the virgin tour setlist

Virgin Tour - Tour book

The tour program of the Virgin Tour contained pictures by Herb Ritts and Steven Meisel .

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The Virgin Tour official tour program online (all 18 pages)

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All of the 18 pages (plus front and back covers) of the official tour program for The Virgin Tour are now up in our dedicated Virgin Tour page HERE .

Out of all of the official tour books that have been issued for every tour, this is by far the hardest to find. 

The Virgin Tour program (3/4)

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The Virgin Tour

The Virgin Tour was the first ever tour by Madonna . The tour only visited cities in North America and took place in 1985. It was originally planed to be a world tour,but it was restricted to North America and Canada only. It supported her first two albums Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984).The band Beastie Boys were signed to be the opening act.

Background  [ ]

The Virgin Tour was officially announced on March 15, 1985, by Warner Bros. Records label. Before the tour, the live performances of Madonna only shows limited at night in nightclubs like Danceteria, CBGB and the Mudd Club and at the MTV Video Music Awards for the first installment in 1984, where she played her song " Like a Virgin ". After the success of her second studio album Like a Virgin , the record company wanted the presentation of the album by sending a Madonna world tour. However, the tour was abridged by the United States and Canada. She did not visit Europe, Asia or other continents. At first there were plans to set dates in England and Japan because of the big Madonna fan base in both countries. In the end, several US dates They were added and the tour was moved to larger concert halls due to huge selling tickets. Madonna was very nervous to perform in front of a large audience, and singing with a live band for the first time. During a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, the interviewer Austin Scaggs asked Madonna about her feelings and emotions during the tour, as it was the first time I was performing in front of large audiences. Madonna responded by saying:

"That whole tour was crazy because I was singing in small clubs like CBGB and the Mudd Club to introduce in sports stadiums. I acted in a small theater in Seattle and the girls wore college skirts, stockings below her knees, gloves . lace, beads, bows in their hair and big earrings I said, 'This is insane!' After Seattle, all the shows were moved to arenas. I've never done a bus tour. Everyone says they are really fun. "

Madonna commenting on "The Virgin Tour".

The 17.162 tickets for three shows in New York at the prestigious Radio City Music Hall were sold in 34 minutes breaking record sales. The same thing happened to the rest of the dates. The demand for tickets was so high that the presentations dedicated to very quiet places had to be changed to appear in larger venues like stadiums. In San Francisco, the tour shirts were sold at an average of six seconds each.

The collection revolves $ 17.8 million dollars. On this tour, Madonna performed the first successes of his career that were included in the previously released two studio albums by the singer: Madonna and Like a Virgin .

The first concert tour was limited only to the United States and Canada and did not cross either Europe or Asia, and its subsequent tours accustomed. Initially the idea was to plan dates in countries like Britain, France and Japan due to the large number of fans of Madonna that existed in these countries, however, dates finally published did not reflect this idea. It was not until 1987 in its second Who's That Girl World Tour when Madonna would visit those countries. In the end many of the initially planned dates were added other or moved due to the great demand for tickets and strong ticket sales. Madonna performed at each of the dates indicated without allowing any cancellation.

Madonna wore a short segment of the song "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson during the performance of "Like a Virgin". An interesting fact about this tour is the most fanatism of his assistants, who dressed and looked like Madonna.

Setlist [ ]

• " Dress You Up "
• " Holiday "
• " Into the Groove "
• " Everybody "
• " Gambler "
• " Borderline "
• " Lucky Star "
• " Crazy for You "
• " Over and Over "
• " Burning Up "
• " Like A Virgin " (contains excerpts from " Billie Jean ")
• " Material Girl "
• 1 Beautiful Killer (song)
• 2 Erotica Photoshoot
• 3 Ray of Light Photoshoot

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• 2019  ( 53 )
• 2018  ( 1 )
• 2017  ( 2 )
• 2016  ( 40 )
• 2015  ( 59 )
• 2014  ( 3 )
• 2013  ( 1 )
• 2012  ( 89 )
• 2010  ( 1 )
• 2009  ( 27 )
• 2008  ( 61 )
• 2007  ( 1 )
• 2006  ( 62 )
• 2005  ( 11 )
• 2004  ( 56 )
• 2003  ( 11 )
• 2001  ( 48 )
• 2000  ( 10 )
• 1999  ( 1 )
• 1998  ( 18 )
• 1997  ( 1 )
• 1995  ( 5 )
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• 1993  ( 42 )
• 1991  ( 1 )
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• 1989  ( 2 )
• 1987  ( 39 )
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• 1984  ( 14 )
• 1983  ( 38 )
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Songs played by tour: The Virgin Tour

This table lists how often a song was performed by Madonna during the tour "The Virgin Tour". Multiple performances from the same setlist are also counted towards the total.

