Madonna stirred up so much controversy that it was hard to keep up with it.
You remember "Like a Virgin," "Like a Prayer," and "Vogue." However, the Material Girl gave us countless fantastic songs that don't get as much radio play as those hits. Some of these tracks were provocative, and others shocked us even when they were innocuous on a surface level.
All these controversies deserve a retrospective. Some might think they were truly offensive, and others might think they were blown out of proportion. Regardless, each song is worth a listen.
How could we have forgotten these Madonna controversies?
Perhaps the most significant tune was targeted during an infamous censorship campaign by a future Second Lady of the United States. It wasn't even one of Madonna's edgier songs! It's barely suggestive. The song might get played on Disney Channel these days.
"Dress You Up"
This tongue-in-cheek tune isn't that sexual. However, activist Tipper Gore was not having any of it. She added it to her "Filthy Fifteen" list of depraved songs. Her campaign against vulgarity ended with the addition of the "Parental Advisory" warning on explicit albums, changing music forever.
"Live to Tell"
The Queen of Pop's first big ballad, "Live to Tell," is G-rated. However, she performed it on a disco ball cross during her Confessions Tour while images of suffering children worldwide were projected on a screen behind her. Some saw this as a mockery of Jesus. Madonna insisted that nothing about the performance was sacrilegious.
"Hanky Panky"
This jazz number from Dick Tracy is an ode to BDSM. In it, Madonna sings, "I'll settle for the back of your hand / Somewhere on my behind." Some interpreted those lines as being about violence against women. Perhaps that's why "Hanky Panky" no longer gets much airplay.
"Erotica"
How could anyone write a song called "Erotica" in 1992 without it being considered obscene? Long before Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty" or Rihanna's "S&M," Madonna was bringing rough sex into pop culture. Today, "Erotica" is mainly remembered for its music video, which looks like an underground film. The song is an effortless fusion of Madonna's pop stylings and 1990s rap.
"What It Feels Like for a Girl"
This New Age song has a spoken-word intro about women's place in society. That's not what put "What It Feels Like for a Girl" on this list. Instead, the high-octane music video got banned from MTV for its action movie violence. The music video makes the case for Madonna playing the lead in Kill Bill: Volume 3.