooves. Very amazing. Produced by Diplo, it's officially the first single released from Rebel Heart. Alicia Keys co-wrote and sings on it, but I won't let that bother me right now. Ha. The six songs released so far show a wide range of content and style. Devil Pray has an acoustic guitar and a haunting, dark melody about where one can REALLY find themselves and get closer to their own spirituality. Hint: it's not through temporary highs. The song is one of two stirring electronic ballads released on this EP, the other being third track Ghosttown. Longingly beautiful, Madonna's voice sounds gorgeous floating over the anthemic strings and soft synth that build to a dramatic climax. The song is about standing by someone no matter what and trying to stay strong in this crazy world we are living in. One of her most beautiful ballads since Nothing Fails on American Life. That's where the softness ends on this version of Rebel Heart. Unapologetic Bitch is a reggae-tinged banger, with co-writing credits going to, among others, Nicki Minaj, that finds Madge telling it exactly how it is. "You know you never really knew how much your selfish bullshit cost me. Well fuck you" is a pretty straight forward lyric I would say. I think it's my fave track so far. Illuminati is produced by Kanye West and def has his stank on it. Madonna's tackles the Illuminati conspiracy that has been going around about people in the entertainment industry for years and basically says that there IS Illuminati, but it's everyone who is enlightened and positive, trying to make the world a better place. It is hard and funky and sparkly all at once. The last song released is Bitch, I'm Madonna (ft. Nicki Minaj). Nicki also has a writing credit on this one and actually appears giving a verse or two. Fun and hard, it's Madonna being Madonna and letting everyone know who is still Queen of Pop. Don't try her, boo. If these six songs are any indication, we have something of an amazing album on the way in March 2015. Bitch, she's Madonna after all. Listen to Living for Love below.

SIXTH ANNUAL AMAZU MUSIC AWARDS: ALL MY TOP 20 SONGS IN ONE EASY POST

Can you believe it's been SIX years I've been doing my annual countdown? That's just crazy talk. Anyway, here is an all-at-once post with links to the four blogs giving my top 20 songs of 2014. Suck on all of them.
16-20
11-15
6-10
1-5

LANA DEL REY'S TWO STUNNING SONGS FOR THE FILM 'BIG EYES'

Tim Burton's film Big Eyes, staring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz,  is officially out Christmas day. If you want information of what it's about you can google it, bitch, because I have what's really important: The two beautiful Lana Del Rey songs from the soundtrack. They aren't yet available for download, but here they are in their entirety. Will Lana finally get that Oscar nod she was robbed of for Young and Beautiful from The Great Gatsby? I think so. The title track is already nominated for a Golden Globe, so maybe it will be the film industry that finally gives Lana the love she deserves. Take a listen to both tracks below, I Can Fly and Big Eyes.

AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS: TOP 20 SONGS OF 2014, 1 - 5

5. Thea - Goldfrapp

4. Waking Light - Beck

3. L8 CMMR - Lily Allen

2. Sissy That Walk - RuPaul

1. Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey

AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS: TOP 20 SONGS OF 2014: 6 - 10

10. West Coast - Lana Del Rey


9. G.U.Y. - Lady Gaga


8. Jo - Goldfrapp


7. 8 Good Reasons - Sinead O'Connor


6. DTF - Adore Delano

AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS: TOP 20 SONGS OF 2014: 11 - 15

15. On My Way - Lea Michele

14. Wrong Club - The Ting Tings

13. Seashells - Florrie

12. Shades of Cool - Lana Del Ray


11. Chandelier - Sia

THE #1 SONG 25 YEARS AGO TODAY WAS......

...We Didn't Start The Fire by Billy Joel. Undeniably catchy and frantically paced, Billy Joel posted his third and very last #1 song (so far) on the Hot 100 on December 9, 1989 and held the spot for two weeks with We Didn't Start The Fire. The single, form his 11th studio album Storm Front, references over 100 events that happened in the world between 1949, the year Joel was born, and 1989. Seriously everyone and their mom's tits are in this song. If you listen closely, and backwards, your name might come up too. FUN FACT: It won't. The video is clever, but Billy looks like a husky, blind, beatnik Fonzie. Anyhoo, the song is the bane of some people's existence, but I rather like it. I'm sure millions of karaoke singers have gone into cardiac arrest trying to perform it, but Billy could do it at his drunkest. Here is the #1 song from this day 25 years ago, We Didn't Start The Fire. Enjoy, bitches.