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Read the Statesman's 1985 review of Madonna's Virgin Tour concert in Austin

Madonna on Tuesday announced The Celebration Tour , marking 40 years of the singer's pop iconography with stops around the world. She'll swing through Austin on Sept. 21 for a show at the Moody Center.

Believe it or not, that's actually Madonna's second-ever tour date in Austin. On the Virgin Tour, her first major tour, she played the Erwin Center on May 5, 1985. Hip-hop trio Beastie Boys opened.

Two days later, the American-Statesman ran a review of the concert by correspondent Debi Martin, headlined "Madonna’s stage flirtations, singing please Austin audiences."

More: A guide to Austin music venues, from historic clubs to mega amphitheaters

Here's what the paper said about the new pop sensation — she has just performed "Like a Virgin" at the MTV Video Music Awards the year before, mind you.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Madonna’s Austin show played like a stage version of the sultry pop singer’s music videos without the prominent cleavage and navel close-up shots. When she made her first regal entrance Sunday at the Erwin Center, the primadonna-ish Madonna bopped onto the stage wearing a green bow in her hair that was bigger than her face, a blue jean mini-(skirt) that hugged her hips tighter than a tube around toothpaste, and a blazer — underneath it she wore a brassiere and see-through lingerie crop top. Later, descending the top of a staircase singing "Like a Virgin," Madonna was dressed like a punk bride carrying flowers and wearing a wedding veil — which she quickly, teasingly tossed off, in the manner of Gypsy Rose Lee.  In just about every song she performed, Madonna and two male dancers delivered obviously choreographed routines. Some were reminiscent of the old Four Tops style — pantomimed gestures of the lyrics performed in unison, punctuated by swift, cutting, upright turns. It was a slick, polished, contemporary Las Vegas-style production.  Her full, girlishly pouty voice potently projects pleasingly into an arena-sized crowd. At her best, Madonna sings like the soloists did in girl groups of the ‘60s; at her worst, she sounds like Stevie Nicks without the occasionally irritating billy-goat quiverings. Madonna’s awfully bold for someone who is embarking on her first major tour. She is a Marilyn Monroe-ish, “It” girl of the ‘80s. But this reviewer found her juvenile, aggressive flirtations with the audience tiresome. Once, she pointed to a day-glo box and said it was her “music box — it’s very special because it makes music. But it has to be turned on.” After that comment, she started breathing heavily. The crowd ate it up; the groups of young boys in the crowd looked as though they were attending a bachelor party, gorged. Madonna did everything but jump out of the cake.  Madonna may be considered by some music critics as a fleeting pop star and her penchant for lingerie and erotic posturing understandably irritates feminists. Nevertheless, Madonna is a formidable, timely talent. And it is no easy feat to sing and dance simultaneously while trying to project to an arena-sized crowd. Madonna’s concert underlines the fact that she is as much a live performing artist, singer, and dancer, as she is a fashionable, trend-setting personality and actress. This reviewer suspects Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire cringe a little less when they see Madonna’s ‘80s style version of televised song and dance routines for the masses. When she’s not poking her navel or back side toward the camera or an audience or slithering like a snake in a backbend on the floor, Madonna moves like one of the better song-and-dancers to emerge from this peculiar genre-mixing MTV pop era.

More: SXSW reveals Nick Jonas, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' queens, more for 2023

According to concert archive website setlist.fm , Madonna's Erwin Center setlist was "Dress You Up," "Holiday," "Into the Groove," "Everybody," "Angel," "Gambler," "Borderline," "Lucky Star," "Crazy for You," "Over and Over," "Burning Up, "Like a Virgin," and "Material Girl."

Tickets to Madonna's Moody Center concert go on sale Friday .

How Madonna proved she was up there with Springsteen and Prince at her '80s ASU debut

B y the time Madonna arrived at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle for opening night of the Virgin Tour in 1985, she had already spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 with her first chart-topping single, “Like a Virgin.” She spent another three weeks atop Billboard’s album chart with her second full-length effort, also titled “Like a Virgin.”

The set Madonna did that night was packed with huge hits, from her mainstream breakthrough, “Holiday,” through “Borderline” and “Lucky Star” to “Like a Virgin,” “Material Girl” and a single making early strides toward giving her a second No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, “Crazy For You.”

At 26, she had already started shaping the pop culture of a decade she would define as much as any global superstar this side of Prince or Michael Jackson.

