Madonna -- Borderline

 

On this week's Reminiscings of Youth article, I bring you the second Madonna song to grace "Kayo Kyoku Plus", and nope, it's not her 1990 hit "Vogue", which I've already written as the first Madonna ROY piece. However, I guess you can consider the above photo of my copy of her "I'm Breathless" as a segue of sorts since the album does contain "Vogue".

Nope, we're taking things back to brass tacks with Ms. Madonna Louise Ciccone. We're returning to the early 1980s when I first heard the singer on the car radio sing "Holiday" which was frequently on the "The Top 6 at 6" on 680 CFTR when the station used to play music. And I think that was for a period of months before her 5th single hit the airwaves and the TV ones as well as the record shelves in February 1984.

Much has been written about Reggie Lucas' "Borderline" including the Wikipedia article for the song so you can take a look there about what went into the making of it as well as its effects. What I can say about it is that the song and the video are a couple of my very big icons in terms of my memories of the 1980s. Except for a viewing of her on a British music program performing "Holiday", that video of her dancing and posing in Los Angeles in "Borderline" was my introduction to the future Material Girl, and for me, it is my favourite image within her many personae...that street-smart woman with the tousled hair having the carefree life, at least before that photographer recruits her to become a model.

That Wikipedia article also goes further into the chord progressions and what-not about "Borderline", but suffice it to say, when I think about all of those Madonna songs that have come since then, I think this one is the freshest and most innocent-sounding entry. I used the adjective "carefree" in the previous paragraph, and I'll use it here as well to describe the music. And for me, if I were to ever head back in a TARDIS to 1984, I want "Borderline" to be the first song I hear when I step foot back into my high school days.

"Borderline" was Madonna's first Top 10 hit by hitting in at No. 10 on Billboard Singles chart, and it didn't do too badly in Canada either by striking at No. 25. But even more significantly, the singer anchored herself firmly in the world of pop culture globally.

So for today, we have No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 on the February 1984 Oricon chart when "Borderline" was released.

1. Seiko Matsuda -- Rock n' Rouge

2. Warabe -- Moshi mo Ashita ga （もしも明日が）

4. Alfee -- Hoshizora no Distance （星空のディスタンス）