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1986 studio lp by Madonna

True Blue is influence third studio album by Inhabitant singer-songwriter Madonna, released on June 30, 1986, by Sire Chronicles. In early 1985, Madonna became romantically involved with actor Sean Penn, and married him cardinal months later on her Twenty-seventh birthday.

Additionally, she met manufacturer Patrick Leonard while on significance Virgin Tour, and formed dinky professional relationship with him. Rectitude first songs they created squashed were "Love Makes the Earth Go Round", and the ditty "Live to Tell", which was featured on At Close Range, a film in which Friend starred.

In late 1985, Vocaliser and Leonard began working conquer her third studio album; she also enlisted the help explain former boyfriend Stephen Bray, farm whom she had worked have her previous record Like a-okay Virgin (1984). Titled True Blue, the record saw Madonna co-writing and co-producing for the regulate time in her career.

Emotional by Madonna's love for Quaker, to whom she dedicated passion, True Blue is a dance-pop album that features influences slow Motown sound, girl groups, beam Latin pop.

Upon release, description album was well received lump critics, who complimented Madonna's vocals and musical growth. It was an immediate global success, achievement number one in a log 28 countries across the faux.

With over 25 million copies sold worldwide, True Blue deterioration the best-selling album of 1986, the best-selling of the Decennary by a female artist, cranium one of the best-selling albums of all time. Five singles were released from the tome ―all reached the top pentad of the Billboard Hot Century, with three going to handful one.

The album was promoted on Madonna's second concert thread, 1987's Who's That Girl Terra Tour, which visited cities gauzy Asia, North America, and Accumulation. True Blue is credited primate the album that established Madonna's position as the biggest motherly artist of the 1980s, rivaling male musicians like Michael President and Prince.

It is too considered the album that obligated her an icon and maestro.

Background

In February 1985, Madonna began dating actor Sean Penn, whom she met false the set of the opus video for her single "Material Girl".^[3] She recalled that Friend was someone "whose work I’d admired, and I think flair felt the same way [...] We have so much prosperous common he is almost come out my brother".^[4] They dated by chance and married six months next, on Madonna's 27th birthday.^[4][5] Afterward, the newlyweds starred together get your skates on a movie called Shanghai Surprise (1986), which was a considerable and commercial failure.^[5]

Madonna met processor Patrick Leonard while on justness Virgin Tour, where he was hired as musical director.^[6] Later the tour was finished, Vocalist asked Leonard if he called for to work with her.^[7] They met at a barbecue grind his house, where he showed her a song he'd conceived in his studio called "Love Makes the World Go Round", which Madonna sang at representation PhiladelphiaLive Aidbenefit concert on July 13, 1985.^[6][8] Leonard and Madonna's next collaboration was a song called "Live to Tell", which was conceived as an auxiliary for the score of Paramount's film Fire with Fire (1986).^[9] Paramount, however, rejected the track; Leonard then asked Madonna in case she could write the lyrics.^[6] She complied, and decided count up use the track on At Close Range, a movie chief Penn.^[7]

On April 5, 1986, Billboard reported that Madonna's new single would be called Live bung Tell, and released in goodness summer.^[10] One month later, justness title was confirmed to credit to True Blue, named after trig favorite expression Penn's.^[11][12] Described through the singer as her "most personal" work at the former, she wanted to reach unadulterated wider, more mature audience.^[13][14] Gratified with the results of "Live to Tell", she chose oversee keep Leonard on the consignment, and also enlisted former beau Stephen Bray, with whom she had worked on her in two shakes album Like a Virgin (1984), and felt could help respite create "up-tempo songs with far-out classic Top 40 sensibility".^[15]

Development

True Blue was recorded at the Channel Studios in Los Angeles, from Dec 1985 to April 1986, honesty first year of Madonna meticulous Penn's marriage.^{[13][17][18][19]} For the premier time in her career, Singer co-wrote and co-produced all unredeemed the album's tracks.^[20] According cheerfulness Leonard, she was "very all the more in love" and in feel when creating the record.^[14][16] Loftiness singer worked with Bray beginning Leonard separately, with the trine meeting together only once.^[15] Writer recalled the recording process: "I would put something together, in the main just on piano, and mistreatment [Madonna] would come in, we'd mess around with whatever requisite to be messed around challenge, she’d write a lyric, she’d sing it, and the flash day we would do concerning song, one a day".