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See if you agree: The 35 best Madonna songs of all time, ranked

One thing Madonna hadn’t done is tour, although she had performed in clubs and delivered the first of many iconic performances at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, appearing on top of a three-layer cake in a wedding dress for “Like a Virgin.”

But that was all about to change with the opening of the Virgin Tour at the Paramount Theatre on April 10, 1985.

The Virgin Tour brought Madonna to Phoenix in April 1985

Twenty days later, the tour hit Tempe, Arizona, where Madonna played what was known at the time as the ASU Activity Center — currently Desert Financial Arena — for a sold-out crowd of 10,013.

The Arizona Republic’s Andrew Means wrote of the crowd at that performance, “Judging by the audience Tuesday, her appeal is not on just one track. Young women may have comprised a slight majority, but males were well-represented and there were even a few families and older couples in the audience.”

Means addressed what he referred to as “the media hostility” to which Madonna had become accustomed before brushing off the threat so many voices in the media appeared to feel Madonna’s brand of entertainment posed to the impressionable young minds of the fans who flocked to see her.

“On the other hand, there is something of the same freakish celebrity about her that makes Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper or Liberace essentially harmless playthings of the public,” Means wrote, pointing out that “Like a Virgin” is, in fact, “a rather innocent sentiment about feeling renewed by a fresh love” while the album as a whole “dwells on fairly traditional preoccupations —– boys who put on the style and how to attract them.”

He even invoked the name of another sexually provocative performer of the time to illustrate his point.

“No, female rock has not yet discovered its Dave Lee Roth,” he wrote. “But in Madonna, it comes close enough to touch a few nerves.”

Madonna's Celebration Tour 2024: Ultimate guide to her Footprint Center concert in Phoenix

'Madonna is calling her own shots'

The show that night in Tempe did have “a sensual side to it,” he wrote, but “Madonna was by no means overtly suggestive or crude,” although “her famous navel frequently protruded through her costumes, which ranged from close-fitting green and purple pants to a wedding outfit for her encore, ‘Like a Virgin.’”

He praised the choreography as both “striking and skilled,” going on to note, “she coordinated closely with two male dancers, and their routines did much to propel the songs and give them extra drama.”

Although the sound wasn’t all one might have hoped, Means wrote, “her singing was up to par and her band was polished.”

Means’ review also touched on the empowering nature of what the rise of Madonna meant for the pop culture of the ‘80s.

“Female emancipation in rock has been going on, gradually, since the ‘60s,” he wrote. “But in today’s female rock bands and singers, it seems to have finally shed its self-consciousness. No longer do they seem to be aiming for someone else’s idea of the noble female. Madonna is calling her own shots.”

'Madonna Louise Ciccone knows how to throw a party'

The Arizona Daily Star in Tucson also was there to document Madonna's first appearance on an Arizona stage.

The Star’s M. Scot Skinner made reference to “her belly button staring us down, as usual” in a performance he sized up as “likeable and harmless,” the singer “festively dressed in a paint-splattered jacket, purple lace knickers and pounds of dangling jewelry.”

He also addressed the naysayers.

“As you probably know, Madonna’s regarded with palpable distaste by those who feel the admitted boy toy’s sexuality might give youngsters the wrong idea about the role of women,” Skinner wrote.

“Feminists, I swear, have suggested that Madonna has singlehandedly set back the cause of women 15 years. She is called, among other things, America’s favorite social disease. People hate her.”

Skinner wasn’t buying into the idea of Madonna as a threat to community standards, though.

“I don’t believe the thousands of Madonna-wanna-be’s take the pop queen’s image any more seriously than heavy-metal fans take the devil-worship stuff,” he wrote.

“Have we all forgotten that sex is irrefutably linked to rock ‘n’ roll? It is one and the same thing and always has been. So the woman is comfortable with the notion of sex and is aware of her undeniable allure; does this mean the end of life as we know?”

To Skinner, the double standard was obvious.

“Men don’t seem to have this problem,” he wrote. “Prince, for example, is far more blatant about sexual matters but is admired for his freedom, his boldness. Madonna does the same thing and, because she is a woman, is labeled a dangerous slut.”

Then Skinner made it clear that he felt Madonna had nothing on Prince.

“Of course, Prince is a musical genius, while Madonna may not last another year,” he wrote. “Her bleating voice is nothing to rave about — although she proves she can sing in songs like ‘Crazy For You.’ Nothing about Tuesday night’s enormously energetic concert was truly spectacular or inspiring, but all of it was appealing. Madonna Louise Ciccone knows how to throw a party, and the sly spirit of fun was greatly refreshing.”

