Good Choice for the Maddy fan

As other reviewers have noted, it doesn't differ in musical content from the regular version, but does offer snazzier packaging: a hard cover encloses the booklet and disc, the booklet offers slightly different artwork (mostly more photographs)and the disc itself has different artwork. This is a good version for the dyed in the wool Madonna fan, and the collection of songs is really a must have in any form.

this album rocks JUST THE WAY IT IS

In terms of compilation albums, this is the one that's buzzing in my CD player more than other ones (even the Immaculate Collection!). And I stand by the statement that this album is perfectly sublime JUST THE WAY IT IS. To me, each track is in itself a definitive Madonna masterpiece WITHOUT QUESTION. I think the best way to truly express how great this compilation really is is to write something about each track . . .



DEEPER AND DEEPER

I have to dance every SINGLE time I hear this song! This song NEEDED to be included on GHV2.



EROTICA

my personal favorite- a haunting expression of some of the darkest and most primal of sexual fantasies (S&M, for example). anyone who is familiar with this song and the album can appreciate the name i put on this review, then. the modern sounding hiphop beat and house-inspired, aloof background music make this a musical experience TRULY like no other. again, GHV2 did justice.



HUMAN NATURE

ultimately not a big hit on the charts, but a message that got everyone's attention- "i do what i do and if you don't like it, i won't stop, i could care less what you think." GHV2 met this one halfway by including it but as a dumbed down version with no profanity



SECRET

Madonna's hippest R&B tune ever. i think that when she released this along with the album Bedtime stories back in '94, she effectively communicated that she could still get down with the getdown.



DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA

Who doesn't know this song, or at least the fact that Madonna sings it? If this song had not made it into the collection, then that would have been the worst-case scenario!



BEDTIME STORY

i love this song, it is just so mindblowing and ethereal with its trance-house themed sound.



THE POWER OF GOODBYE

A beautiful ballad from the Ray of Light album. 'Nuff said.



BEAUTIFUL STRANGER

Madonna closed the door on the nineties with this unusually rich-sounding dance track from the second Austin Powers movie. An excellent note to end the nineties on.



FROZEN

The most beautiful ballad on the Ray of Light album and one of her best by far.



TAKE A BOW

Madonna's biggest hit ever, this also was a necessity for inclusion on GHV2. It's from Bedtime Stories, and it was written by Babyface, and he never goes wrong, as vividly proven in how beautiful this R&B song sounds.



RAY OF LIGHT

I love the video for this song, which made me love the song itself even more. I love how it was Madonna's return to the pop world, back in top form again!



DON'T TELL ME

A kickin' track from 2000's Music album which is characterized with unbeatable pop lyrics and a catchy hiphop sounding backbeat (check out this video too, which features M's turn as a dust covered cowgirl).



WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR A GIRL

Madonna's second best vocal work in a song (top billing goes to Don't Cry For me Argentina). It is a beautiful ballad from Music that goes against society's construct of the ideal female.



DROWNED WORLD/SUBSTITUTE FOR LOVE

I thought this one was some kind of slowed-down, rock-and-roll ballad, and then watching the video opened my eyes to what message Madonna was really sending about herself and the stress of celebrity. Not released in the United States, but still deserving of its GHV2 slot (you'll really think so if you watch the video).



MUSIC

Madonna did it AGAIN with this electronica-laden dance track extraordinaire. She opened a new decade, a new century, and a new millenium with a pulsating, high-energy dance single that was her first to go #1 in years. Yes, she does still got it.





Now you can see why these songs are most deserving of making up Madonna's second Greatest Hits compilation. Some may point out that such #1's as "I'll Remember" and "This Used to Be My Playground" are not up there and say they should have been put up there. But those two songs, while they did chart extremely well, are just not ones that automatically come to mind with 1990s and 21st century Madonna. And another thing: this album just rocks on the weight of the featured songs. Therefore there didn't need to be any new material featured on the album; people bought it so that they would be able to listen to classic Madonna whenever they wanted, not listen to new material.