AMAZY MUSIC AWARDS: TOP 20 SONGS: 16 - 20

20. Gust of Wind - Pharrell Williams


19. Let It Go - Idina Menzel



18. Summertime - Annie Lennox

17. Jerk Ribs - Kelis

16. Do It Again - Robyn & Royksopp

JUST BECAUSE: MY TOP 10 FAVORITE GOLDFRAPP SINGLES

I am in a Goldfrapp-y kind of mood today, so I have decided to share with you my ten favorite Goldfrapp singles of all time. Of the 27 singles they have released, these are the cream o' the crop. Of course, this list consists of songs JUST released as singles and not album tracks. That list would be much harder to compile. Anyhoozers, enjoy the list, which goes from 10 down to #1, below and watch the videos. Good day, I said!!

MADONNA FRIDAY: DIE ANOTHER DAY

Madonna is a badazz!! There, I said it. She could kick your butt, you mamma's butt and your daddy's butt all at the same time. Wanna try your luck? I didn't think so. In 2002 the James Bond franchise finally got wise (on the year of Madonna's career 20th anniversary) and got Madge to do a theme song for the film Die Another Day. The song reached #8 on the Hot 100 and #3 in the UK charts, making it the most successful Bond theme since Duran Duran's A View to a Kill in 1985. The song spent 11 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Singles Sales Charts (the real proof of what people are listening to!). The song also reached #1 in 12 different countries, including 8 weeks at #1 on the World Music Charts. The video was a tribute to many past Bond characters and showed Madonna being tortured by sinister villains. Fun fact: The symbol left singed on the electric chair when Madonna escapes is the Hebrew expression meaning "great escape" or "freedom". With lots of special effects, fight sequences, costumes and ending in the famous gun barrel sequence from the Bond movies, the video cost $6 million, becoming the second most expensive video ever made behind Michael and Janet's Scream. Madonna had earlier done the theme from Austin Powers Goldmember, Beautiful Stranger, so she can claim a spy and a spy-spoof theme among her greatest hits. Enjoy Die Another Day.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: JERMAINE JACKSON

Jermaine, the third most musically successful member of the Jackson family (third by a long way) was a huge star for a brief, fleeting time. Of course, Jermaine sang lead on many a Jackson 5 song, but he also had a very successful, if short-lived, solo career in the late 70s and early 80s. The fourth child born into the Jackson family cracked the top 10 with his 1979 hit Let's Get Serious and the top 20 with Dynamite (one of my all-time fave 80s videos), the lovely ballad  Do What You Do in 1984 and I Think It's Love in 1986. Then, not so much after. He made some good-ass videos though. Clearly his label was pushing him as hard as possible to capitalize on Michael's fame as well, but once Michael took off and Janet became a superstar, there was no room left for another Jackson in the spotlight. Wah-wah. Today Jermaine mainly does press about Michael, but hey, whaddayagonnado? Sure his face looks like it might be melting now, but he's still out there working it for all it's worth. Here are the highlights, in my opinion, of Jermaine's career, including his song When the Rain Begins to Fall with 80s vixen Pia Zadora that was a huge hit....in Switzerland, Germany, France, Holland and Austria. Still good though. Nice Jackson-ing, Jermaine.

ALASKA THUNDERF**K FINALLY BRINGS US THE VIDEO FOR 'NAILS'

YAAAAAAAAAAAAS!! I have been waiting a good year for an official release of Alaska Thunderfuck's amazing single Nails!!! The runner-up queen from Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race is back and serving a fierce, alien-themed video for Nails and is tearing the house DOWN, y'all!!! I love this bitch. Alaska was also recently voted the 2nd favorite queen of all time from RuPaul's Drag Race. Eat that, hunties. Watch the amazing video below and gag, dahling, and remember, "If you're not wearing nails, you're not doing drag."

RAIN SONGS FOR A RAINY DAY

There have been many, many awesome songs about getting wet....and then some even better ones about rain. I know. Gross. Anyway, it's raining like a little bitch in NYC today so I thought, "hey. why don't I share some good rain-themed songs with my peeps." I literally thought it. Anyhoozers, here are some of my fave rainy day tunes to liven up your day. Enjoy, bitches.

FANS PICK THEIR 15 FAVORITE QUEENS OF ALL TIME ON RuPAUL'S DRAG RACE? WATCH....

Watch and gag......

