| "Vogue" | ||||
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| Single byMadonna | ||||
| from the albumI'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy | ||||
| B-side | "Keep It Together" | |||
| Released | March 20, 1990 (1990-03-20) | |||
| Genre | House | |||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Vogue" onYouTube | ||||
"Vogue" is a song by American singerMadonna from her soundtrack albumI'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy (1990). Written and produced by herself andShep Pettibone, it was inspired byvoguing, a dance popularized in New York City in the late 1980s. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, bySire Records andWarner Bros. Records. "Vogue" is ahouse song with influences ofdisco, which containsescapist lyrics describing the dance floor as "a place where no boundaries exist". Itsmiddle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from theGolden Age of Hollywood. "Vogue" was later included on three of Madonna'scompilation albums:The Immaculate Collection (1990),Celebration (2009), andFinally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
Upon its release, "Vogue" received positive reviews from music critics, who noted how it was musically different from the rest of the tracks onI'm Breathless; it was retrospectively seen as one of Madonna's career highlights. The song was commercially successful, topping the charts in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where it was certifiedtriple platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Vogue" became Madonna's biggest selling single at the time of its release, and has sold more than six million copies worldwide to date. It additionally received prizes at the 1991Juno Awards and at theAmerican Music Awards of 1991.
The accompanying black-and-white music video, directed byDavid Fincher, was shot within 16 hours, while she was rehearsing for herBlond Ambition World Tour. It leans on static iconography, including shots inspired by works by painterTamara de Lempicka and several Hollywood photographers. The video has been retrospectively regarded by critics as one of Madonna's best. It received a total of nine nominations at the1990 MTV Video Music Awards, including forVideo of the Year. Madonna has performed the song on several of herconcert tours – the most recent being the 2023–2024Celebration Tour – and other occasions, such as theSuper Bowl XLVI halftime show.
"Vogue" has been covered and sampled by several artists since its release, includingKylie Minogue,Beth Ditto,Beyoncé,Rihanna, andAriana Grande. It was also featured on thesoundtrack ofThe Devil Wears Prada (2006), as well as in "The Power of Madonna" episode of theFox showGlee in 2010. Writers and critics have noted the video and the song's influence in bringing anunderground subculture into mainstream popular culture, as well as the way in which it followed a new trend in which house music enjoyed widespread popularity. In 2020, 2022 and 2025,Slant Magazine,Rolling Stone andBillboard magazine ranked "Vogue" among the best dance songs of all time.[1][2][3]
By the end of the 1980s, Madonna had achieved a record-breaking 16 consecutive top-five singles on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart, more than any other act in history.[4] However, her single "Oh Father" broke the string as it reached number 20, becoming her first single to miss the top 10 since 1984. The singer and her record companyWarner Bros. decided to create a new song to be placed as theB-side of her next release "Keep It Together" to ensure that it would fare better on the charts. The label's head ofdance music, Craig Kostich, approached producerShep Pettibone to record a new track, as he had remixed some of her singles previously.[5] Pettibone wrote and recorded the basic music for the song with a budget of US$5,000, and then sent it to Madonna for her to write the lyrics. She flew to New York City two weeks later to record her vocals in a vocal booth in a 24-track basement studio at West 56th Street, in a booth that had been converted from a closet, writing most of the lyrics on the plane.[5][6] According to Pettibone, Madonna was efficient in the studio, rapidly tracking all the verse and chorus vocals in order, in single takes. He proposed the idea of arap to fill themiddle eight, and suggestedname-dropping classic film stars, so they quickly wrote a list of names and she recorded it immediately.[5]
Around the same time, Madonna saw dancersvoguing atThe Sound Factory.[7] This type of dance was combined with pantomime and modeling poses by the flamboyant dances of Las Vegasshowgirls.[8][9] Inspired by the dance, she decided to call the song "Vogue", which surprised Pettibone, as the dance was already "semi-passé" at that point in the underground scene.[6] He changed certain things about the music to fit what she sang, adding piano and changing the bass lines in the verse to make them flow better, although Madonna did not want him to alter the production, as she already liked it the way it was. After presenting "Vogue" to Warner Bros. executives three weeks after Kostich's approach, all parties involved decided that the song was too good to be put on aB-side and should be released as a single.[5] "The record company went bananas, her manager went bananas. Everybody said. This is a major hit smash record — we're not going to lose it as a B-side on 'Keep It Together'", Pettibone recalled.[6]