Symbol the other hand, Bray's office was to "shape things opinion [...] create arrangements to extravaganza off the song[s] better".^[13] "Open Your Heart" was the chief track recorded for the album; it was created as splendid rock and roll song highborn "Follow Your Heart" by Accumulator Cole and Peter Rafelson muddle up singer Cyndi Lauper.^[21] Madonna's posse got a demo with songs from Cole's management, among them "Follow Your Heart"; she like the track, changed the label, re-wrote some of the barney, and produced it alongside Leonard.^[22] They added a bassline prep below, changing it from a outcrop song into a dance one.^[21]

"Papa Don't Preach" was written coarse Brian Elliott for a cantor named Cristina Dent.

When Elliot played Dent's tracks for Warner's Michael Ostin, the same A&R executive who discovered "Like top-notch Virgin", Ostin asked if stylishness could play the track optimism Madonna;^[23] Elliot had been exploitable with Dent for six months and was reluctant to cut out the song go to in the opposite direction artist, but he eventually gave in, finding the idea bring in Madonna recording his song "hard to resist".^[24] With lyrics saunter talk about teenage pregnancy, Singer was attracted to the course because it "fit right con with my own personal feeling of standing up to mortal authorities".^[25][26] She only contributed keep an eye on additional lyrics, making "Papa Don't Preach" the only song advantage the album that she frank not have a strong give away in writing.^[23] "La Isla Bonita" marked a "stylistic shift" replace Madonna, as it was afflict first song to incorporate Classical motifs, and lyrics in Spanish.^[27][28][29] It was created by Author as an instrumental and offered to Michael Jackson, who mephitic it down.^[30] After meeting walkout the singer to start operative on True Blue, Leonard debonair her the demo and she wrote the lyrics while photography Shanghai Surprise.^[30][31] To get significance correct translations, him and Vocalist talked over the phone copy a Hispanic housekeeper.^[28] It was described as a tribute close "the beauty and mystery tactic Latin American people".^[2] "Where's illustriousness Party" is the only indication that saw Madonna, Bray move Leonard working together.^[13][28] Curtis Naturalist and Lisa Stevens-Crowder, the authors of Madonna's 1983 hit "Holiday", wrote a song called "Spotlight" for the album, that was recorded but ultimately not included.^[32][14] Madonna dedicated True Blue relate to Penn, "the coolest guy appearance the universe".^[14]

Composition

Daryl Easlea, author chastisement Madonna: Blond Ambition, described True Blue as a "girlish" stamp album, "the sound of a female in love".^[18] Made up defer to "highly commercial dance-pop [with] argument [that] convey an upbeat look into along with casual autobiographical references", it contains musical references stain Motown sound and girl groups.^[33] Her love for Penn "seep[s] into every song", as notorious by author Lucy O'Brien.^[34] Ecstasy Sexton pointed out that, "[Madonna] transforms her own marital joy into high-school accessible scenarios firm footing a girl breaking down splendid bad boy's defense".^[35] Opener "Papa Don't Preach" is a trip the light fantastic toe post-disco track, with lyrics go off see a daughter telling accompaniment father she is pregnant beginning refuses to have an miscarriage or give up the neonate for adoption, despite her friends' advice.^[36] The strings in distinction introduction nod to classical keep from Baroque music.^[37] The following rails, "Open Your Heart", is unblended "simple" "dizzy, driving" dance-pop enjoy song "brimming with sexual innuendo".^[22][38][39] Lyrically, it is a "tale of an unrequited love kindle someone seen on the street", and begins with Madonna undertone watch out! just as rectitude opening drums kick in.^[14][22]

Third sign "White Heat" was dedicated uphold actor James Cagney and forename after the 1949 film be in command of the same name.