RuPaul's Drag Race Full Episodes - RuPaul - Logo TV

NEW GWEN STEFANI: SPARK THE FIRE (ft. PHARRELL)

It was just back in October Gwen Stefani released Baby Don't Lie, the first track from her upcoming third solo studio album, and now we get the follow up, along with its colorful video, Spark the Fire. A little more like her Hollaback Girl days, Spark the Fire also features Pharrell Williams, who is also producing some her her new album. I like it. I'm anxious to see what the album will be like. Enjoy. Gwen's still-untitled album is scheduled to come out this month.

THE FIRST TWO SINGLES FROM THE NEW TING TINGS ALBUM ARE THE BOMB!!!

UK group The Ting Tings rather quietly released their third album Super Critical in October and it is really, really good, y'all!! Unlike their rather uneven second album, 2008's Sounds From Nowheresville, Super Critical is cohesive, funky and fun all the way through. Just as catchy as their bratty and brilliant debut We Started Nothing. The first single Wrong Club is a disco jam that calls back the 70s Chic funk and second single Do It Again has a hot, retro guitar groove that Pharrell would kill for!! Both videos are awesomely creative as well. Super Critical is available now on iTunes. Get it!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: ABBA

I've totally been on an ABBA kick this week, so here we go. Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Ani-Frid, also known as ABBA, were, believe it or you're stupid, and ARE one of the biggest selling groups in the history of music. The Swedish pop sensations have sold over 375 million records world wide. Yes, OVER 375 MILLION!!! That makes them the eighth biggest selling recording artists in music history. Suck on that. They STILL sell 2 to 3 million records a year and haven't even recorded new music as a group since 1982. Their greatest hits album, ABBA Gold, alone has sold 28 million copies world wide, making it one of the biggest selling albums of all time. They've inspired countless covers, cover bands, and even the musical Mamma Mia!, based on their songs. Their music was also heavily featured in the Australian films Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Not too bad for four quiet kids from Sweden. ABBA is arguably more popular than ever, especially in the US where the official craze never hit like it did everywhere else. Although, they did ring up several top ten hits and a #1 with the classic Dancing Queen. ABBA are clearly influential in many forms of pop music (like Madonna's sampling of Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) for her song Hung Up) and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 for their enduring legacy on popular music. There's no doubt we'll be hearing their songs for generations to come. I mean, they're just so damn fun!! Here are a few of my fave clips from ABBA. The beautiful and reflective Eagle; the wonderfully sad and hopeful The Name of the Game; the insta-classic Dancing Queen; their first international hit, the exuberant Waterloo; and the disco sexiness of Voulez-Vous. Enjoy and remember that "you can dance, you can jive" bitches!

KYLIE MAKES SHORT FILM/VIDEO 'SLEEPWALKER' AVAILABLE ONLINE!!

Kylie quietly released new music earlier this year that she worked on with producer/songwriter Fernando Garibay (Lady Gaga, Shakira) that would be used somehow on her Kiss Me Once Tour. Well here is the short film featuring that music that opens the tour and it's beautiful. Kylie called on her favorite designers from Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Louboutin to Jean Paul Gaultier Couture to transform her into different characters for the three songs in the video including Snow White and Ms. Havisham. You can download the Sleepwalker EP on Soundcloud for free!!!! The only thing better than Kylie is FREE Kylie!! Enjoy.

HAPPY MONDAY SONG: GROOVE IS IN THE HEART - DEEE-LITE

The early 90s saw a 60s revival in style and attitude and Deee-lite were the epitome of that movement. Towa Tei, DJ Dimitry and Lady Miss Kier, who made up the group, were young, fresh and straight of the New York club scene when they released the irresistible Groove Is In The Heart form their 1990 debut album World Clique. Groove was a hit in the clubs first, reaching #1 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart before hitting radio and finally peaking at #4 on the Hot 100. The video was the perfect visual match for the funky song and Deee-lite were suddenly everywhere. Though they only had one more Hot 100 hit with the follow-up single Power of Love (#47), they did have continued success on the dance charts, posting five more #1s over the course of the next five years. Regardless, there is no denying that Groove Is In The Heart is a classic, get-up-and-dance masterpiece. Enjoy the Happy Monday Song Groove Is In The Heart and dance, dance, dance.