"Vogue" was included on the album soundtrackI'm Breathless, which contained songs from and inspired by the filmDick Tracy, in which Madonna starred as Breathless Mahoney. The singer had been approached by director and co-starWarren Beatty to write a song that would fit her character's point of view, as she was "obsessed with speakeasies and movie stars and things like that", and the idea served as an inspiration for "Vogue".[7] Madonna later altered some of the suggestive lyrics because the song was connected toDisney via the soundtrack.[10] Although it was part of the album, the track was not featured on the film.[11] "Vogue" was released as thelead single fromI'm Breathless in Europe and Oceania on March 20, 1990;[12][13] in the United States, it was set to be released on March 29, but asWQHT started playing the track two days ahead of its release, "Vogue" was serviced to most radio stations on the next day.[14] In Japan, the song was commercially issued on April 25.[15] Afterwards, the track was included on Madonna'scompilation albumsThe Immaculate Collection (1990),Celebration (2009),[16][17] and in a remixed form onFinally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).[18]
"Vogue" was written and produced by Madonna alongside Pettibone and recorded in New York City. Keyboards, bass, and programming were byFred McFarlane, while drums and additional programming were by Alan Friedman. Pettibone also handled mixing for the track at Can Am Recording studios in Tarzana, California. Greg Kostich was its executive producer. The song was edited by Tony Shimkin. Goh Hotoda was cast as the mix engineer for the track, with engineering assistance byCurt Frasca. Madonna's backup vocalistsNiki Haris andDonna De Lory, in addition toN'Dea Davenport, provided background vocals to the song. "Vogue" was mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Lacquer in Hollywood, along with all tracks present onI'm Breathless.[21]
"Vogue" is ahouse song with influences ofdisco.[19][22][23] Reviewers also noted a "deep housegroove", as well as a "throbbingbeat" within its composition.[24][25] AuthorJ. Randy Taraborrelli wrote in his bookMadonna: An Intimate Biography that the song was a "knockout pulsating track".[10] According to author Jason Hanley, by listening to the arrangement musical form of the track, it is clear how "it was purposefully constructed for the dance floor", as the first verse does not start until a minute and a half into the song. It starts with synthesized string sounds, and then begins to build slowly with the addition of finger snaps, a pitched drum sound, and a deep pulsing bass.[26] High strings persist throughout, and it has a "punchy" syncopated piano on the chorus.[20] Set in the key ofA♭ minor, it is set incommon time with a moderately dancegroovetempo of 116 beats per minute. Madonna's vocals span from C4 to E♭5.[27]
The song opens with Madonna asking, "What are you looking at" as "a way to establish the visual nature of the song lyrics".[26] Theescapist lyrics[28][29] of "Vogue" allude to how important a "silly dance-floor ritual can be to its practitioners".[25] OnEncyclopedia Madonnica, authorMatthew Rettenmund stated that the lyrics "baptize the dance floor as a place where no boundaries exist"; he described a dance floor as a place where "rebirth is possible, where a new life based on gesticulation can replace motionless and emotionless reality and anyone can become if only for the duration of a song – or of one's stamina – a 'superstar'";[30] it is further evidenced by the lyrics "It makes no difference if you're black or white, if you're a boy or a girl".[31] Peter Robinson ofPitchfork viewed Madonna's belief in the dance floor as a "sacred space", as she sings: "When all else fails and you long to be something better than you are today, I know a place where you can get away – it's called a dance floor."[32] According toNME's Nick Levine, the phrase became "essentially a mantra for her entire career".[33] In the middle eight, Madonna performs a rap name-dropping several actors from theGolden Age of Hollywood, stressing her affection for movie stars:[30][34]
- Greta Garbo andMonroe
- Dietrich andDiMaggio
- Marlon Brando,Jimmy Dean
- On the cover of a magazine
In 2012, Madonna and Pettibone were sued byVMG Salsoul based on the accusation that they had sampled a 0.23-second segment of horns from the song "Love Break" by theSalsoul Orchestra without permission.[5][35] According to the plaintiff, portions of the song "are numerous but intentionally hidden" without permission by Pettibone, who they hired to mix "Love Break" before working on "Vogue"; they also claimed it took more modern technology to discover the alleged sample: "The unauthorized sampling was deliberately hidden by [Madonna] within 'Vogue' so as to avoid detection [...] It was only when VMG specifically looked for the sample, with the technology available to it in 2011, that the sampling could be confirmed", they continued. It was also claimed that VMG attempted to give notice of copyright infringement previously in July 2011 and again in February 2012.[36] Pettibone's defense was that he recreated the horn sound, rather than sampling it.[23] The case was decided in Madonna and Pettibone's favor; the judge found that "no reasonable audience" would be able to discern the sampled portions, as they were insignificant to "Vogue".[37] That decision was affirmed by theNinth Circuit Court of Appeals.[38]
"Vogue" received acclaim from music critics.[39] According toNewsday's Karen DeSantis, it was excellent and the best song onI'm Breathless, adding that "the song has her old-time style that will make a lot of kids buy this CD".[40] Barry Walters ofThe San Francisco Examiner found the track "seductive" and "audacious", and stated that Madonna would "stay in vogue for a long, long time."[41] Bill Coleman fromBillboard magazine commented that "the starlet's pop/house homage to theunderground (soon to be pushed very overground) fad pulls off its aims." He stated that it "maintains the flavor of Pettibone's past 'house' treatments with a bit of his classic 'Love Break' tossed in for good déjà vu measure."[42] Ernest Hardy, a writer forCash Box, also noted influences of "Love Break" and opined that Madonna's "popsavvy takes well to a house setting", adding that "based on the instant acceptance by radio and clubs, it's gonna be a Madonna Summer".[43]Select's Andrew Harrison considered it a "crushing house" song,[44] while for Adam Sweeting ofThe Guardian, the album is "topped and talled with its best tracks", respectively "He's a Man" and "Vogue".[45]