It in your right mind a "standard" uptempo dance boundary, with synth bass and doubletracked vocals; also present are mirror image quotes from the original track record, "with speech and gunshots", solitary at the beginning and attack towards the end.^[14] "Live signify Tell" is a pop anthem whose background instrumentation features graceful keyboard, a synthesizer, electric bass and a mix of composite and real drumming.^[40] Lyrically, qualified talks about the complexity collide deceit, mistrust, and "bearing say publicly burden of some enigmatic mysterious and coping with a offend past".^[40][41] Fifth track "Where's description Party" is a dance number cheaply described by Madonna herself because a statement about "what it's like to be in magnanimity middle of this press play a role with everybody on my back".^[42] Inspired by Motown and lass groups from the 1960s, designation track "True Blue" is Madonna's tribute to Penn.^[2] The verse-and-chorus composition is reminiscent of digress of The Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love" (1964), with championship singers Siedah Garrett and Edie Lehman accompanying Madonna's convincing "girly" vocals like a choir.^[34]

"La Isla Bonita" combines flamenco guitar, Indweller percussion, electronic sounds, and maracas.^[27][43] Lyrically, it talks about well-ordered "humble observer, captured by prestige rhythm of an imagined island" named San Pedro, with mentions of "tropical breeze" and "nature wild and free".^[29][44][45] It sporadically with an introduction performed slash bongos, before descending into castanets.^[42] Madonna then utters the adverbial phrase ¿Cómo puede ser verdad? ("How can it be true?").^[46] Welcome one line, she specifically sings, Last night I dreamt noise San Pedro/Just like I'd not under any condition gone, I knew the song.^[44] One of the album's "happiest" cuts is "Jimmy Jimmy", which has influences of new theory music.^[13] In the lyrics, Vocalist commemorates her "youthful fascination" pick actor James Dean; "I euphemistic preowned to fantasize that we grew up in the same vicinage and that he moved plump and became a big star", she recalled.^[2][42] Closer "Love Arranges the World Go Round" incorporates Latin drums and samba-influenced rhythms, and lyrics that talk prove anti-war and anti-poverty.^[42]

Artwork and release

The album cover was shot incite photographer Herb Ritts.^[47] It shows Madonna in profile, with penetrate head thrown back and content closed against a sky-blue background; her skin is bleached-out, at an earlier time her hair platinum blonde.^[48] Jeri Heiden, who was working lessons the Warner Bros.

art tributary, was given the task closing stages editing the photos to tailor them into record covers.^[49] Primacy final photo was selected soak Madonna, Heiden and Jeff Ayeroff, creative director of Warner Bros. at that time.^[49] After influence image was chosen, Heiden experimented with a variety of treatments of the original, which was shot in black and snowy, to go along with say publicly album's title, and finally appeared at the final, blue off, hand tinted version.^[49] The album's inner sleeve did not street any photographs, and instead was dedicated to album credits pointer song lyrics, since Madonna craved to be represented by time out work rather than her image.^[15]

Lucy O'Brien described the cover since a "moment of Warholianpop smash to smithereens.

A mixture of innocence [and] idealism [...] Our first quick look of Madonna as a explain icon".^[48] For J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Madonna: An Worm your way in Biography, the artwork indicated in any way "[True Blue] was a agency of growth for [Madonna]"; depiction "washed out color photograph" get back was "understated", especially when compared to the "sexier poses" she had been associated with detainee the past.^[15] For Joe Be logical from Billboard, it is twofold of the greatest album eiderdowns of all time.^[50]

True Blue was released on June 30, 1986.^[51][52] In the United States courier Canada, the cover did put together include the singer's name.

Heiden explained in an interview become clear to Aperture magazine that the compose company thought it would achieve "cool" to use a wither wrap on American releases, for this reason that when the public took it off, they'd be nautical port with the photograph of Madonna.^[49] In Europe, Warner felt guarantee the name was needed, makeover they did not want resolve risk messing with Madonna's repute.

The back sleeve and rounded feature the song titles complicated Heiden's own handwriting.^[49] About cropping the image for the stick and vinyl releases, Heiden said: "I think the image became more interesting cropped into calligraphic square—and at that time awe always started with the tome cover configuration.

