Club Queen...

Madonna earns her record-extending 43rd No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play Songs chart, as “Turn Up the Radio” lifts 2-1. (The ranking will refresh on Billboard.com Thursday, Aug. 30.)

“Turn up the Radio” is Madonna’s third Dance/Club Play Songs No. 1 from “MDNA,” which bowed atop the Billboard 200 the week of April 14. “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., led the week of March 31, while “Girl Gone Wild” reached No. 1 just three weeks later.

“Turn up the Radio” is headed for radio, too: Interscope Records begins seeking airplay for the song at mainstream top 40 stations on Sept. 25.

With her 43rd leading title on Dance/Club Play Songs, Madonna pulls further away from runner-up Janet Jackson, who has 19. Beyonce and Rihanna follow with 18 No. 1s each, trailed by Kristine W (16) and Mariah Carey (15).

Looking forward, with one more No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs, the Material Girl would claim even more historic honors. Upon her latest coronation, Madonna is now one No. 1 away from tying George Strait’s record for the most toppers on any single Billboard chart. The King of Country has sat at the Country Songs chart’s throne with 44 titles between 1981 and 2009. With one more No. 1 on Dance/Club Play Songs, the Queen of Pop would tie Strait for unmatched Billboard chart royalty.

Given her multi-format appeal, as opposed to Strait’s status as a country-exclusive act (and an unparalleled one, at that), Madonna leads not only Strait but also all artists for the most No. 1s on all Billboard charts combined. With “Turn up the Radio” ruling Dance/Club Play Songs, Madonna logs her record-extending 156th leader on an active, current-based domestic Billboard survey.

Here’s a breakdown of Madonna’s No. 1 sums on active, current-based U.S. charts: 43, Dance/Club Play Songs; 33, Hot Dance Singles Sales; 15, Hot Singles Sales; 12, Billboard Hot 100; 9, Radio Songs; 9, Music Video Sales; 8, Billboard 200; 7, Dance/Mix Show Airplay; 5, Adult Contemporary; 4, Internet Albums; 3, Digital Albums; 2, Dance/Electronic Albums; 2, Digital Songs; 2, Hot Digital Tracks; 1, Pop Songs; 1, Tastemaker Albums.

Here is an updated look at Madonna’s 43 Dance/Club Play Songs No. 1s, beginning with the double-sided single “Holiday”/”Lucky Star,” which reached the top the week of Sept. 24, 1983. (For titles that spent multiple weeks at No. 1, total frames in the lead are noted in parentheses).

1983, “Holiday”/”Lucky Star” (five weeks at No. 1)

1984, “Like a Virgin” (three)

1985, “Material Girl”

1985, “Angel”/”Into the Groove”

1987, “Open Your Heart”

1987, “Causing a Commotion (Remix)”

1988, “You Can Dance (LP Cuts)”

1989, “Like a Prayer” (two)

1989, “Express Yourself” (three)

1990, “Keep It Together”

1990, “Vogue” (two)

1991, “Justify My Love” (two)

1992, “Erotica”

1993, “Deeper and Deeper”

1993, “Fever”

1994, “Secret” (two)

1995, “Bedtime Story”

1997, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”

1998, “Frozen” (two)

1998, “Ray of Light” (four)

1999, “Nothing Really Matters” (two)

1999, “Beautiful Stranger” (two)

2000, “American Pie”

2000, “Music” (five)

2001, “Don’t Tell Me”

2001, “What It Feels Like for a Girl”

2001, “Impressive Instant” (two)

2002, “Die Another Day” (two)

2003, “American Life”

2003, “Hollywood”

2003, “Me Against the Music,” Britney Spears featuring Madonna (two)

2004, “Nothing Fails”

2004, “Love Profusion”

2005, “Hung Up” (four)

2006, “Sorry” (two)

2006, “Get Together”

2006, “Jump” (two)

2008, “4 Minutes,” Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland (two)

2008, “Give It 2 Me”

2009, “Celebration”

2012, “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” Madonna featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.

2012, “Girl Gone Wild”

2012, “Turn Up the Radio”

Source: Billboard.com



Also: the European leg of the MDNA Tour has now finished - with EVERY SINGLE SHOW a sell out!