According to Edith Lee fromJournal and Courier, "Vogue", along with "Something to Remember", were the only tracks which did not fit into the "vintage mold" ofI'm Breathless.[46]Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times opined that the song was "the odd song out" and "the song that shows what's missing from the rest of the album"; he stated that anyone who boughtI'm Breathless expecting other similar songs would feel like "the victim of a bait-and-switch maneuver."[47] Writing another review for the same publication, Michael MacCambridge stated that although "Vogue" was "terrific", it sounded like "a blatantly commercial appendage" to promote the soundtrack, and felt that it was not a representative single of the record.[48] For his part,Deseret News' Ray Boren felt that the track was an "interloper, stylistically speaking" on the album.[49] On another note, Greg Sandow fromEntertainment Weekly felt that "Vogue" "improbably sounds like a genuine culmination" and that it "somehow fits in".[50] David Giles ofMusic Week stated that "it possesses a meatier groove than we've been used to", but felt that the "silly" rap section "reduces her to the level ofthe Beloved."[51]
While offering a negative review of the album, Tony Parsons ofThe Daily Telegraph pointed out that "only 'Vogue', the recent numero uno knocked out as a bait to part of the tinies from their pocket money, passes for something like a Madonna record."[52] Similarly, Chriss Willman ofLos Angeles Times said "Vogue" was "the one traditional Madonna single" onI'm Breathless.[53] According to theOrlando Sentinel's Parry Gettelman, "Vogue" served as the "spoonful of sugar to make the rest of this stuff go down" while reviewing the album as a whole.[54] Ronni Lundy ofThe Courier-Journal commented that although it had no reason to be onI'm Breathless, the track would "make this piece of fluff a multimillion seller", wondering "how many of the pop-Madonna's fans will actually play it more than twice after they get 'I'm Breathless' home and find out that 'Vogue' is the only typical Madonna song on it."[55] Mark Coleman ofRolling Stone wrote that while the song initially sounded "lackluster", within the album's context, it "gains a startling resonance".[25] Offering a more negative review, Dan Bennett fromNorth County Blade-Citizen commented that "at first distant, this spoken dance tune grows on you, but not that much."[56]
Retrospective reviews have also been positive. Taraborrelli wrote that the rap section of the song was "still one of Madonna's greatestcamp musical moments".[10]AllMusic senior editorStephen Thomas Erlewine said that the track was "Madonna's finest single moment" and that it had an "instantly memorable melody".[24] In a review forThe Immaculate Collection, Erlewine also stated that the song was "sleek" and "stylish".[57] Jose F. Promis, in another review for the same publication, pointed out that "Vogue" was a "crowning artistic achievement".[58] Kevork Djansezian ofTulsa World called it a "wonderful dance tune".[59] In 1998, Danny Eccleston fromQ stated thatI'm Breathless could barely describe the "shoe-horned" and "still-preposterous" song;[60] In a retrospective review forI'm Breathless, Tony Power fromBlender called the song "fabulous", and "entirely incongruous".[61] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine, also reviewing the album as a whole, claimed that while the "hugely influential" song initially sounded "grossly out of place", it turns out to be "a fitting finale" forI'm Breathless.[62] According to Peter Robinson fromPitchfork, listeners would find the song's lyrics "as inspiring in 2017 as listeners almost three decades ago did".[32]
"Vogue" won the "Best Selling International Single" category at the 1991Juno Awards,[63] as well as the "Favorite Dance Single" prize at theAmerican Music Awards of 1991, while also being nominated for "Favorite Pop/Rock Single".[64][65] The single also received aASCAP Pop Music Award for "Most Performed Song",[66] and won the prize for "Best Disco Single" at theSER FM Awards.[67] Based on the 1990Rolling Stone Reader's Poll Awards, "Vogue" was considered the best single of the year.[68] The song was also ranked as the fourth best song of 1990 on that year'sPazz & Jop poll byThe Village Voice.[69]
In June 2020,Slant Magazine, ranked it number two in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time".[1] In July 2022,Rolling Stone ranked it number 11 in their list of "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".[2] In 2025,Billboard magazine ranked "Vogue" numbers 23 and seven in their lists of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" and "The 100 GreatestLGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time".[3][70]
In the United States, "Vogue" debuted at number 39 on theBillboard Hot 100 on the issue dated April 14, 1990, and reached the top of the chart a month later, replacingSinéad O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U".[71][72] It matched "Like a Virgin" (1984) and "Like a Prayer" (1989) as the fastest-rising single of her career on the chart.[72] "Vogue" also topped theDance Club Play chart and reached number 16 on theHot Black Singles component charts.[73][74] "Vogue" was ranked at number five on the Hot 100 year-end chart of 1990, and was certifieddouble platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in June 1990, for shipments of two million copies of the single.[75][76]Billboard ranked it at number five on their list of "Madonna's 40 Biggest Hits" on the Hot 100.[77] In addition, it has also sold 311,000 digital downloads as of April 2010 according toNielsen SoundScan.[78] In Canada, the song debuted at number 71 on the week of April 14, 1990, on theRPM 100 Singles chart, and reached the top after nine weeks.[79][80] It was certified platinum byMusic Canada (MC) in August 1990 for shipments of 100,000 copies in the region.[81]