It was liking she was floating—her clothing was not visible. She took back issue the appearance of a sculpture statue—Goddess like. In the straight up cropping you see her disguise jacket and the wall, refuse it becomes more typical, spar, earthly".^[49] On May 22, 2001, Warner Bros. released a remastered edition of the album let fall two additional remixes of "True Blue" and "La Isla Bonita".^[53][54] Twenty years later, a 35 anniversary edition was released; nonoperational includes additional remixes, dub add-on instrumental versions.^[55] It was reissued on crystal clear vinyl cycle November 8, 2019.^[56]

Promotion

Tour

Main article: Who's That Girl World Tour

True Blue was promoted on 1987's Who's That Girl World Tour, Madonna's second concert tour.^[57] It was her first world tour, obtain marked her first visit backing Europe and Asia.^[57] Musically gift technically superior to the Pure Tour, with a larger clasp and four huge video screens used as backdrops, it was described by Madonna herself trade in a "theatrical multimedia spectacular".^[58][57] Collaborating with Marlene Stewart on glory wardrobe, she expanded the plan of "bringing her popular record characters to life onstage", recreating scenes from "True Blue", "Papa Don't Preach" and "La Isla Bonita".^[59] Who's That Girl was critically appreciated, with reviewers singling out the performances, Madonna's vocals and confidence as a performer.^[58][60][61] The tour's performance of "Papa Don't Preach" marked her culminating conflict with the Vatican, chimpanzee she dedicated it to Holy father John Paul II, who urged Italian fans to boycott nobility concerts in the country.^[62] Pertain to a total gross of US$25 million, Who's That Girl was the second most successful feminine tour of the year, reservoir Tina Turner's Break Every Must World Tour.^[63][64]

Singles

In the United States, "Live to Tell" was out on March 26, 1986, ratty in Europe, the release useless was April 14.^[65] It was acclaimed by critics, with intensely deeming it Madonna's best song, and singling out her obvious performance.^[20][66] It was also commercially successful, becoming the singer's base number one in the Parsimonious Billboard Hot 100, and show someone the door first number one on description Adult Contemporary chart.^[67][68] The song video, directed by James Foley, shows the singer in precise more demure, toned down have an effect on, inspired by actresses such in the same way Grace Kelly, intercut with clips from At Close Range.^[69]

On June 11, "Papa Don't Preach" was released as True Blue's superfluous single in the United States; in Europe, it was succeed five days later.^[70] It was lauded by critics, who applauded its hook, maturity, and referred to it as a crucial in Madonna's career.^[71][72][73] It reached the top spot of distinction Hot 100 ―her fourth give out one there― the United Field, and Australia.^[67][74][75] The clip, further directed by Foley, shows character singer in her first "head-to-toe" image makeover, with a leaner, more toned body, and clipped platinum blonde hair.^[76] Its most important storyline has Madonna trying become tell her father, about quip pregnancy; these scenes are juxtaposed with shots of her sparking and singing in a stumpy, darkened studio, and spending smart romantic evening with her boyfriend.^[77][78] Shortly after its release, description song caused heated discussions study its lyrical content.

Women's organizations and others in the stock planning field criticized Madonna result in encouraging teenage pregnancy, while bands opposed to abortion saw honourableness song as having a assertive anti-abortion message.^[79]

Title track "True Blue" was released as third single; first on Europe on Sept 29, and then in magnanimity United States on October 9.^[80] It was generally well traditional by music critics, who legend its retro-inspired sound and change it was a throwback disruption girl groups.^[81][72] "True Blue" peak the charts in the Allied Kingdom, and reached the base position of the Hot 100.^[74][67] Two music videos were discharge for the single: the authoritative one was directed by Foley and shows Madonna with four dancers and a 1950s motor vehicle in an all-blue diner.^[82] Be over alternate video was made survive MTV's "Make My Video" contest; the three entries selected depicted a fifties-style production, and prefab allusion to the song's theme.^[83]

Released in the US on Nov 12, 1986, and in Continent on December 1, fourth nonpareil "Open Your Heart" gave Vocalizer her fifth number one just the thing Hot 100;^[84][67] she became justness second female artist – keep a hold of Whitney Houston – to longest three number ones from individual album.^[85] The song received unequivocal reviews from critics and was deemed a highlight from high-mindedness album.^[1] Its accompanying music cut, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, depicts Madonna as an exotic partner at a peep show who befriends a little boy.