BETTE MIDLER POSTS HIGHEST DEBUT EVER ON BILLBOARD 200 WITH 'IT'S THE GIRLS'

Bette Midler may be in her sixth decade of making the charts, but her new album, It's The Girls, is officially her highest debuting set ever!!! 'Girls' lands at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart this week behind the compilation Now 52 (#2) and the unstoppable juggernaut of Taylor Swift's 1989, which sold an additional 402,000 copies this week, the second highest weekly total behind it's own 1.287 million last week. It's The Girls brought in a modest-in-comparison 40,000, but shutever!! Bette's still got it. Believe it or not, It's the Girls is also Midler's second highest placement on the chart ever as well, behind only the soundtrack to Beaches which hit #2 in 1988. Midler has never had a #1 album. GASP!!!!

KIM KARDASHIAN TO DEBUT "KIM TAKES EVERYTHING....IN THE BUTT" ON E!

Kim Kardashian is tired of watching Khloe and Kourtney take Miami, New York, The Hamptons, etc,  so she is stepping up her "taking it" game and taking us all around the world with her and her ever present posterior on 'Kim Takes Everything....In The Butt'. Kardashian's recent nude photos in Paper Magazine are just promo for her new, upcoming anal-sex themed docu-series on E! that will find the most famous slut on earth traveling to exotic locations all around the globe to insert things in her famous anus. Baguettes in Paris, the Colosseum in Rome, sushi in Tokyo, London; she'll take in all the local culture......literally. Mom-ager and co-producer Kris Jenner has even set up a special audience with Pope Francis and you won't wanna miss what HE puts in Kim's butt. 'Kim Takes Everything.....In The Butt' premiers on E! in January. Oh, and this is clearly made up.

MADONNA FRIDAY: FROZEN. IT'S COLD OUTSIDE,Y'ALL!!

In honor of having to wear gloves for the first time this season....... Madonna had undoubtedly bared her soul many times before the release of her 1998 album Ray of Light. Staring with 1989's Like A Prayer Madge had written about her personal life and inner thoughts many times, but with the release of Frozen, the first single from Ray of Light, things changed. Madonna released the song in the winter of 1998 and it was a complete departure from her earlier work. Only hinted at on Bedtime Stories with songs like Sanctuary and Bedtime Story, Ray of Light took electronic music and added emotion to create a mix that would impact the music industry. Frozen was lush strings, quiet vocals and stunning visuals all wrapped up in the already iconic image of Madonna. Acclaimed by music critics and fans alike, Frozen went to #2 on the Hot 100, making Madonna the artists with the most #2 hits in Billboard history, and #1 in the UK, Spain, France, Italy and Finland was a top 10 hit worldwide. The Chris Cunningham directed video was shot in the Mojave Desert and showed Madonna as an ethereal earth mother, floating and wielding the power of the elements and it displayed Madonna's (then-new) fascination with mysticism. It received an MTV VMA for Best Special Effects. Frozen is one of Madonna's most important singles because it symbolizes a shift in her music and her image. So on this day when it's starting to get frigid in NYC, here is Madonna's Frozen. Happy Madonna Friday!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: ASHLEE SIMPSON - AUTOBIOGRAPHY. SHE WAS A THING. A BIG THING.

10 years have past since Ashlee Simpson, Jessica's little sister, put out one of the best selling album of 2004, Autobiography. Boosted by the promotion MTV gave the process of making the album with the production of The Ashlee Simpson Show, Autobiography sold more than 2.5 million records in that year alone and went on to sell over 5 million worldwide. Yes. Ashlee Simpson sold 5 million copies of her debut album, and you know what.....she (and her songwriters) earned it. This album is pretty good, y'all!! I have it. I listen to it. It is nothing like her sister's music. Ashlee took a slightly more rough, rock vibe -- a la Avril Lavigne -- and set herself apart form her famous sibling in just the right way. Of course, Ashlee was a rougher version of Jessica as well. Autobiography came out before her much hyped nose job and, though still adorable, Ashlee took on a "be yourself" motto that would later come back to bite her in the ass after her surgery. Anyway, the singles from Autobiography were everywhere in 2004. Pieces of Me, the first and biggest hit from the album, hitting #5 on the Hot 100 and staying in the top 50 for seven months!!!! Shadow, the second single, was about living her life in the shadow of her older sibling. See what she did there? La La was released next. This is actually my favorite song from the album. It's pretty raunchy actually, considering Simpson was putting forth a clean image at the time, relatively. La La is pretty much about rough sex, y'all. Get it! Of course, all good things must come to an end and Ashlee's sales steadily declined with each of her next two albums. Her second album, I Am Me, DID manage to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, but no singles really caught on. Third album, the more hip-hop flavored Bittersweet World, debuted at #4 and quickly faded from the charts. She'll always have Autobiography though, and that not too shabby. Check out the singles below and enjoy 2004 all over again.

