Q’s The 1001 Best Songs Ever

The 148-page Q Special Edition “The 1001 Best Songs …To Beg, Buy, Borrow And Download Right Now” presents the instant music collection that’s guaranteed to make your life better.

Madonna (of course) is the female singer featured the most. Here’s the ranking – in no particular order. This is what they had to say about a few of Mads’ tracks in their 1001 best songs ever:

Best for when your feet won’t fail you:
Ray Of Light

What it does: Launches itself from some of William Orbit’s most restrained electronic gurgles in to a dancefloor monster. Madonna sounds both utterly consumed by the music and, typically, totally in control of it. It marked a glittering return to form after a couple of dodgy albums.

Best for falling back in love with (the queen of) pop:
Music

What it does: Harks back to all-singing, all-dancing, all-fun,pre-Kabbalah Madonna. Joyfully nonsensical lyrics (“music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebels.” do what exactly?) and a slick disco beat make it pure pleasure.

Best for Roman Catholics:
Like A Prayer
What it does: Slams gospel into a headlock and forces it to take part in the sexiest Holy Communion ever. The choir testifying gloriously over Madonna’s wide-eyed, disingenuous little-girl-lost routine is one of the boldest moments of late 80’s pop – the more so when the song suddenly strips down to an acapella vocal, minus drum machine, and everyone keeps dancing….

Best shortly before a cold shower:
Justify My Love
What it does: Provides Madonna’s sexiest smorgasbord of sticky sweet nothings (which is saying something) but kind of evil and creepy, too, as it pulses darkly with a beat sampled off Public Enemy’s Fear Of A Black Planet. “Tell me your fears – Are you scared?” Too bloody right we’re scared! But, somehow….aroused as well.

Best fo blowdrying your hair to:
Into The Groove
What it does: Enrols you in Mrs Ciccone-Ritchie’s patented crash course on the rhythm method, enhanced by freshly minted Synclavier sounds that remain among the most distinctive of the era, marking it out as a radical leap forward from the self-conscious kitch of Material Girl.

Top Ten Pop (Which makes you jitter like a toddler – and is not as dumb as it sounds):
Holiday
Bobbying to the cutest synth bass and Madonna’s helium vocals, all sugary and carefree, it’s pinky-perky optimism is infectious. A wave of overwhelming joy, it makes days off seem like the answer to everything.

Source: Q Magazine
Special thanks to Terry (aka zen)