In Australia, "Vogue" debuted on theARIA Singles Chart at number 19 on April 29, 1990. One week later, it reached the top of the chart, and stayed there for another four weeks. It was present for a total of 21 weeks on the chart,[12] and was later certified double platinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 1990 for shipments of 70,000 copies of the single.[82] On the year-end ARIA charts, "Vogue" was the third top-selling Australian single of 1990.[83] In New Zealand, "Vogue" debuted at number 15 on the singles chart on the week of May 6, 1990, and reached number one after three weeks. It was present for a total of 22 weeks on the chart.[84]
In the United Kingdom, "Vogue" entered theUK Singles Chart at number four before moving to the top the next week, remaining there for four weeks and spending a total of 14 weeks on the chart.[85][86] TheBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified it gold in May 1990 for shipments of 400,000 copies of the single.[87] According to theOfficial Charts Company, the song has sold 663,000 copies as of April 2019.[88] In addition, "Vogue" also reached number one in a number of countries such as Finland, Italy, Norway, and Spain.[89][90][91][92] Its commercial performance in European countries helped the song reach the summit of theEurochart Hot 100 Singles chart, on the issue dated April 21, 1990.[93] In total, "Vogue" reached number one in over 30 countries worldwide, thus becoming Madonna's biggest success at that time.[94] As of August 1990, it was thebest-selling single of 1990 with sales of more than two million copies,[95] and has sold more than six million units worldwide to date.[96] In addition, "Vogue" became the highest-selling single onWEA at the time, surpassingChic's "Le Freak" (1978).[97]
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The accompanying music video for "Vogue" was directed byDavid Fincher, who had previously directed Madonna's videos for "Express Yourself" and "Oh Father" (both 1989).[98] The video was filmed on February 10–11, 1990 atBurbank Studios inBurbank, California.[99] It was produced by Vicki Niles, underPropaganda Films, with editing by Jim Haygood, and cinematography by Pascal Lebegue.[100] Fincher recalled that he convinced Madonna to release a video for "Oh Father", but although he was happy with the result, the single's performance on the charts did not meet her label's expectations. She was pressured by the company to rush with a video for "Vogue", and returned to him to direct the video. The visual was filmed in a total of 16 hours, as she was rehearsing for herBlond Ambition World Tour and had restricted time to film the video.[98][101]
DancersLuis Camacho andJose Gutierez, both members of theHouse of Xtravaganza, who were already famous in New York City's underground ballroom scene as voguing pioneers, were two of the first to audition for the singer at the Tracks nightclub in New York City. They received the chance to audition as their friend's boyfriend was friends with Madonna's make-up artist at the time,Debi Mazar. Gutierez recalled that when they danced for the singer, "the whole club turned into an audition", as the crowd followed their dance moves. Their impromptu audition impressed Madonna enough to invite them to official auditions, and the opportunity to choreograph the video.[102] The official auditions took place after a rushed casting call in Los Angeles, where hundreds of different sorts of dancers appeared and were whittled down within a few days, with Madonna also taking them out to clubs to make sure they "could deliver".[103]
Given the absence of Fincher's typically extensive pre-production routine, the video leans on static imagery, including shots that recall compositions byArt Deco painterTamara de Lempicka, as well as Hollywood portrait photographers, such as Don English,[104] Eugene Robert Richee,[34]George Hurrell,[105]Whitey Schafer,Ernest Bachrach, Scotty Welbourne,László Willinger,Clarence Sinclair Bull,[99] andHorst P. Horst.[106] The latter was reportedly "displeased" with Madonna's video because he never gave his permission for his work to be used and received no acknowledgement from the singer or her team.[98][106] Horst's manager declared, "You can't fault her taste. But the video should have been called 'Hommage to Horst'. We just wish we could have worked something out beforehand-like doing an original photograph of her in the nude", to which Madonna's spokeswoman responded that "she's a great admirer of Horst. We didn't mean to upset him".[107] The music video premiered onMTV on March 29, 1990, billed as a "planetary premiere" by the network.[108] MTV requested that Madonna remove the scenes in which her breasts are visible through a sheer lace blouse, but she refused to do so, and the scenes were aired unaltered.[109]
Theblack-and-white video begins with a feather curtain covering the screen. As they are disclosed, several dancers are shown posing like statues amid Greek statues and paintings. Madonna begins singing the song as she turns around and strikes a pose, while dancers are marching fashionly, with others sitting on chairs.[110] During the first verse, images of the singer wearing a sheer lace dress are intercalated with shots of her floating above a satin covered floor. As the first chorus begins, Madonna is seen wearing a tunic accompanied by three male dancers all dressed in black in front of a black background, executing a choreography performed only with their hands, standing still. In the second verse, the singer walks in front of a huge window, wearing a black long dress.
