46. Don't Cry for Me Argentina* (1996) A classic song, it's strange that it wasn't the first single from the album/movie. Madonna's version is brilliant, though not as haunting as Sinead O'Connor's. Again, as with the other Evita singles, the music video shows footage of the movie. I like Madonna in this movie, it suits her since she doesn't have to act, just sing and perform. Such a contrast to the Bedtime Stories and Erotica era that preceded it. #3
47. Another Suitcase in Another Hall* (1997) A third ballad from Evita - why not the upbeat Buenos Aires? More clips from the movie. I want to watch it again! #7
48. Frozen (1998) And we finally reach the Ray of Light era, and Frozen, which was the first Madonna track I was aware of, and was completely different to anything that came before. This and The Immaculate Collection introduced me to Madonna when I was a teenager, and I've not looked back! In this video, Madonna is clad in a long, black dress, with long, black tresses. Several of these Madonna's dance ethereally on a beach/desert/quarry/scorched earth? as black crows, dogs and horses are conjured from the air. The video perfectly suits the laid back vocals. Madonna is really toned down in both her style of singing and in the video. I'd go so far as to say that this is my all-time favourite Madonna track, and one of the best videos to accompany it. #149. Ray of Light (1998) A more upbeat single, and a much more frenetic video! Madonna's back to a familiar blonde (though not platinum!) and superimposed over scenes of a life in a city, played at double speed, as time-lapse footage. The video showcases a more grown-up Madonna, not flashing her bits or generating controversy, it feels like the music is coming from a new place. Madonna's not even featured in this video that much, there seem to be more scenes of city life. I like the bit towards the end where everything slows down a little and Madonna is not convulsing across the screen, but framed by an orange sunset, until life begins again, at night, and at this point she actually takes part in the city-scenes, dancing manically in the disco. An amazing four minutes, visually and aurally. #2
50. Drowned World/Substitute for Love* (1998) Not a double-A side, but a song with two titles for some reason. This single slows things down a bit, more Frozen than Ray of Light. The video finds Madonna being bundled into a limo amidst baying fans. Hiding behind her hair and sunglasses in the back of the limo, Madonna laments the pressures of fame as paparazzi on motorbikes try to take her photo. Arriving at her venue, she walks alone through the back corridors to a party, which she quickly flees. The video is showing that fame is a substitute for love, until she arrives home to her daughter, at which point Madonna seems happy. Awww. #10
51. The Power of Good-Bye (1998) Black-haired Madonna plays chess with an attractive young man, while also singing in front of a large curtain. The video makes Madonna look strikingly beautiful, maybe it's the brunette look? She soon decides she doesn't like chess, and brushes all the pieces to the floor to kiss her friend instead, which she immediately regrets and goes out on the balcony to think about what she's done. Out she goes to the beach to have a cry, and then it appears that she's killed herself in the surf, but she hasn't really. A gorgeous video, with a song to match. The Ray of Light era continues to impress. #6
52. Nothing Really Matters* (1999) The final single from Ray of Light, and the video is in a much more surreal vein to the singles that preceded it. Madonna is almost unrecognisable in white face makeup, with a red stripe across her eyes, dressed in a big black bin-bag-kimono. Until the track speeds up, and she's in a red kimono, getting a bit frantic in a corridor, while white-faced Japanese characters in robes go a bit mental. Madonna's not done anything this weird since the Bedtime Stories era. It does seem to fit the music though, if not the lyrics. #7
53. Beautiful Stranger (1999) Taken from the second Austin Powers movie, the video features Mike Myers prominently. Basil Exposition warns Austin about a woman who has been seducing agents (including 007 and 008), and shows stills of Madonna's previous 'looks', as she's a master of disguise. After the comedy prologue, the song starts and Austin begins his mission as he approaches Madonna, dancing on stage in a club (the muscly arms are here!). This is a much more imaginative way of promoting a movie through a music video, and Mike Myers has a lot of fun with his role. Madonna thrusts her crotch at Austin from the stage, and then in scenes of Austin driving his Shaguar she's thrusting her breasts or bum in his face. Nice. Madonna looks amazing in this video, and the song is fab too. The video ends with Austin telling Madonna that she's 'going the right way for a smack bottom'. Brilliant. #254. American Pie (2000) Originally taken from The Next Best Thing soundtrack, and then slapped on the end of the Music album, this is Madonna's 'controversial' cover. I like it, not having heard the original before. Madonna wears blue jeans and a tiara as she dances in front of a large stars and stripes, alongside scenes of American Life (hang on, that's not for a couple of years yet...) and members of the US public (probably) of every size, shape, sexuality, sex, etc. Oh and then Rupert Everett turns up for a cameo, since he's Madonna's co-star in the movie. #1
55. Music (2000) After Austin Powers, Madonna gets down with the youth with a video featuring the comedy-stylings of Ali G. This dates the video a little, and isn't as funny as before, but I do like how Ali G tells Madonna that her babalons look less big than they do the telly... Madonna looks fantastic here, riding around in the back of Ali G's limo in her Music-era hat and bling. I forget how ace this track is! There's a really random animated section in the middle of the video, featuring Madonna knocking over signs of old song-titles. Love it when Ali calls Madonna 'Maradona'. For real. Respec'. Madonna ends up hanging out in a lap-dancing club and taking some of the strippers for a ride in her limo, like some kind of lesbian gangster kingpin. It's a bizarre video for an unusual song. #1
56. Don't Tell Me (2000) Madonna's got her cowboy hat out again for a more conventional track than Music (not much though!). The hat falls off and we discover she's not actually walking down the road, but on a travelator in front of a big screen projection of scenes of the American west. Madonna makes line-dancing look cool, in her jeans and checked shirt - is there anything she can't do?? The video is reminiscent of that for American Pie in it's celebration of American tradition and Madonna's mostly solo performance in front of the camera. #4
57. What It Feels Like for a Girl (2001) The final single from Music, the third to come directly from it - quite a low single count for Madonna! Oh, this is a remixed version of the song! I've never heard this before! I love the album version of this track, so it's odd that she's turned it in to some sort of dance anthem for the video. In the video, a boiler-suit clad Madonna picks up an old lady in her flashy yellow sports car, before proceeding to crash into a car, tazer a man at a cash point, scratch a cop car, pulling a gun on said cops, driving erratically and generally not being very nice. Is the video saying that Madonna would get away with this antisocial behaviour if she wasn't a 'girl'? I'm not sure. She finally wraps a sporty red car around a lamp-post. The Guy Ritchie-directed video is good, but I really do not like what has been done to the song. It's terrible. #7
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