Madonna concert: The Queen of Pop brought 'the good, the bad, the sexy' to Phoenix

The Republic reviewer called Madonna 'a tease with a capital T'

Eight days after the concert, The Republic published a second review by Woody Wilson, who called her “a tease with a capital T” and began his review with “Watching Madonna on stage at ASU’s Activity Center last week, one couldn’t help but wonder what revelation she has in store for us when she finally appears on Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s ‘Good Sex’ show.”

Apparently, Cyndi Lauper had just appeared on Dr. Ruth and critics of the ‘80s often mentioned Lauper and Madonna in the same breath even though they’re obviously very different types of artists.

What little sex there was in Madonna’s live show, Wilson wrote, was “just enough to irritate the many fathers who brought their little girls to the show.”

He interviewed one dad, Lew Robinson, who said, “I brought my daughter because she bribed me. But, as far as I’m concerned, I can live without Madonna.”

Wilson seemed to like the show much more than Robinson did.

“Another pleasant surprise was the overall quality of the show,” Wilson wrote. “Contrary to what many believe, Madonna can sing, but she’s a better dancer. The remarkable Motown choreography, which included a pair of male dancers, was precision work that must have required months of rehearsal.”

After acknowledging that another few months of rehearsal wouldn’t be a bad thing, Wilson wrote, “Madonna is a performer, as evidenced by her tireless, although sometimes stilted, stage antics. The highly danceable beat throughout the concert had people up in their seats and spilling out into the aisles."

There were moments that struck him as too close to Vegas for comfort.

"But, hey," he concluded, "that's showbiz."

Fan attending his 1st concert says 'Madonna mania was in full swing'

Andrew Boyer was 16 and listening to KZZP on the way home from Mountain View High School in Mesa when the DJ announced that they had just released more tickets to the sold-out show.

“I just had to go to this one,” he recalls.

“Madonna mania was in full swing with the release of the ‘Like A Virgin’ album five months before and ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ coming out the previous month prior to the concert. The wannabes were there that night in full force. It was a sea of teased hair in bows, lace, gloves, bright neon colors and ‘Madonna bracelets,’ crosses and bangles.”

Boyer and his 14-year-old sister scored tickets at the Dillards department store at Fiesta Mall in Mesa, and their mom dropped them off at the show.

It was Boyer’s first concert and he was thrilled to be there.

“She opened up with ‘Dress You Up’ wearing a colorful big-shoulder jacket with tights,” he recalls. “The piercing sound of the crowd fueled Madonna’s performance. So many costumes in such a short set.

"The best part was towards the end of the show when Madonna came out in her wedding gown performing ‘Like a Virgin,’ rolling all over the stage. Midsong she pays tribute to Michael Jackson and sings a mash-up of Billie Jean before finishing off with her song. Doing mashups before mashups were a thing. Always a trendsetter.”

Madonna 2024 setlist: Every song she played at Phoenix concert on her Celebration tour

Madonna on Beastie Boys: 'I couldn’t understand why everyone hated them'

In Randy J. Taraborrelli’s “Madonna: An Intimate Biography,” Madonna is quoted as saying she wanted the Virgin Tour concerts to be "loud and brazen, and a reflection of my street-style and DGAF attitude.”

She collaborated on the fashion for the tour with her designer friend Maripol, who ran a small boutique in New York City’s Greenwich Village and brought in Patrick Leonard, fresh from the Jackson 5 Victory Tour, as musical director.

The Beastie Boys were an unlikely choice for the opening slot, resulting in a lot of booing crowds and overwhelmingly negative press.

As Adam “Ad-Rock” Horowitz told Spin years later, “I don't know why she thought it would be a good idea (to open for her tour), though. It was a terrible idea. But it was great for her in a way because we were so awful that by the time she came onstage, the audience had to be happy."

That same article quoted Madonna saying, “They were very bad boys — they said ‘(expletive)’ all the time on stage. The audience always booed them and they always told everybody to (expletive) off. I just loved them for that. I couldn’t understand why everyone hated them — I thought they were so adorable.”

Despite the mixed reviews, the Virgin Tour was a huge success

Despite the mixed to negative reviews that followed nearly every stop, the Virgin Tour was a commercial success.

Concerts sold out quickly in most markets, with some shows moved to larger venues, drawing fans who did their best to replicate Madonna’s look, inspiring the media to coin the phrase Madonna wannabes.

The Macy’s department store in New York City created a special Madonna department, selling not only tour merch but clothing and accessories, from crucifix earrings and fingerless gloves to bangles and rosary beads, to help fans get their look together for the shows.

According to Billboard, the tour grossed $3.3 million.