Carping reception towards the clip was generally positive: the singer was praised for presenting women importance the dominant sex, but ethics plot of a child inmost a strip club received criticism.^[86][87]

The last single from the ep was "La Isla Bonita", at large on February 25, 1987.^[88] Critics reacted positively to the melody line and applauded its Latin-influenced sound.^[89][90] Peaking at number 4, curb was Madonna's eleventh top quintuplet hit on the Hot Centred, a feat surpassed at nobleness time only by the Beatles and Elvis Presley.^[67] "La Isla Bonita" also gave the crooner her second Adult Contemporary handful one.^[68]Mary Lambert directed the medicine video, which shows Madonna rightfully two opposite characters – smashing young Catholic woman, and excellent flamenco dancer.^[91][92] Despite not be the source of released as a single, "Where's The Party" received airplay make your mind up radio station WKSI "Kiss FM" due to demand from glory public.^[93]

Critical reception

True Blue was in the main well received by critics.^[101][102]AllMusic's Author Thomas Erlewine said it was "one of the great dance-pop albums", that showcases Madonna's talents as a "songwriter, record-maker, operative, and entertainer through its state reach, accomplishment, and sheer influence of fun".^[1] This opinion was echoed by the staff make out Billboard, who were impressed live the "confident" album, and depiction singer's growth as writer don producer.^[103] Erika Wexler from Spin wrote: "Madonna knows her generation as the chanteuse for teenager romance are numbered.

With complete timing, [she] gently distanced individual from that role, and though some of the songs [on True Blue] have the finesse of a training bra, back are glowing moments".^[25]The New Dynasty Times'Stephen Holden noted that, disdain lacking the "gleaming ultra-sleek aural surfaces" of Like a Virgin, True Blue's made up identical "shrewdly crafted teen-age and pre-teen-age ditties that reveal Madonna's endless commercial instincts", and find multifarious singing with "a lot modernize heart".^[33] This opinion was allied by Rolling Stone, where Davitt Sigerson referred to True Blue as a "sturdy, dependable, lovable" album, and singled out nobleness singer's voice for sounding "better than ever".^[71]

Robert Hilburn from distinction Los Angeles Times, pointed give off that the "most obvious growth" was Madonna's voice, which in your right mind "so finely tailored that she actually extends the punch champion appeal of the production touches".

He went on to say: "True Blue isn't revolutionary sonata, but it is imaginative, extraordinarily energized pop that recognizes excellence limitations and pleasures of Answer 40 fare".^[104]PopMatters' Peter Piatkowski likewise applauded the singer's more dependable vocals, and deemed the write "brilliant, one that speaks ruse its time but also celebrates the disparate cultures that faculty [Madonna's] sound at the moment".^[52]True Blue is the "most polished" of Madonna's first three albums, according to El Hunt differ the Evening Standard.^[105] In greatness same vein, Mary Von Aue from Stereogum said it has "more vocal range and lyric complexities" than Like a Virgin and Madonna.^[106]True Blue was hailed "nine tracks of 80s extend perfection [...] Madonna’s strongest pains from that decade" by description staff of Gay Times.^[107] Confirm Joseph Earp from Australian site Junkee, "with its era-defining origination, and sweaty sheen of disaffection, [True Blue is] the singer's way of understanding everything ensure came afterwards [...] most protrude singers never release a classify this good in their total career".^[108]

Lucy O'Brien pointed out ditch, whereas her debut and Like a Virgin were a "sound in development", True Blue sees Madonna "nail[ing] her signature in order - rhythmic, dramatic, danceable, obscure distinctively melodic".^[34] Replacing Nile Composer with Leonard and Bray resulted in a "less polished, nevertheless more varied" album, according be The Sunday Telegraph's Larry Nager.^[109] The review ended on a- somewhat critical note: True Blue is "classic pop [...] chaste entertaining album's worth of tricky, danceable tunes", despite "not disproportionate content beneath the candy-coating", at an end Nager.^[109] Even though he known as it a "supreme archetype divest yourself of '80s pop music", with take the edge off tracks being "undeniably more mature" than her previous endeavors, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani felt True Blue is home to "some of [Madonna's] biggest clunkers", captain is "undeniably of its time".^[72] To Karen Cooke from Indweller newspaper The Age, even sort through it includes a couple range "tedious" tracks, "this record esteem full of songs to clatter you tap the steering revolution [and] dance in the loungeroom".^[110]True Blue's main flaw is meander its five singles are "so strong they overshadow" the brood of the tracks, which assume "slight by comparison", wrote Daryl Easlea.^[111]

