Top 10 Alert!
Gold Record Alert!
Song#: 2888 Date: 10/04/1986
Debut: 40
Peak: 3
Weeks: 16
Genre: Pop
Pop Bits: Following the #1 success of the controversial tune "Papa Don't Preach," the second single from her third LP True Blue, Madonna scaled things back a bit and released this title track song as a follow-up. The retro doo wop-ish 50s sound of the tune with it's sunshiny love-inspired lyrics was a bit different for Madonna. Still, fans and record buyers ate it up and the single became Madonna's tenth consecutive to reach the Pop Top 10. It also got to #5 at AC and #6 Dance. It would sell well enough to become her fifth gold single. The hit kept sales of the album brisk as it remained lodged in the Top 10.
ReduxReview: This ended up being a really good choice for a single, but it wasn't my favorite from the album. It was a light, fluffy confection that helped put a little more distance between Madonna and her boy-toy image. The song's retro Motown girl group feel fits Madonna's voice well and it was an easy song to digest. For me, it was just a bit too saccharine and simple. I got bored with it on repeated listens and would typically skip this song when listening to the album. However, it was an endearing song that many folks loved and it worked in her favor.
ReduxRating: 5/10
Trivia: There were two videos shot for this song. The first one was the official video that starred Madonna. It reflected the 50s feel of the tune with Madonna and three backup singers/dancers who portray her friends. It is basically shot on an all blue sound stage that is at various times vaguely decorated like a diner and a park. They also perform the song while in a white '57 Thunderbird. (Note that one of Madonna's actual friends, Debi Mazar, is one of the girls in the video. Mazar went on to have a successful acting career in TV and film.) The second video was the result of a contest. In conjunction with MTV, Madonna's label, Sire, ran a contest where anyone could make a video to "True Blue" and send it in. It was titled the "Madonna's Make My Video" contest and MTV devoted one day of programming to show nothing but the submitted entries. A top ten was selected based on popularity and in the end a video made by Angel Garcia and Cliff Guest won the contest. They were flown to New York where Madonna awarded them with a check for $25k. The win helped Guest get a job at Geffen Records as an in-house video developer/producer/director.
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7/10 for me, not one of Madonna's best songs but I do remember watching multiple videos of Madonna's "True Blue" back in the Fall of 1986, I do feel nostalgic watching the music video but she IMO had much better songs of her career.
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