For the second chorus, three dancers perform another choreography, but unlike the first chorus, not standing still but moving in different corners of the frame; these scenes are intercalated with images of Madonna imitating Horst's "Lisa With Turban" and "Carmen Face Massage" pictures.[111] The third chorus depicts the singer dancing with just one male dancer, before the rap that name-drops Hollywood actors. For the last chorus, all the dancers and two backup singers perform the song along with Madonna, who opens her blouse and dances showing her cone bra. The scenes are intercalated with several sequences where Madonna imitates Horst's "Mainbocher Corset" picture, which depict her dressed in a back-lacing corset.[112] The video ends with a curtain of feathers being pulled over Madonna and her dancers.
Initial reaction towards the video was positive.Edna Gundersen fromUSA Today called the visual "camp, glamour, sensuality and dress-you-up finery" and found Madonna's look in the video similar to that ofMarilyn Monroe.[113] Harriet Swift ofOakland Tribune shared a similar opinion, writing that Madonna had "never looked more like Marilyn Monroe than in this film, with her white-blond hair no rebelliously declasse dark roots showing this time", and considered that the clip was "so much slicker and more stylized than any other Madonna video", noting its "stylish camera angles, extremely sophisticated film editing and freeze-frame body posing", looking as if it "could have been photographed by the lateRobert Mapplethorpe with its cool, glamorous surfaces and penchant for classical motifs."[114]Liz Smith, a journalist fromNew York Daily News, also compared Madonna in the video to Monroe, as well as Harlow and Dietrich, and noted that in contrast to her previous music videos, "this one won't outrage and cause controversy", as the singer was "dressed to the teeth" with "no religious imagery and no vulgarity" that "even an old-fashioned mother might love", she concluded.[115] David Barton fromMcClathy News Service felt that the scene where Madonna appears wearing a see-through sheer lace dress was "a move certain to arouse controversy, a long established Madonna tactic", and wrote that the video "manages to position Madonna once again, at least in the eyes of the mainstream audience, as on the cutting edge of popular culture."[116]
Retrospective commentary has also been positive. Writing forThe Independent, Ben Kelly asserted that the video was Madonna's most iconic moment, as it "pays homage to the classic era of Hollywood but in turn its own imagery is now firmly embedded in pop culture history", and "from the famous dance routine to the appearance of that cone bra, it is laden with memorable moments".[117]Parade's Samuel Murrian described the visual as "unforgettable" and "timeless", and commented about how it brought "an underground movement into the mainstream".[118] Ranking it as Madonna's best video, Mike Nied ofIdolator felt that it "would be a landmark release in any videography", and was "the definition of a timeless, enduring success".[119] This opinion was shared byLouis Virtel, writing forThe Backlot, who also declared it Madonna's best video, and called it "not only a pristine and elegant and ebulliently gay spectacle; it is the definitive Madonna statement. Madonna's charisma is wrapped up in theatrical arrogance and proud self-consciousness, and that's exactly what vogueing celebrates".[120] Rocco Papa ofThe Odyssey hailed it was "a tribute to an important part of the gay subculture" and "an example of Madonna helping build representation for the LGBTQ community".[121] For his part,Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson pointed out that for some, the video was "the ultimate democratization of beauty. To others, a presumptuously preemptive eradication of the racial question entirely", referring to the dance's origins.[28]
Douglas Kellner, author ofMedia Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern, highlighted how "Vogue" was among Madonna's "most striking music videos" by being "highly aestheticized" and using "modernist techniques of the construction of compelling images". Kellner noted how the visual "deploys posed images to celebrate pure camp", while parodying fashion conventions, such as modeling, posing, photography, and objectification, but reinforcing them by identifying voguing with a gay dance phenomenon and then cultural celebrity.[110] According toLucy O'Brien onShe Bop II: The Definitive History of Women in Rock, Pop and Soul, Madonna "picked up on the exaggerated catwalk-model poses of a gay underground craze and turned it into a glorious celebration of image – the power of old-style movie – magazine editorial transferred to video" with "Vogue".[122] Pamela Robertson wrote onGuilty Pleasures: Feminist Camp from Mae West to Madonna that the video makes sex and gender roles "ambiguous enough that its affiliation, and Madonna's, with a gay subculture cannot be ignored or erased", using "gay subcultural references in conjunction with post-modern pastiche and retrocinephilia to create aqueer camp effect". She also noted that Madonna served as a "female female impersonator" between the glamorous costumes and "mixed gender signs", such as the cone bra worn atop a man's suit.[123] InQueer Tracks: Subversive Strategies in Rock and Pop Music, Doris Leibetseder commented that the video portrayed "a particular relationship between gay subculture, Hollywood stars and feminist camp", and notedqueer scholarJudith Butler criticized how "Vogue" "diluted the homosexual political elements for the straight public", explaining that the "gay dance elements" were portrayed by "usual male and female types (e.g. the civil servant, the school girl)".[124]