MADONNA RELEASED THE ALBUM LIKE A VIRGIN 30 YEARS AGO TODAY

WOW! 30 years ago today Madonna officially started her rise to power! Sure, Madonna's first self-titled debut album was very successful, so much so, in fact, that the single and album Like A Virgin had to be pushed back from April to November 1984 to accommodate releasing more singles from the first album. But Madonna patiently waited and finally performed the song Like A Virgin live on the very first MTV VMAs on September 14, 1984, shocking the audience, popping out of a cake in a wedding dress and her "BOYTOY" belt, and starting a revolution. She writhed her way to one of the most iconic performances of all time and, despite her manager saying she had just ruined her career, the album gained momentum VERY quickly. Like A Virgin, the album, reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart February 9, 1985 , but by July of that same year it became the first album by a female artist to reach sales of 5 million units in the US. The album's title track hit #1 on the Hot 100 on December 22, 1984 and stayed there for six weeks, becoming Madonna's first of 12 number-one singles. The video, shot in Venice, Italy, was sensual, girly and a perfect companion to take Madonna's girl-power, take-no-prisoners image to the next level. As a follow up Madonna released a song that she said she regrets ever releasing because it stuck her with a nickname she hates: Material Girl. We are glad she did. Further solidifying Madonna as an icon, Material Girl is undeniably one of her catchiest hits and also one of the most beloved. The video is absolutely a classic; Madonna as Marilyn. There's never been a better fit. Material Girl shot to #2 on the Hot 100, held off by REO Speedwagon's Keep On Loving You (what???), and briefly shared the top 5 with another Madonna single, Crazy For You, from the Vision Quest Soundtrack. (Crazy For You was later added to special editions of Like A Virgin, but was not originally on the album, so fuck that noise for now.) The one-two punch of Like A Virgin and Material Girl had Madonna on top of the world. The third single, and one that seems to be overlooked quite often, is the supremely light and lovely Angel. Angel became Madonna's fifth consecutive top 5 single on the Hot 100, reaching #5 in the summer of 1985. Though it did not have an accompanying video, Angel was released with a VERY famous B-side; Into The Groove. While a chart hit everywhere else in the world, Into The Groove was never officially released as a single in the US and therefore was ineligible to chart, but it was also added to later pressings of Like A Virgin. The fourth and final single released from Like A Virgin was the stylishly slinky Dress You Up. The last song to be included on the album, producer Nile Rogers initially was not sold on the song, but Madonna championed it and it eventually became her sixth consecutive top 5 single, hitting #5 in the winter of 1985. The music video was shot live on Madonna's Virgin Tour. Dress You Up was also famously added to The Filthy Fifteen, a list of songs complied by Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center in 1985 that they believed should be banned from radio for supposed adult content. HAHAHA!! Though not too far off stylistically from Madonna's debut album, Like A Virgin was definitely sharper and better produced, thanks to Chic's Nile Rogers. There was a sense of maturity that does not show on her debut. Any track could have easily been a single, from the bouncy pep-talk of Over and Over to the wanton loneliness of the final track Stay. Her cover of Rose Royce's 1978 song Love Don't Live Here Anymore is one of the first tracks on which Madonna-as-songstress appears, performing from her gut and showing that she could deliver a ballad. Critics and fans began to agree that Madonna was more than image and that Like A Virgin was a hit from beginning to end. Of course, the album and its singles are among the most famous of the 80s certainly, arguably ever, and to date the album has sold over 21 million copies worldwide. There is no denying the iconic images, videos and controversy the album produced and, because of all that, we are still here talking and reading about it 30 years later. Like A Virgin was Madonna's first #1 album and the birth of what would become THE pop star of this or any generation. Enjoy the singles below.