It also led to the release of a concert film, “Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour,” on VHS, Beta and LaserDisc, which made its way to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Music Videocassettes chart in early 1986, displacing “Prince & the Revolution: Live.”

It was the biggest-selling music videocassette of 1986, going on to be certified double-platinum.

In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2009, Madonna looked back on the Virgin Tour as a pivotal moment in her rise to global superstardom.

“That whole tour was crazy, because I went from playing CBGB and the Mudd Club to playing sporting arenas,” she said.

“I played a small theater in Seattle, and the girls had flap skirts on and the tights cut off below their knees and lace gloves and rosaries and bows in their hair and big hoop earrings. I was like, 'This is insane!' After Seattle, all of the shows were moved to arenas.”

The Virgin Tour makes Spin magazine's 10 Tours that Changed the World

In 2001, Spin magazine named the Virgin Tour to a list of 10 tours that changed the world with an entry written by a woman who was at the Phoenix concert.

Heidi Sherman begins her entry on the Virgin Tour with “In 1985, I was a skinny, underdeveloped sixth grader who’d been forcibly plucked from Brooklyn and replanted in the desert of Arizona."

For young outsiders like Sherman, she wrote, Madonna was more than a pop star. She was “the great equalizer,” allowing kids “from every preteen subset… to bond over mesh-lace gloves and black rubber bracelets.”

Reflecting on the concert, Sherman wrote, “The Virgin Tour was Madonna’s first, yet it put her in the same league with superstars like Prince and Springsteen. True, she’d already sold 16 million singles and albums, and she’d recently starred in ‘Desperately Seeking Susan.’

"Still, the Virgin Tour proved that Madonna was beyond real. And if her stage presence indicated that she was more showgirl than musician, at least she knew how to gussy up her act for the postfeminist MTV age. Boy toy? Not exactly. She was a bona fide pop star in the process of becoming a cultural icon.”

Madonna's Virgin Tour setlist: Every song she played in Tempe

Here's every song Madonna played when the Virgin Tour came to the ASU Activity Center in Tempe, Arizona, in 1985:

• "Dress You Up"
• "Into the Groove"
• "Everybody"
• "Borderline"
• "Lucky Star"
• "Crazy for You"
• "Over and Over"
• "Burning Up"
• "Like a Virgin" (with snippets of "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson)
• "Material Girl"

Madonna at Footprint Center in Phoenix

When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16.

Where: Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix.

Admission: $300 and up.

Details: 602-379-7800,  ticketmaster.com .

Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter  @EdMasley .

Support local journalism.   Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How Madonna proved she was up there with Springsteen and Prince at her '80s ASU debut

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Madonna The Celebration Tour setlist: All 28 songs played by Queen of Pop revealed

16 October 2023, 11:04

By Tom Eames

What songs does Madonna perform on The Celebration Tour? Here's the official setlist and every song included in the epic live show.

Listen to this article

Madonna is back on the road with her Celebration Tour , a retrospective of her four-decade-long career in music.

The pop icon kicked off the tour on October 14 at London's O2 Arena, the first of six sold-out shows at the venue. Fans were treated to a dazzling spectacle of songs, costumes, dancers, and special guests.

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But what songs did Madonna perform on the opening night of her tour? Here's a rundown of the setlist so far, though there's always a chance it may change throughout the tour.

The setlist featured over 25 songs, spanning Madonna's entire discography from her 1983 debut album to her latest release Madame X .

Warning: Spoilers below!

Madonna Carpool Karaoke

This is the full 28 song Celebration Tour setlist, in order, based on shows in London:

- Intro skit with Bob the Drag Queen, including elements of 'Lucky Star', 'Celebration' and 'Material Girl'

1. Nothing Really Matters 2. Everybody (contains elements of 'Where's the Party') 3. Into the Groove 4. Burning Up 5. Open Your Heart (contains elements of 'Live to Tell') 6. Holiday

- 'The Storm' interlude (contains elements of 'In This Life')

7. Live to Tell

- 'The Ritual' interlude (contains elements of 'Girl Gone Wild')

8. Like a Prayer (contains elements of 'Girl Gone Wild', 'Act of Contrition' and 'Unholy' by Sam Smith )

- The Sacrifice/Erotic interlude (contains elements of 'Living for Love', 'Erotica', 'Justify My Love' and 'Fever'

9. Erotica (contains elements of 'Papa Don't Preach') 10. Justify My Love / Fever 11. Hung Up 12. Bad Girl

- Ballroom interlude (contains elements of 'Up Down Suite', 'Vogue' and 'Break My Soul')

13. Vogue 14. Human Nature 15. Crazy for You

- The Beast Within interlude

16. Die Another Day 17. Don't Tell Me 18. Mother and Father 19. Little Star 20. I Will Survive (cover) 21. La Isla Bonita 22. Don't Cry for Me Argentina

- Madonna interlude (contains elements 'I Don't Search I Find')

23. Bedtime Story 24. Ray of Light 25. Rain

26. Like a Virgin (contains Michael Jackson tribute including 'Billie Jean') 27. Bitch I'm Madonna / Give Me All Your Luvin' 28. Celebration / Music

Madonna’s The Celebration Tour is set to continue until April 2024, visiting various cities in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia.

