FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Madonna’s 56 Dance Singles, Ranked

The Material Girl turned 56 on Saturday. Today, we celebrate one dance record for each year of her life.

From the early days of MTV to the Super Bowl, there is no question that Madonna has shaped pop culture. What some forget is how her music was born in the dance scene of early 80s New York City, particularly at the legendary club, Danceteria. At her core, Madonna is a dance artist.

This coming November will mark thirty years since the release of "Like a Virgin," Madonna's first global hit and platinum-selling single. This past Saturday, the Material Girl celebrated her 56th birthday. Between now and November, THUMP is celebrating her impact on dance music and a discography that shaped it like few others with Madonna Mondays.

Advertisement

From working with house music icons like Jellybean Benitez and Nile Rodgers to championing once-unknown electronica stars like Mirwais and William Orbit, Madonna's catalog is a pop rendition of thirty years of dance music sounds. Even when radio stopped playing her music after the early 2000s, she still racked up dance hits, thanks to her fiercely loyal fans in clubland, racking up an unparalleled 56 top-ten charted hits on the Billboard Dance/Club charts (57 if you count her feature on Britney Spears' "Me Against the Music," not ranked here).

Still, some hits are better than others. In consultation with Madonna experts, dance aficionados and a selected set of superfans, we've ranked them here from best to worst. From the underground-mining "Vogue," the spiritually-driven "Like a Prayer," and the disco-sampling "Hung Up," it's clear that Madonna's best work happens when its most connected to her dancefloor roots. As for her most recent single, "Turn Up the Radio" … we have no comment.

If you want to get into the groove, strike a pose, or get hung up, we'll take you there.

1. "Vogue" (1990)
written and produced by Madonna, Shep Pettibone

2. "Like a Prayer" (1989)
written and produced by Madonna, Patrick Leonard

3. "Into the Groove (1985)
written and produced by Madonna, Stephen Bray

4. "Express Yourself" (1989) written and produced by Madonna, Stephen Bray

5. "Hung Up" (2005)
written by Madonna, Stuart Price, sample written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus (ABBA); produced by Madonna, Stuart Price

Advertisement

6. "Like a Virgin" (1984)
written by Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly; produced by Nile Rodgers

7. "Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
written by Brian Elliot, Madonna; produced by Madonna, Stephen Bray

8. "Deeper and Deeper" (1992)
written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone, Anthony Shimkin; produced by Madonna, Shep Pettibone

9. "Lucky Star" (1983)
written by Madonna; produced by Reggie Lucas; remixed by Jellybean Benitez

10. "Material Girl" (1984)
written by Peter Brown, Robert Rans; produced by Nile Rodgers

11. "Erotica" (1992)
written by Madonna, Shep Pettibone, Anthony Shimkin, samples written by Kool & the Gang; produced by Shep Pettibone

12. "Burning Up" (1983)
written by Madonna; produced by Reggie Lucas

13. "Justify My Love" (1990)
written by Lenny Kravitz, Ingrid Chavez, Madonna; produced by Lenny Kravitz, André Betts

14. "Everybody" (1982)
written by Madonna; produced by Mark Kamins

15. "Dress You Up" (1985)
written by Andrea LaRusso, Peggy Stanziale; produced by Nile Rodgers

16. "Open Your Heart" (1986)
written by Madonna, Gardner Cole, Peter Rafelson; produced by Patrick Leonard

17. "Secret" (1994)
written by Madonna, Dallas Austin, Shep Pettibone; produced by Madonna, Dallas Austin

18. "Holiday" (1983)
written by Curtis Hudson, Lisa Stevens; produced by Jellybean Benitez

19. "Borderline" (1984)
written and produced by Reggie Lucas

20. "Frozen" (1998)
written by Madonna, Patrick Leonard; produced by Madonna, William Orbit, Patrick Leonard

Advertisement

21. "Crazy for You" (1985)
written by John Bettis, Jon Lind; produced by Jellybean Benitez

22. "Human Nature" (1995)
written and produced by Madonna, Dave Hall, samples written by Shawn McKenzie, Kevin McKenzie, Milo Deering (Main Source)