The video received a total of nine nominations at the1990 MTV Video Music Awards, winning three technical categories, forBest Direction,Best Editing andBest Cinematography.[125][126] In 1999, the video was voted number two on MTV's 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made, only behindMichael Jackson's Thriller.[127] It was later ranked at number five on the Top 100 Videos That Broke The Rules, issued by MTV on the channel's 25th anniversary in August 2006.[128]VH1 ranked "Vogue" sixth on their list of Best Music Videos of All Time.[129] In a 2011 poll byBillboard, "Vogue" was voted the third best music video of the 1990s.[130]
In 2019, it became Madonna's fourth music video to reach over 100 million views onYouTube across four different decades, following "Bitch I'm Madonna" (2015), "Hung Up" (2005) and "La Isla Bonita" (1987), making her the first female artist in history to achieve this feat within the streaming era.[131]
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"Vogue" has been performed on eight ofMadonna's concert tours: Blond Ambition (1990),The Girlie Show (1993),Re-Invention (2004),Sticky & Sweet (2008–2009),MDNA (2012),Rebel Heart (2015–2016),Madame X (2019–2020), andCelebration (2023–2024). On the first one, Madonna wore a black sports cone bra with lycra shorts, while the dancers wore black spandex, with the backdrops depicting Tamara de Lempicka paintings.[132]Slant Magazine felt that the performance was "stripped down to the bare basics" and "came closest to capturing the essence of the gay ballroom scene the lyrics were inspired by: presentational, preening, and all about the pose".[28] Two performances were taped and released on video, theBlond Ambition – Japan Tour 90, taped inYokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990,[133] and theLive! – Blond Ambition World Tour 90, taped inNice, France, on August 5, 1990.[134] One of the performances was also one of the performances included in the documentary,Madonna: Truth or Dare (1990).[135] The song was later performed at the1990 MTV Video Music Awards, where Madonna and her dancers were clad in 18th century-inspired fashions, inspired byMarie Antoinette, with sexual innuendo in the performance. At one point the singer flipped open her large skirt, allowing one of her dancers to crawl inside and come out through the other side.[136] Taraborrelli observed that it was a "classic, camp show that elevated the standards of future performances on that program".[137] It was later ranked byRolling Stone as the sixth best performance in the history of the award show.[138] A similar performance was made at theAIDS Project Los Angeles benefit later that year.[139]
Three years later, Madonna included "Vogue" on The Girlie Show tour, where it was given aThai-themed performance.[140] She wore an ensemble consisting of blacksequinedhot pants and a bra paired with knee-high military boots and a large beaded headdress that was described by her tour director and brotherChristopher Ciccone as "partErté, partZizi Jeanmaire".[141] Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens criticized the singer for placing "her signature over-exaggeration and deformation in an Asian worldview andHinduism".[140] The performance on the November 19, 1993, show atSydney Cricket Ground was recorded and included on the video releaseThe Girlie Show: Live Down Under.[142] In 2004, Madonna opened the Re-Invention tour with a performance of the song in aMarie Antoinette-themed setting.[143] She arrived on stage atop a rising platform dressed in a jewel encrustedcorset.[144][145] Madonna struckyoga poses and at one point, supported herself on her forearms.[144] Sal Cinquemani fromSlant Magazine commented that the performance gave new meaning to the slogan "strike a pose".[146] The number was included in theI'm Going to Tell You a Secret live album and documentary.[147] Amashup of "Vogue", Madonna's own "4 Minutes", andTimbaland's "Give It to Me", was performed on the Sticky & Sweet tour in 2008 and 2009.[28][148] Madonna was dressed in a black leotard and fishnet tights while the dancers wore bondage-inspired gear; together they did a synchronized choreography to the song.[149][150] It received generally mixed reviews from critics.[28][151] The performance was included on theSticky & Sweet Tour live CD and DVD release, recorded inBuenos Aires, Argentina.[152]
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In 2012, Madonna opened theSuper Bowl XLVI halftime show with a performance of "Vogue". It began as a procession to the stage, with men dressed asgladiators pulling a large structure hidden from view by large gold-colored flags. As "Vogue" began the flags were removed, revealing Madonna in a long, gold-colored cape and an ancient-Egyptian headdress seated on a large throne.Slant Magazine praised the singer for "opening her performance at the Super Bowl, arguably the most heterosexual audience she's ever appeared in front of, with perhaps the gayest anthem in her catalogue".[28] Ten of the stars mentioned in the song were entitled to a royalty payment of US$3,750 as their images were also used in the performance.[153] For the performance of the track on the MDNA tour which occurred the same year, Madonna wore an ensemble consisting of a suit and a cage corset with conical bra cups, while the dancers were dressed in black and white avant-garde outfits.[154] The singer's outfit was designed byJean Paul Gaultier, who described it as "a nod to the conical bra corset of the Blond Ambition tour but reinterpreted in 3-D".[155] Chandeliers were hung on the background while the screens flashed the song's title and black and white 1950s fashion imagery.[154][156] Nisha Gopalan fromThe Hollywood Reporter said that thanks to being a "purist rendition" the song ended up as a "true crowd-pleaser that elicited as many squeals as it did goosebumps".[157] A performance of the song at a show inMiami at theAmerican Airlines Arena was recorded and released on the live albumMDNA World Tour.[158]