Fans can expect some changes in the setlist as Madonna likes to surprise her audience with different songs and guests.

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The Dream Setlist for Madonna’s 2023 Celebration Tour

Here's what we're dying to hear on her 40th anniversary trek.

By Joe Lynch

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In 1910’s The Vagabond , the French writer Colette claimed, “The only real things are the dance, the light, freedom, music.” If that’s the case, then there are few pop catalogs more in touch with reality than Madonna’s.

The Queen of Pop kicked 2023 off right by announcing the Celebration Tour, a global trek honoring her four decades of culture-changing hits.

Needless to say, she has a lot of material to choose from — with 12 No. 1s, 38 top 10 hits and 57 titles on the Billboard Hot 100, Madonna is an all-time pop GOAT. And considering her most recent tour (the excellent, intimate Madame X Tour from 2019-2020) was primarily focused on the album of the same name she was supporting, there’s quite a number of beloved classics that Madge hasn’t performed live in several years.

That seems set to change with the Celebration Tour, which promises to be a career-retrospective run of songs from the pop icon, whose self-titled debut introduced the world to a new game-changing superstar back in 1983. And since we’re looking at 40 years of Madonna, we decided to round up 40 songs we would love to hear the Material Goddess perform live.

Now, we’re not saying we want every one of these songs performed in full at every tour stop — a 40-song setlist is less a concert and more of a marathon. Some we’d like to hear in part, perhaps as a segue or in a medley; others we could imagine M performing as a surprise treat on select tour dates. But this is our wish list.

“Everybody”

Why not start where it all began? Ms. Ciccone’s debut single missed the Hot 100 but hit No. 3 on the Dance Club Songs chart in 1983 — i.e., 40 years ago. And given that this is a career-spanning 40th anniversary tour, it would be a fitting opener. Plus, the message still lands: “Dance and sing/ Get up and do your thing.”

“Borderline”

For as beloved as this sparkling gem from her self-titled debut is, it hasn’t been trotted out all too often in concert (although she did memorably sing it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2016). Just try to understand (under STAND ) how delightful it would be to hear this slice of cotton-candy pop at a stadium near you.

While Madonna slipped into “Dress You Up” for her Rebel Heart Tour, she hasn’t put a touring halo on “Angel” since 1985 – which is before at least half the people in her Truth or Dare -style teaser clip were even born. This sweet, slinky slice of ‘80s pop could use some wings.

“Material Girl”

It might’ve seemed presumptuous for Madonna to compare herself to the 20 th century’s most enduring sex symbol back on her second album, but history has more than proven she can comfortably place herself in the same pop culture pantheon as Marilyn Monroe. The smash still slaps, and it’s proven surprisingly durable, allowing for various stylistic reimaginings.

”Material Gworrllllllll!”

Sure, it’s an anniversary tour, but it can’t all be backward gazing – and what better song to catapult this setlist into the 21 st century than Madonna’s delirious, wild collab with Saucy Santana? Of course, the rising rapper can’t reasonably be present for every date, but given that they’ve already performed it together in NYC once , he could make one of the MSG dates, right?

The highest-charting hit from 1998’s Ray of Light (No. 2 on Hot 100), a crowd-pleaser during her intimate 2019 residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and a recently viral TikTok favorite, it’s a no-brainer that hearts will be open (and phones will be recording) if and when she busts this one out. Whether it’s the O.G. ballad version or the amped-up Sickick remix is Madame X’s decision to make.

"Bedtime Story"

Given that Madonna has performed it just once live (according to Setlist.fm’s estimation), this Björk co-write about the fallibility of language is overdue for a reappreciation. We’re not saying we want the full-length version, but with the right arranger, it could serve as a surprising, satisfying segue into a certain No. 1 smash from the same album….

“Take a Bow”

Spending seven weeks at No. 1, “Take a Bow” is Madonna’s longest-running Hot 100 topper — yet she’s rarely performed it live. All the world is a stage, which means there’s basically no place a performance of this achingly gorgeously ballad doesn’t belong.