23. "La Isla Bonita" (1987)
written by Madonna, Patrick Leonard, Bruce Gaitsch; produced by Madonna, Patrick Leonard

24. "Angel" (1985)
written by Madonna, Stephen Bray; produced by Nile Rodgers

25. "Get Together" (2006)
written by Madonna, Anders Bagge, Peer Åström, Stuart Price; produced by Madonna, Stuart Price

26. "Girl Gone Wild" (2012)
written by Madonna, Jenson Vaughan, Benny Benassi, Alle Benassi; produced by Madonna, Benny Benassi, Alle Benassi

27. "Nothing Really Matters" (1999)
written by Madonna, Patrick Leonard; produced by Madonna, William Orbit, Marius De Vries

28. "Ray of Light" (1998)
written by Madonna, William Orbit, Clive Muldoon, Dave Curtiss, Christine Leach; produced by Madonna, William Orbit

29. "Music" (2000)
written and produced by Madonna, Mirwais

30. "Die Another Day" (2002)
written and produced by Madonna, Mirwais

31. "Causing a Commotion" (1987)
written and produced by Madonna, Stephen Bray

32. "Don't Tell Me"(2000)
written by Madonna, Mirwais, Joe Henry; produced by Madonna, Mirwais

33. "Bedtime Story" (1995)
written by Björk, Nellee Hooper, Marius De Vries; produced by Madonna, Nellee Hooper

34. "Jump" (2006)
written by Madonna, Stuart Price, Joe Henry; produced by Madonna, Stuart Price

Advertisement

35. "Sorry" (2006)
written and produced by Madonna, Stuart Price

36. "Rescue Me" (1991)
written and produced by Madonna, Shep Pettibone

37. "Nothing Fails" (2003)
written by Madonna, Guy Sigsworth, Jem Griffiths; produced by Madonna, Mirwais, Spike Stent

38. "Fever" (1993)
written by Eddie Cooley, John Davenport; produced by Madonna, Shep Pettibone

39. "Hollywood" (2003)
written and produced by Madonna, Mirwais

40. "Give It 2 Me" (2008)
written by Madonna, Pharrell Williams; produced by Madonna, The Neptunes

41. "What It Feels Like for a Girl" (2001)
written by Madonna, Guy Sigsworth, sample by David Torn; produced by Madonna, Guy Sigsworth, Spike Stent

42. "American Life" (2003)
written and produced by Madonna, Mirwais

43. "True Blue" (1986)
written and produced by Madonna, Stephen Bray

44. "Rain" (1993)
written and produced by Madonna, Shep Pettibone

45. "Celebration" (2009)
written by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold, Ian Green, Ciaran Gribbin; produced by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold, Ian Green; remix by Benny Benassi

46. "Keep It Together" (1990)
written and produced by Madonna, Stephen Bray

47. "Spotlight" (1988)
written by Madonna, Stephen Bray, Curtis Hudson; produced by Stephen Bray

48. "Beautiful Stranger" (1999)
written and produced by Madonna, William Orbit

49. "Miles Away"(2008)
written and produced by Madonna, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Danja

50. "Revolver" (2009)
written by Madonna, Lil Wayne, DJ Frank E, Carlos and Steven Battey (The Jackie Boyz), Brandon Kitchen; produced by Madonna, DJ Frank E

Advertisement

51. "Love Profusion" (2003)
written and produced by Madonna, Mirwais

52. "4 Minutes" (2008)
written by Madonna, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Danja; produced by Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Danja

53. "Give Me All Your Luvin" (2012)
written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., Michael Tordjman; produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig

54. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" (1996)
written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice; produced by Nigel Wright, Alan Parker, Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Caddick; remix by Madonna, Pablo Flores, Javier Garza

55. "American Pie" (2000)
written by Don McLean; produced by Madonna, William Orbit

56. "Turn Up the Radio" (2012)
written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Michael Tordjman, Jade Williams; produced by Madonna, Martin Solveig

We love divas:
Kiesza is Ready to Take the World by Storm
Meet The Vocalist Behind Your Favorite Tracks
Meet the Queen Bitch of the Hardstyle Universe, Lady Faith