This Music makes the people come together

Fifteen songs... A decade. There were a few songs from this album that Madonna had missed out, such as: "American Pie" and "Nothing Really Matters" etc... Please note that songs like "Rain", "I'll Remember" and "You'll See" can be found on the ballad compilation "Something To Remember". Madonna's first greatest hits compilation "The Immaculate Collection" is also available and includes such hits as "Crazy For You", "Lucky Star", "Vogue" and "Holiday" plus more. These compilations are also worth buying and getting if you are a real, die-hard Madonna fan.



Well... I feel like getting up out of my chair and dancing to some Madonna all of the time, so this Greatest Hits collection was no exception to pass up on! It does exactly what it says on the front sticker: (plays) the best songs of a decade. So if you really are a Madonna fan (...) and love her last songs of a decade, go out and buy this! Some of the songs are edited, like on her first greatest hits compilation, but that doesn't effect the or any qualities of this disc. "Music Makes The People Come Together" -- let's hope for a box set or a third Greatest Hits collection from Madonna. This collection includes no songs from the warner bros./maverick album "American Life".



01 Deeper And Deeper (10/10)

(US: #7) (17 weeks spent on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #6) (9 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

02 Erotica (10/10)

(US: #3) (18 weeks spent on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #3) (8 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

03 Human Nature (10/10)

(US: #46) (15 weeks spent on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #8) (5 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

04 Secret (10/10)

(US: #3) (22 weeks spent on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #5) (9 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

05 Don't Cry For Me Argentina (10/10)

(US: #8) (Weeks unknown)

(UK: #3) (12 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

06 Bedtime Story (10/10)

(US: #42) (7 weeks spent on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #4) (9 weeks spent on UK Top 75) (1 re-issue)

07 The Power Of Good-Bye (10/10)

(US: #11) (19 weeks spent on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #6) (9 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

("The Power Of Good-Bye" was also teamed together with "Little Star")

08 Beautiful Stranger (10/10)

(US: #19) (Weeks unknown)

(UK: #2) (16 weeks spent on UK Top 75)

("Beautiful Stranger" (in the US) could only chart due to its airplay on the radio)

09 Frozen (10/10)

(US: #2) (20 weeks on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #1) (13 weeks on UK Top 75)

10 Take A Bow (10/10)

(US: #1) (30 weeks on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #16) (9 weeks on UK Top 75)

("Take A Bow" was Madonna's lowest in the UK, but highest in the US!)

11 Ray Of Light (10/10)

(US: #5) (20 weeks on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #2) (10 weeks on UK Top 75) (1 re-issue)

12 Don't Tell Me (10/10)

(US: #4) (21 weeks on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #4) (10 weeks on UK Top 75)

("Don't Tell Me" is my favourite Madonna song!)

13 What It Feels Like For A Girl (10/10)

(US: #23) (10 weeks on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #7) (11 weeks on UK Top 75) (1 re-issue)

14 Drowned World/Substitute For Love (10/10)

(US: Only a single outside of the US)

(UK: #10) (5 weeks on UK Top 75)

15 Music (10/10)

(US: #1) (24 weeks on Billboard Charts)

(UK: #1) (23 weeks on UK Top 75)



Madonna is one of the few music acts to have had this much success on the Charts for this long. (22 year) She also had hits from her later album "American Life" and a lot of previous hits. Pick up this to get more of Madonna. Hits taken from the albums "Erotica", "Bedtime Stories", "Ray Of Light" and "Music". "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from the music motion picture "Evita". "Beautiful Stranger" from the music motion picture "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me". Please note that the song "Human Nature" is edited. It takes away the line: "I'm not your bitch, don't hang your s**t on me" and replaces it with "I'm not sorry, it's Human Nature".



Overall Score: 150/150



This is one of the few albums I have where I have or will give every song 10/10. Great album! Also buy previous albums and later effort "American Life". This particular limited edition is for the die-hard Madonna fan or collector. It features exclusive limited packaging which is lovely to touch -- I love the feel of it! It includes extra pages and photos plus the CD is attached to the book which I thought was a good idea. (There is a slip case at the end of the book which you will find the CD in.) The CD has a different artwork -- A beautiful picture disc of Madonna. Buy it!