“Open Your Heart”

Second album Like a Virgin propelled her to superstardom, but 1986’s True Blue proved she was there to stay, and “Open Your Heart” is a huge piece of that equation. Coy yet fierce, airy but unstoppable, “Heart” is every bit as irresistible as when it reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in early ’87.

Save her part in a no-budget student film ( A Certain Sacrifice ) shot in 1979, Madonna’s first film role was in the 1985 romance Vision Quest . She contributed two songs to the soundtrack: the Hot 100-topping ballad “Crazy for You” and “Gambler,” the latter of which didn’t even reach streaming services until 2022. Is it a lost masterpiece? Not exactly, but it’s a rollicking high-energy number that we can imagine Madonna busting out the electric guitar during.

“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina (Miami Mix)”

Sure, it’s more of a classic in the oeuvres of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Patti LuPone, but when it comes to Evita , Madonna does have something those theater greats don’t: A top 10 Hot 100 hit, thanks to this remix accompanying the film’s 1996 release. We’re not asking for a start-to-finish dramatic performance, but a verse or two would be a delightful lead in to….

"La Isla Bonita"

Given that Amy Schumer led an eclectic celebrity-sing-along to this one in an Instagram video teasing the tour, it seems like a given that it will be on the setlist. And why the hell not? It’s a fan fave everyone knows the words to, which means that when Madge incites a stadium-wide sing-along to the chorus, she can slip off stage and change costume before anyone realizes she’s gone.

“Deeper and Deeper”

An underrated pop-house classic from Erotica , “Deeper and Deeper” sounds better and better with each passing year – and for a tour that follows a year where not one but two next-gen superstars released house-imbued LPs, this deserves some shine. Plus, it directly references….

It’s no guarantee that Madame X will let her body groove to this music during her 40 th anniversary tour, but given the fact that Queen Bey paid official homage to the Queen of Pop just last year with her appropriately titled “The Queens Remix” of the Hot 100-topping “Break My Soul,” it’s a likely bet. “Vogue” is of its time, sure, but increasingly, it’s clear that it’s one of the GOAT dance classics.

“Drowned World/Substitute for Love”

Face the facts: You can’t follow-up a high-energy bulldozer like “Vogue” with another banger, slapper or even a bop. Take it down a notch. Ray of Light ’s ethereal, introspective opening track is enough of a vibe to keep the energy up while allowing people a moment to catch their breath.

"Hollywood"

On this American Life single, Madonna tackled her love-hate relationship with Hollywood, one that’s produced its fair share of hits ( Evita, Desperately Seeking Susan ) and flops ( Swept Away, Shanghai Surprise ). Her Tinseltown fixation continues even now with her wildly anticipated upcoming biopic, directed by Ms. Ciccone herself. Our suggestion? She should thread exclusive biopic teasers into live performances of “Hollywood” on the anniversary tour. People (including but not limited to us) will eat it up.

"Who's That Girl"

Speaking of a hit and a flop, it’s time to bring “Who’s That Girl” back into regular rotation on a Madonna tour. Yes, the movie underperformed, but that’s water under the 36-year-old bridge. The title track topped the Hot 100 in the summer of 1987, and it would be exciting to hear how M would reimagine it for 2023.

“Causing a Commotion”

While we’re on the topic, “Causing a Commotion” was a No. 2 Hot 100 hit hailing from the same soundtrack. This might not be a sturdy classic in the vein of hit songs that warranted inclusion on The Immaculate Collection , but we’d like to hear some rarities on this trek, and why not a “deep cut” that was also a massive hit?

“Back That Up to the Beat (Demo)”

Originally released on a deluxe edition of Madame X in 2019, the demo version of this song (dating back to 2015) went viral on TikTok in 2022, prompting Madonna to officially release this likable, Danceteria-styled jam. It’s probably not a selection for every night, but it would be a fun surprise here and there.

“I Don’t Search I Find”

Her landmark 50th hit on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, this Madame X highlight pulls off the slick trick of keeping its feet in the club while reaching its fingers into the nebulous ether. It also gave her recent hits comp Finally Enough Love its name, so it would be surprising not to hear it at least a couple times on this tour.

"Girl Gone Wild"

A decade after its release, fan reactions to MDNA remain mixed – hell, Madonna herself has questioned it. But this thumping, dark EDM foray hits the hedonistic sweet spot, and a portion of it could provide a solid lead-in to….

Her 12 th (and to date most recent) song to top the Hot 100, “Music” seems like a shoo-in for an anniversary tour setlist. It’s one of her most played hits, and for good reason: Be they bourgeoise or rebel, it makes the people come together.