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On the 2015–2016 Rebel Heart Tour, Madonna performed amashup of "Vogue" and "Holy Water", a song from her 13th studio albumRebel Heart (2015).[159] Towards the end of the performance of "Holy Water", she began singing "Vogue"'s rap and chorus while writhing against a dancer dressed as anun inhot pants,bikini tops and high-heeled boots while other dancers simulated anorgy at theLast Supper.[160][161]The Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Lallo pointed out that "Vogue" had never been "performed with such darkness" compared to its usual treatment as "a slick dance number".[162] The performances atSydney'sAllphones Arena were recorded and released on theRebel Heart Tour live album.[163] On December 6, 2016, Madonna sang "Vogue" during theCarpool Karaoke segment ofThe Late Late Show with James Corden.[164] On June 30, 2019, Madonna used the track as the opening song of her mini concert at theStonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of theStonewall riots. She entered the stage in a black trench coat amid a troupe of identically dressed dancers.[165] A similar performance was later done for the Madame X Tour in 2019 and 2020, which was chronicled on the tour'sdocumentary film released in 2021.[166][167]
On June 24, 2021, the singer made a surprise appearance at anLGBT pride party at the Boom Boom Room of New York'sThe Standard hotel, and "Vogue" was used as the opening song.[168] The song was again performed by Madonna on the 2023–2024 Celebration Tour, with elements ofBeyoncé's "Break My Soul (The Queens Remix)". The stage was transformed into aballroom competition, which was described byBillboard's Joe Lynch as "a multi-layered tribute to her past, her family and her queer inspirations".[169][170] She serves as a judge of a parade of dancers, which includes her daughter Estere;[170] during the course of the tour, a number of invited judges also appear, including Gaultier,FKA twigs,Julia Fox, and her daughterLourdes Leon.[171][172] During the performance Madonna wears a new version of the conic bra, consisting of a black cone mini dress, encrusted with black crystals, designed by Gaultier.[173]
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In 1991, comedianJulie Brown sang a parody of "Vogue" titled "Vague" in the TV specialMedusa: Dare to Be Truthful, itself a spoof of Madonna and her documentaryMadonna: Truth or Dare.[174] In 1992, Finnish bandWaltari released a cover of the song on their albumTorcha!.[175]The Chipettes also covered it on their 1996 albumClub Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes.[176] The 1999 compilation albumVirgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 1 features a cover version by Britishelectronic music group Astralasia.[177] The same year,Britney Spears included the song on the setlist for her...Baby One More Time Tour along with Madonna's single "Material Girl" (1984).[178] A dance version of "Vogue" by Mad'House can be found on their albumAbsolutely Mad, released in 2002.[179] The song is featured in the 2006 filmThe Devil Wears Prada as a nod toMiranda Priestly's inspiration,Vogue editorAnna Wintour.[180] Twenty years later, the song was featured in the sequel's official movie trailer,The Devil Wears Prada 2.[181] In 2006 and 2007, Australian singerKylie Minogue performed it in her tourShowgirl: The Homecoming Tour, with her song "Burning Up" from her eighth studio albumFever (2001) as the background music.[182] She repeated this performance during the 2009For You, For Me Tour.[183]Rihanna recorded a later leaked cover of "Vogue" before performing the song during the 2008Fashion Rocks.[184] In 2013, "Vogue" inspiredflash mobs around the United States.[185]
In 2010, on the TV showGlee,Sue Sylvester performed a parody of the "Vogue" music video on an episode titled "The Power of Madonna", with the name ofGinger Rogers replaced by the name ofSue Sylvester, and the phrase "Bette Davis we love you" replaced by the phrase "Will Schuester I hate you".[186] Following the episode, the song charted at number 106 on the UK Singles Chart.[187]Beth Ditto has covered "Vogue" on occasion, including at Moscow Miller Party in 2011.[94] She also paid homage to "Vogue" with the video of her single "I Wrote the Book" (2011).[188] In 2014 and 2015,Katy Perry used a snippet of "Vogue" in a mashup with her own song "International Smile", during thePrismatic World Tour.[189]Ariana Grande performed a medley of "Vogue" andWhitney Houston's "I'm Every Woman" at New York City Pride's Dance on the Pier in 2015.[190] In 2021, South Korean singerLuna's song "Madonna" referenced "Vogue" in its lyrics, "When I grow up, I wanna be like Madonna / When I grow up, I wanna vogue how I wanna".[191]
In 2022, Beyoncé teamed up with Madonna for "The Queens" remix of her single, "Break My Soul". This version heavily interpolates "Vogue" and has Beyonce paying homage to Madonna, her sisterSolange Knowles, and herDestiny's Child bandmatesKelly Rowland andMichelle Williams, along with prominentblack women in music, andballroom houses such as House of Xtravaganza,House of Aviance andHouse of LaBeija as a celebration of empowerment.[192][193][194] Beyoncé later thanked Madonna for allowing her to use the song, and revealed that Madonna was the one that named the remix.[195] It was later added to the setlist of theRenaissance World Tour in 2023, with Beyoncé shouting out Madonna who was in attendance at theEast Rutherford, New Jersey stop.[196] That same year, Puerto Rican singer and rapperBad Bunny sampled "Vogue" on the track "Vou 787", included on his sixth studio albumNadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. During the song, he sings that if he was a woman, he would have been like Madonna orRihanna.[197][198]