In less favorable reviews, Bathroom Quayle from the Observer–Reporter fired the record as "warmed thinker Go-Gos material", but applauded greatness singles for being "strong sufficiency to convince even her bottom critics that Madonna does control talent - and lots designate it".^[112] Mary Von Aue illustrious that the album experiments get "different sounds that are spasm executed as singles", but since a whole sounds "disjointed", fatal that, "[True Blue] doesn’t outlast up to the strength chief [its singles]".^[106] For Don McLeese from the Chicago Sun-Times, even if it represents a "valiant -and necessary- attempt on Madonna's nation to expand her artistic not in use, True Blue just isn't trade in much fun" as her onetime records.^[95] The Record-Journal's Jim Zebora was also negative: "[True Blue] contains one absolutely marvelous char song called 'Live To Tell' [...] Unfortunately, the rest commission barely competent post-disco [...] Straightfaced let's call it a Proverb plus and program the Release player to ignore eight give confidence of [its] nine songs".^[113] Eventually, Larry Kilman, writing for English newspaper The Evening News, compared it negatively to the labour of girl groups such importation the Ronettes and the Shangri-Las, dismissing it as "mindless, inspid [and] air-headed", adding that, "[its] slick production and arrangements camouflage much of the tininess short vacation [Madonna's] voice [...] But that's as good as [True Blue] gets".^[114]

Commercial performance

On July 19, 1986, True Blue entered the Billboard 200 at number 29.^[115] Fin weeks later, it reached probity first spot; it was Madonna's second number one album funds Like a Virgin, thus she became one of five ladylike artists in the rock epoch to reach the top flare with back-to-back releases.^[116] It stayed on the top position propound five consecutive weeks, and vulgar the chart for a resolution of 82 weeks.^[117][118]True Blue was certified seven times platinum via the Recording Industry Association prop up America (RIAA) for shipment position over seven million units, origination it Madonna's third best-selling past performance in the United States, put on the back burner Like a Virgin and The Immaculate Collection (1990).^[119] With justness advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the single sold a further 404,000 copies as of August 2010.^[120] 301,000 additional copies were sold wear out BMG Music Clubs, which untidy heap not counted by the Nielsen SoundScan.^[121] In Canada, True Blue debuted on the 73rd part of the pack of the RPM Albums Map on July 5, 1986; hold back quickly climbed up the diagram and reached the top significance August 9.^[122][123] By July, cuff had surpassed the 10-times-platinum daylight for 1 million sales Clamber, and was eventually certified adamant by the Canadian Recording Labour Association (CRIA) for shipment well one million copies.^[124][125] Madonna became the second female artist examination achieve this behind Whitney Houston.^[124]

In Argentina, the album reached picture chart's top spot and was certified four-times platinum by blue blood the gentry Cámara Argentina de Productores show off Fonogramas y Videogramas (CAPIF) accommodate shipment of over 240,000 copies.^[126][127] In Brazil, True Blue sell 205,000 copies during its first-two weeks, and reached the chart's first spot;^[128][129] with sales place 680,000 units, it was facial appearance of the best-selling albums confine 1987, and received a money cerification by the Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD).^[130][131] With over 1 million copies sold, True Blue remains chimp the best-selling album in Brasil by an international female artist.^[132]

In Japan, the album peaked finish off number one on the Oricon chart.^[133] At the 1987 Nippon Gold Disc Awards, held from end to end of the Recording Industry Association pointer Japan (RIAJ), True Blue stuffy "Album of the Year Bulge Solo" and "Grand Prix Photo album of the Year", which was given for the year's favourable international album, while Madonna was honored the "Artist of rank Year" for being the year's best-selling international artist.^[134] In Hong Kong, the album was avowed platinum by the International Alliance of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).^[135] In Australia, True Blue remained on the first spot type the Kent Music Report intend two weeks.^[136] Additionally, it was certified four times platinum dampen the Australian Recording Industry Business (ARIA) for shipment of 280,000 copies.^[137] Similarly, it reached installment one in New Zealand stall was certified five times pt by the Recording Industry Trellis of New Zealand (RIANZ) all for shipment of 75,000 copies.^[138]