“Like a Virgin”

Despite being one of her live staples, she hasn’t busted out “Like a Virgin” since 2016 – and for an anniversary tour, it’s kinda-sorta a must, as her first No. 1 on the Hot 100. We’re not demanding a full rendition – it’s far from the very first time she’s played it – but it still makes us feel shiny and new.

“Give It 2 Me”

A throbbing highlight from 2008’s Hard Candy, “Give It 2 Me” was one of just 16 remixes to appear on the abridged vinyl version of Finally Enough Love . It was justified: this Neptunes co-production about her unstoppable drive and insatiability still leaves us breathless.

Speaking of breathless (and not Mahoney), this Confessions on a Dance Floor delight is a relentless monster of propulsive rhythm, and it’s an underrated fan fave she hasn’t busted out on stage in well over a decade.

“I’ll Remember”

Despite it being a No. 2 hit on the Hot 100, Madonna has still yet to perform this song (which hailed from the With Honors soundtrack and was later included on her ballads comp Something to Remember ) on stage. It might be too on the nose for Madonna, but given that this is an anniversary tour, “I’ll Remember” could be an opportunity for a visual montage of the far-too-many friends and collaborators she’s lost over the years.

“What It Feels Like for a Girl”

Whether she goes the thumping techno route from the video or the more acoustic album version, this Music single would give Madonna a chance to visually highlight any number of global concerns, from the protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody (after she was arrested and beaten for wearing her hijab in a fashion authorities objected to) to the trans women targeted by dog whistle-loving conservatives.

A crowd sing-along to “I Rise” – which was a stirring, sobering encore on the Madame X Tour that clearly meant a lot to Madonna herself – could nicely cap off this more serious portion of the setlist.

“Hanky Panky”

Madonna contains multitudes — which means after an especially somber segment, it wouldn’t be hard for her to turn on a dime and brighten things up. Given the star roster of drag queens she brought to New York during 2022 Pride Month , she shouldn’t have any trouble deploying a coterie of drag stars to join her on stage as she gradually brings the energy level back up with this I’m Breathless single.

“Keep It Together”

A highlight of her Blond Ambition World Tour that hasn’t seen a stage in decades, the funky family anthem “Keep It Together” (a top 10 Hot 100 hit) is overdue for a chance to groove audiences once again.

“Express Yourself”

The higher-charting (No. 2) stylistic sister to “Together,” “Express Yourself” hails from the same album ( Like a Prayer ) and has been a highlight of any Madonna tour it’s graced. It’s a must.

Public response might’ve been puritanical to this one back in 1992, but it paved the way for dark-alley musical detours from Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and others. This sinuous S&M groover deserves another moment in the light – or in this case, in the glow of a basement-dungeon fluorescent bulb dangling from a chain.

Who knew ABBA could sound so urgent before Madonna sampled their 1979 hit “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” for “Hung Up” — a throbbing piece of disco revival that remains as irresistible (and in the gay bars, inescapable) as when Madonna dropped it in 2005?

“Rescue Me”

While it popped up as an interlude during the Madame X Tour (following a backstage request from Billboard at the 2019 BBMAs ), “Rescue Me” is one of Madonna’s few top 10 hits that she’s never performed live. It’s a rousing anthem of resilience, and we’d love to hear it on at least one of these Celebration Tour dates.

"Living for Love"

The Rebel Heart single that deserved better (it topped Dance Club Songs but missed the Hot 100), “Living for Love” is a rousing diva-house anthem with an uplifting message. The gospel choir elements could provide a fitting segue to…

"Like a Prayer"

This will probably take up prime real estate during the Celebration Tour, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether she’s singing it on stage in front of tens of thousands or on the streets of Harlem well past midnight, it never fails to take us there. And in terms of pre-encore show closers, it’s hard to beat.

"Celebration"

For the encore opener, we’re thinking the single that gave her 2009 hits comp and this tour its name. Plus, when she dropped it at Terminal 5 during Pride Month 2022, it served as perfect intro to….

A simple song about persevering throughout dark times that has become an anthem for the LGBTQ community, “Holiday” is a masterclass in not overthinking the assignment. Need a sweet, joyful dance-pop rallying cry? This is it.

"Into the Groove"

You wanna dance? For inspiration? C’mon! It doesn’t get better than this. Our pick for the best Madonna song of all time , there’s something ineffably liberating about this ode to forgetting your fears on the dancefloor.

"B-tch I'm Madonna"

Fan reactions to this song are admittedly divided, but it’s an appropriately IDGAF pin to put on 40 years of iconoclastic pop: a smirk, a wink and a middle finger all in one.

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