Here is what the wonderful Liz Smith wrote about the opening night of the tour in the US:

"Able to face fear or danger without flinching...resolute...invulnerable...valiant... venturesome." That is a portion of the dictionary definition of the word "fearless."

I don't know Madonna well enough (believe it or not) to assess that she is actually without fear as a woman, or a human being. In fact she has admitted to being just as, if not more, insecure, than the average person. Fame and constant scrutiny does that to a person. She is far softer and more vulnerable than her public persona suggests. I know that, for sure. But whatever she is with her children, her man, her issues, she remains without a doubt one the most fearless and true-to-herself artists in the world. Madonna kicked off the American leg of her "MDNA" tour in Philadelphia on Monday night. She was full of patriotism, praised America's freedom of speech, demanded the release of the imprisoned Russian performance artists Pussy Riot and denounced homophobia, as she has been doing for the last quarter century. (Long before Lady Gaga was telling her "little monsters" that they were "Born That Way," Madonna was exhorting her fans to "express themselves" and was in the forefront of the AIDS crisis.)

"MDNA" is what has become the standard mix for a Madonna show--mind-blowing brilliance, dazzling sets, incredible dancing. And then there's the stuff she does because she wants to! She is intent on taking her audience on a journey. Sometimes they are not ready for this journey. They want to groove on the old 1980s/90s jams, presented just as Madonna did in her famous videos. (Tough luck.) Madonna would wither and die if she had to repeat herself over and over. She is not messing with her fans, she's making sure they've grown up. Yeah, and that is despite the campy majorette outfit she wears at one point. She's not pretending time hasn't passed. She's a woman still young, still full of fun. (And wait until you see her marching band, in mid-air, elevated above the crowd!)

In "MDNA" Madonna gives her fans classics such as "Open Your Heart," "Vogue" "Express Yourself" "Human Nature" and "Like a Virgin." But, as in the case of "Like a Virgin," she has totally transformed the chirpy ode to being "shiny and new," into something almost unbearably dark. Is it pain? Is it pleasure? Is she suffering? Is she in ecstasy? Don't ask me, and don't ask Madonna. She hates to explain herself. She is far happier when the audience either makes up its own mind, or never does. Madonna considers herself a work in progress and she gives her audience the same respect. If you don't get it, don't worry. It's life. Who can explain life?

Madonna, in her own words, about the tour:

My show

Is a journey.

The journey of a soul from darkness to light

It is part cinematic musical theatre.

Part spectacle and sometimes intimate Performance art.

But above all its a journey

From darkness to light

From anger to love.

From chaos to order.

It's true there is a lot of violence in the beginning of the show and sometimes the use of fake guns - but they are used as metaphors.

I do not condone violence or the use of guns.

Rather they are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging. In my case its wanting to stop the lies and hypocrisy of the church, the intolerance of many narrow minded cultures and societies I have experienced throughout my life and in some cases the pain I have felt from having my heart broken.

Ultimately as we follow through the journey of my story, the audience can see quite clearly what I see -

That the enemy is within and the only way to survive Disappointment Disapproval Judgment Heartbreak Jealousy Envy And Hatred Is with Love - not with revenge - not with guns and not with violence.

In spite of all the chaos and darkness and intolerance we seem to be encountering more and more in the world,

We cannot allow our anger or bitterness to swallow us up.

We come to understand that

There is an innate and pure love inside us all and we have to find a way to tap into it.

And we can't do it by being victims or placing the blame or pointing the finger at others.

But by recognizing that the enemy is within

And when we come to terms with it

And accept it

And struggle to change ourselves,

Then we can change the world without hurting anyone and we can inspire others to do the same.

When you watch a film there are usually good guys and bad guys to help illustrate this point, Sometimes I play both.

I enjoy acting out this journey.

For none of us are perfect and we all have our own journey of growth to go on.

I know people can relate to it.

It's very important to me as an artist that my show not be taken out of context.

It must be watched with an open heart from beginning to end. I am sure if it is viewed this way, the viewer will walk away feeling inspired, Invigorated and will want to make the world a better place.

And this of course was always my intention.