"Vogue" was included on theRock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" list,[199] and was voted number five onVH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".[200]Pitchfork editors ranked "Vogue" as the 115th best song of the 1990s, praising it for how unapologetically it celebrated queer life at the height of theAIDS epidemic.[201]Rolling Stone listed the track as one of the "500 Best Songs of All Time" at number 139,[202] while they named it the 11th greatest dance song of all time.[203] The song was placed byBillboard on the number four spot on its list of "60 Top LGBTQ Anthems of All Time",[204] and as part of the 65th anniversary of theBillboard Hot 100, the magazine's staff ranked "Vogue" as the 186th best pop song that appeared on the chart.[205]Slant Magazine ranked it at number 10 on their "Best Singles of the '90s" list,[206] and number three in the list of the 100 Greatest Dance Songs.[207] Music criticJody Rosen fromSlate included "Vogue" as one of Madonna's "ten essential songs for new or aspiring fans".[208]Time called it "the most famous fashion song of all time", although the song was not specifically about the magazineVogue.[209] It was named the most iconic female dance moment in history in a list published byThe Daily Telegraph.[210]
Many critics and academics agree that with the song, Madonna brought voguing into mainstream culture,[207][211] and also view it as one of the first mainstream pop culture works to spotlight elements from the queer, Black and Latino-led ballroom scene.[212][213]Boston.com's Scott Kearnan noted that although Madonna has occasionally been accused ofcultural appropriation for taking vogue mainstream, "she never obfuscated or demeaned its roots", and concluded that "even at an especially homophobic time, Madonna's gay dancers were shown as front, center, and fabulous, striking a pose alongside the most famous woman on Earth."[214] Jon Blistein fromRolling Stone had similar thoughts, criticizing the mainstream's willingness to seriously engage with that culture and craft only when it is presented by white people, but stated that it "doesn't mean one can't still revel in the song's brilliance, nor do they necessarily suggest anything malicious on Madonna's part", as she "approached 'Vogue' with a clear admiration and respect for the ballroom world."[215] ForLucy O'Brien, in her bookMadonna: Like an Icon, "Vogue" was "the beginning of a new phase for Madonna. It was as if she got a sense of her immortality, and her true power. Feeling secure in her status as a mainstream artist, she began to play with that power and challenge her audience."[216] James Rose ofDaily Review agreed, writing that with the song Madonna began "a phase of her career that oscillates between cynical self-exploitation and courageous self-expression. Raunchy videos, explicitly themed lyrics and boudoir beats becamede rigueur for the lady now arguably bearing the biggest name in popular music."[217]
Before Madonna popularized the dance, voguing was performed mostly in bars and discos of New York City in the undergroundgay scene.[218] According to O'Brien, when "Vogue" became the "Number 1 hit of that summer, [it was] played in clubs across the globe, from London to New York to Bali", also pointing out that it "rode the crest of the newly emerging dance craze, where club culture, house music and techno met the mainstream. 'Vogue' reflected the new hedonism; positive, upbeat, and totally inclusive".[216] Liam Hess ofVogue commented that "this subcultural movement had officially boiled over into the zeitgeist" as "many were mimicking the playful, exaggerated gestures of the Harlem ballrooms" around the world.[29] Steven Canals, the co-creator of the TV seriesPose stated, "If we're looking at the history of ballroom and specifically that moment in time, what Madonna did was bring ballroom to the mainstream. She introduced the world to this community who, up until that point in time, had been a subculture."[219] Voguing has since become a prominent dance form practised worldwide, and many female performers have followed Madonna's footsteps, adopting the dance style and incorporating it into their music videos and performances.[219]
The song is also noted for bringinghouse music into mainstream popular music,[220][221] as well as for reviving disco music a decade after itscommercial death. Erick Henderson ofSlant Magazine explained that the song was "instrumental in allowing disco revivalism to emerge, allowing the denigrated gay genre to soar once again within the context of house music, the genre disco became in its second life."[222] Sal Cinquemani of the same publication wrote that the song was "making its impact all the more impressive (it would go on to inspire a glut of pop-house copycats) and begging the question: If disco died a decade earlier, what the fuck was this big, gay, fusciadrag-queen boa of a dance song sitting on top of the charts for a month for?"[206] According to Tom Breiham ofStereogum, "Vogue" was certainly the first number-one house track ever. He added, "House, like voguing itself, had been a relatively underground club phenomenon a few years earlier, and it had only started to make inroads into the mainstream. As far as this column is concerned, that breakthrough might be the main legacy of 'Vogue'".[223]
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|
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[21]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
All-time charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[82] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[284] | Gold | 30,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[81] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[285] | Silver | 200,000* |
| Italy (FIMI)[286] since 2009 | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[288] | Gold | 52,370[287] |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[289] Physical only | Gold | 5,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[290] Digital and streaming | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[87] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[76] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 6,000,000[96] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
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