BETTE MIDLER NAILS 'BE MY BABY' ON THE TODAY SHOW

I love how much Bette we are getting these days!! The Divine Ms. M performed TLC's Waterfalls form her new girl-group inspired album It's The Girls on Jimmy Fallon two nights ago and yesterday gave us an excellent performance of The Ronette's Be My Baby on The Today Show. Go get her amazing new album now or you are a bad, bad person.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

MADONNA FRIDAY: GIRL GONE WILD

WOOHOO!!! Wanna take a peek at some man-cheek? Here's your chance. Madonna just can't help herself. She HAS to give us what we want. Madge's second single from her last album, MDNA, was grossly underappreciated but that didn't stop her from releasing one of her most glamorous, sexy videos in years with Girl Gone Wild. The electo-pop track's clip was directed by fashion photogs Mert and Marcus and features a bevy of studly men worshiping at the feet of the Queen. Madonna's looks amazing (obviously) and works it in some very high heels. What better way to get your ass moving on a Friday than by looking at some ass. Am I right, ladies?Here is the excellent Girl Gone Wild.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: BETTE MIDLER - BEAST OF BURDEN

In 1983 Bette Midler put out an album called No Frills. Not one of her big hits, it did produce one of my favorite Bette songs and an excellent cover in Beast of Burden. Originally recorded by The Rolling Stones in 1978, Bette's version stays true to the rock and roll feel of the song and the video even features Mick Jagger as Bette's no good boyfriend. It's great!!! Bette's version hit #71 on the Hot 100 and she still performs it occasionally in concert. The video is a real treat so you should watch it or I'll ruin your life. Bette Midler the a goddess. Get her new album It's The Girls now.

LORDE RELEASES VIDEO FOR HUNGER GAMES SONG 'YELLOW FLICKER BEAT'

Lorde is charge of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack, y'all. She is 4 years old. Here is her own entry to the soundtrack, the excellent Yellow Flicker Beat. As per usual, Lorde is a little creepy and disconcerting in the surreal video, but that's just how I like my teens, creepy and disconcerting. Yay!! Anyway, check out the clip and the song below and like it.

MIRANDA LAMBERT JOINS MEGHAN TRAINOR ON 'ALL ABOUT THAT BASS' AT THE CMAs

A little pop snuck its way in the CMAs this year! Again. No, it wasn't newly popped-out Taylor Swift, but country queen Miranda Lambert dueting with new pop star Meghan Trainor on her #1 hit All About That Bass. The song is about women being empowered in their own bodies and, though Miranda has certainly slimmed down recently, she has gone through a lot of trash about her body image over the years. I'm sure that's why this cute, countrified duet happened. Watch and enjoy. All About That Bass just gave up the #1 spot on the Hot 100 this week to Taylor Swift's Shake It Off after eight weeks at the peak. Meghan Trainor's debut album, Title, is due January 13th and available for pre-order on iTunes now. Hurry up, girl!

BETTE MIDLER PERFORMS TLC'S 'WATERFALLS' ON JIMMY FALLON

S

till as divine as ever, Better Midler stopped by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last night to promote her excellent new album It's The Girls (out now) and treated us all with her cover of TLC's Waterfalls. The 68-year-old!!!! diva can still captivate an audience like no one else. Watch below and go get her album, people!! She'd get yours!

TAYLOR SWIFT DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE, SELLS RECORDS. A LOT OF THEM.

In this age of illegal downloads and digital singles, Taylor Swift has once again done the impossible: she sold over 1.287 million copies of her latest album 1989 in one week.  WOW! Seriously, NO ONE has sold a million records with their sales combined in this entire year. Taylor just surpassed every artist for the entire year in one week!!! The only album that has sold more is the Frozen Soundtrack, which was released last year, and this year has sold 3.2 million copies. Little girls buy fucking records, guys!!! I was definitely one of the 1.297 million who bough Taylor's album and if you don't like it you can suck it. It's good, y'all! Taylor's last two albums also sold over a million copies in their first week. 2010's Speak Now sold 1.047 million and 2012's Red sold 1.21 million. This makes Swift the first artist ever to have three albums sell over a million copies in one week. Damn!! She did not, however, break the record for the most albums sold in a week by a female artist. That record is still held by Britney Spears' Oops....I Did It Again, which sold 1.3 million in 2000. "It IS Britney, bitch" says Spears. Taylor's new single, the second from 1989, Blank Space is set to impact radio November 10th.

SINEAD O'CONNOR RELEASES THE EMOTIONAL TRACK '8 GOOD REASON'. MIND = BLOWN.