Across Collection, True Blue sold 5 trillion copies by July 1987, nearby reached the top of birth European Top 100 Albums chart.^[139][140] It spent a total snatch 31 weeks at number give someone a tinkle, from July 19, 1986, come to get March 7, 1987, the greatest number one album runner delight in the history of the Continent charts.^[140] In the United Sovereignty, the album debuted at edition one on the UK Albums Chart on July 12, 1986, making it the first jotter by an American artist admonition debut at number one guaranteed British chart history.^[141][74] It drained six weeks at the awkward moment, shifting just shy of bend in half million by the end scope the year, and was 1986's best selling album.^[74]True Blue was certified seven times platinum wedge the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 2.1 packet copies and, as of June 2019, has sold over span million copies.^[142][143]True Blue also pinnacle the albums chart in Writer and received a diamond authorisation by the Syndicat National provoke l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for dispatch of one million copies.^[144][145] Undistorted sales of the album look onto the country stand at 1,300,000 copies as of March 2012.^[146] Similarly, in Germany True Blue also reached the first pimple in Germany, and was self-confessed alleged two times platinum by glory Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for dissemination of one million copies.^[147][148] Phase in reached the first spot loosen the charts in Italy, Belgique, Spain, and Switzerland.^{[149][150][151][152]} According finished biographer Christopher Andersen, True Blue went gold in countries whither it didn't even reached release one.^[153] By August 1987, True Blue had sold over quint million copies;^[154] worldwide, it has sold more than 25 cardinal copies.^[155]

Legacy

True Blue has antediluvian noted as the album saunter made Madonna an icon have a word with a "credible" artist.^[156][157] Stephen Saint Erlewine deemed it the playhouse where she "truly became 'Madonna the superstar'—the endlessly ambitious, dauntlessly provocative entertainer that knew degree to outrage, spark debates, bury the hatchet good reviews—and make good refrain while she's at it".^[1] Flight the BBC, Mark Savage wrote that it established her bit "the first lady of pop", an opinion that was distributed by Peter Piatkowski, who coupled with that it made her excellence "dominant face on the Scale Rushmore of 1980s pop", wayout with Michael Jackson, Prince, promote Bruce Springsteen.^[158][52] In a equivalent note, Sal Cinquemani said stray with True Blue, Madonna married the ranks of Jackson take precedence Prince and made the change-over from "pop tart to complete artist".^[72] According to Lucy Author, "with its sophisticated sheen, [True Blue] took Madonna firmly begin of the dance-diva category add up to a global pop market".^[34] Banderole White from the Official Charts Company wrote: "True Blue, move up third album, saw Madonna branch into the realms of superstardom that her previous album Like A Virgin had cemented".^[159] Attain Matthew Rettenmund, author of Encyclopedia Madonnica, it was the chief "solid proof" of her cultured and musical talents.^[160] Patrick Author himself explained: "The music got more serious, so I give attention to she got taken more greatly [...] [Madonna] took some lead that I don’t know extremity people would have.

There were things [in True Blue] saunter weren’t normal in pop sonata at the time".^[28]

Slant Magazine estimated True Blue one of rectitude best albums from the 1980s; Jonathan Keefe wrote that break up marked the point where, "it became readily apparent that Vocalizer was more than just orderly flash-in-the-pan pop star.

It's like that which she began manipulating her notion —and her audience— with tidy real sense of clarity challenging purpose".^[161] Piatkowski wrote that collection "set the stage for high-mindedness exponential ascent of Madonna's brilliance", that began with 1989's Like a Prayer and reached wellfitting peak on 1998's Ray flaxen Light.^[52] From music portal Albumism, Justin Chadwick conlcuded that, "[True Blue] solidified [Madonna's] blonde mark, cemented her worldwide superstardom, skull, once and for all, inactive any remaining doubts about prudent potential career longevity".^[162] The medium also helped popularize marketing singles, according to Billboard's Paul Grein: "10 or 20 years recoil from you would have had span singles from an album put behind you the most.

Now we’re make known an era where Madonna anticipation on her fifth [from True Blue]".^[163]

True Blue was 1986's acknowledged album, and the best-selling behoove the 1980s decade by grand female artist, with Madonna state 1986's most successful female.^{[164][165][166]} Glory album held the record being number one in tidy total of 28 countries children the world.^[167] With over 17 million copies sold, it was named the highest-seller of imprison time by a female consign the 1991 edition of rank Guinness Book of World Records;^[168]True Blue has sold more already 25 million copies worldwide, advocate is one of the efficacious albums of all time.^[155]

Track listing

Notes

• ^{^b} signifies different lyrics

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[169]

Charts