Sinead O'Connor has never been one to hide her feelings. As a matter of fact -- and much to her own detriment -- she often can't help herself. It doesn't always make for good publicity, but what it DOES make for is great music. Her latest album, I'm Not Bossy, I'm The Boss, is very emotional and one of her finest albums since her 80s/90s heyday. Sinead has stated that the songs on the album are written from the point of view of four different characters, one being herself, and there's no doubt new single 8 Good Reasons is about Sinead. The song talks about a very dark time involving "a bullet and a red light" when O'Connor was thinking about ending her life, but how she found hope in things to live for. With lines like, "You know I love to make music but my head got wrecked by the business" you know we are talking about Sinead. It's quite a stunning song and a brave statement from a woman who has had her share of troubles in this life. I've posted the lyrics below the beautiful video so you can read them because we all need a little hope sometimes and a reminder that there is so much to live for. Enjoy and I hope you get as much hope from this song as I do.


 Don't know if I should quite sing this song.
Don't know if it maybe might be wrong
But then again it maybe might be right
to tell you about the bullet and the red light
You know I'm not from this place
I'm from a different time, different space
And it's real uncomfortable
to be stuck somewhere you just don't belong
 But I've got 8 good reasons to stick around
8 good reasons... Well, maybe 9 now.
I had a dream one night About a bullet and a red light
You know it felt alright
You know it actually felt quite nice
If I coulda gone
Without hurting anyone
Like a child I'd find me mum
Like a bird I woulda been flown
You know I don't much like life
I don't mind admitting that it ain't right
You know I love to make music
But my head got wrecked by the business
Everybody wants something from me
They really ever wanna just know me
I became the stranger no one sees
Cut glass off crawl upon my knees
I had a dream one night About a bullet and a red light
You know it felt alright
You know it actually felt quite nice
But I've got 8 good reasons to stick around
8 good reasons... Well, maybe 9 now.

NEW ADORE DELANO: MY ADDRESS IS HOLLYWOOD

Adore Delano is one of the most successful drag queens to ever hit the mainstream pop charts and her album, Till Death Do Us Party, has now released is SIXTH song/video with My Address Is Hollywood. Finding our starlet in a more introspective mood, My Address Is Hollywood is the story of a girl coming to the City of Angels to make a name for herself. Beautifully directed by Jayson Whitmore, the video gives Adore the opportunity to show off lots of sickening looks and let the world know that she's more than a party girl. But she's that too. Take a look below and get her fucking album, you guys!!! Here's My Address Is Hollywood.

LADY GAGA COVERS 4 NON BLONDES CLASSIC 'WHAT'S UP'

Lady Gaga is touring the world on her ArtRave: The Artpop Ball trek and every now and then she'll throw in a little surprise for the fans. Well a few nights ago in Vienna she wowed the crowed with an oldie but a goodie, What's Up by 4 Non Blondes. Gaga can deliver a rocker when she wants to, y'all!! What's Up, written by one of today's top songwriters Linda Perry for her then-group 4 Non Blondes, was released in 1993 as the second single from their debut album Bigger, Better, Faster, More! and hit #14 on the Hot 100, eventually landing at #50 on the year-end chart for 1993. It has since been covered by about a bajillion artists, and now Gaga is putting her stank on it. I like. Watch. ArtRave: The Artpop Ball will end its run in Paris on November 24th.

ALL EIGHT MINUTES OF PRINCE'S ELECTRIC SNL PERFORMANCE

Need I say more?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! SCARY MUSIC VIDEOS FOR YOU TO DEVOUR!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, WITCHES!! Hope you are having a frightfully good day! See what I did there? Shutever. I tried. To help you get your scary on today I have compiled a few videos that will make you shake your pumpkin-butt. I may be getting a little too old for Halloween, but I refuse to give into society's ideas of age and appropriateness. Plus I want to see what all the hot twinks are dressed up as this year. Slutty superhero? Slutty doctor? Slutty Guardian of the Galaxy? Slut. Anyhoozers.......First up is the scariest bitch in the land, Sharon Needles, with her new Halloween classic, Call Me On The Ouija Board. I dare you not to scare up a shimmy for this one.


 Now Natalia Kills -- well -- kills IT with Zombie. This is scary sexy, y'all!!!!


Since I love all you little ghouls and goblins out there so much, here is my fave "scary" song by Leslie Hall ft. Elvira, Zombie Killers Revisited. There are no words to describe how happy this song and video make me. Pure camp-tastic fun. Watch and learn how to kill zombies. By the way, the lyrics left out of the chorus after "shoot them in the brains if you want to live. Shoot them in the brains..." is "even the little kids". Ha. Twisted!!! Watch. Trick or treat!


ALL RIGHT. YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING, RIGHT? I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU PUT UP VIDEOS ABOUT HALLOWEEN WITHOUT INCLUDING THE SCARIEST VIDEO OF ALL TIME???!!!! I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID AND I SAW THIS, IT SCARED THE B'JESUS OUT OF ME FOR MONTHS!!! I STILL PEE A LITTLE WHEN I WATCH IT. DON'T TELL ANYONE, UNLESS THEY LIKE BEING PEED ON. THEN GO AHEAD AND TELL THEM I GUESS. THE SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE STILL PRETTY GOOD EVEN TODAY. SIT BACK, RELAX AND ENJOY THRILLER. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

MADONNA FRIDAY: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! MADONNA'S GHOSTLIEST SONG ' SUPERNATURAL'

There are lots of rare or unreleased Madonna songs out there, but this song is the Halloween-iest of her gems. Supernatural was released on the compilation Red Hot + Dance, an album that raised funds for AIDS research and relief, though on that album it was in remix form. This is the original version that appeared as a B-side to the single Cherish. It was originally recorded during the sessions for True Blue. I love this song. It finds Madonna being visited by a ghost who becomes her lover. It's fun and campy with lyrics that wonder, if Madonna made love to this spirit would she have a "ghost baby". Ha. Oh, Madge. Anyway, for you Halloween listening pleasure, here is Supernatural in it's original form and, as a bonus, a recent remix Supernatural (Guyomes Supaduppa Remix) Happy Madonna Friday!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: CULTURE CLUB

Ah, the 80s. Our collars were popped, our pants were rolled and family values were abundant. Oh, and Boy George was not gay. HA!! People actually fell for that for a while. Even after he called himself a drag queen while accepting the Best New Artist award at the Grammy in 1984! But I need to go back a bit. Culture Club was born out of London's club scene in the early 1980s. Boy George had sung with Bow Wow Wow for a while and upon leaving the group wanted to form his own. With an Irish transvestite as the lead singer, a black guy on bass, an Anglo-Saxon on guitar and keyboards and a Jewish drummer, naturally they came up with the name Culture Club. It didn't take too long for the band to get attention and they were signed by Virgin Records. Their first album, Kissing To Be Clever ( #14 US,  #5 UK), was a huge, worldwide hit and spawned the hit singles Do You Really Want to Hurt Me (#2 US, #1 UK), Time (Clock of the Heart) (#2 US, #3 UK) and I'll Tumble 4 Ya (#9 US) . Culture Club was the first band to have three top ten hits in the US off of a debut album since The Beatles. Not too shabby. In 1983 the band released the follow up album, Colour By Numbers ( #2 US,  #1 UK), and continued their streak of hits with Church of the Poison Mind (#10 US, #2 UK), their biggest single  Karma Chameleon (#1 US, #1 UK), Victims (#3 UK), Miss Me Blind (#5 US) and It's a Miracle (#4 UK, #13 US). It was around this time that the band started to implode. Boy George was heavy into drugs and his (secret) relationship with drummer John Moss was going south fast. By the time Culture Club released Waking Up with the House On Fire (#26 US, #2 UK) in 1984, they were barely holding it together. The only true hit single on the album was The War Song (#17 US, #2 UK) while The Medal Song (#32 UK) and Mistake No. 3 (#33 US) barely scraped the Top 40. The album was a disappointment only selling 2.7 million copies worldwide. Their 1986 album From Luxury to Heartache (#32 US, #10 UK) was recorded with George in the throes of heroin addiction and was a very difficult process. Producer Arif Mardin had to leave halfway through the process due to prior commitments and George's inability to record tracks. They did manage one hit off of the album with Move Away (#12 US, #7 UK), but From Luxury to Heartache only sold 1 million copies worldwide ultimately and George quickly entered rehab for his drug addiction. The band broke up. The band has reunited a couple of times, even producing another UK hit with I Just Wanna Be Loved (#4 UK) in 1998. George has battled drugs throughout his time in the spotlight, but has also enjoyed some solo success, most recently with his 2013 album This is What I Do (#33 UK). Culture Club is one of the most recognizable, successful bands of the 80s and has left an indelible mark on pop culture musically and visually. Here are some of my personal favorite Culture Club tracks, including their song from the amazing 80s movie Electric Dreams, Love Is Love. Enjoy and bow down to 80s!!

SAMPLER OF EVERY SONG ON BETTE MIDLER'S NEW ALBUM, 'IT'S THE GIRLS'

It's gonna be good....