20 facts about Madonna’s 2009 greatest hits album ‘Celebration’ that you probably didn’t know

1. One new track didn’t make the cut.

For Celebration‘s fresh meat, Madonna turned to longtime collaborator (and frequent touring buddy) DJ Paul Oakenfold for assistance… although one song from their sessions didn’t make the cut: “Broken.” The unapologetic track seemed to hint at her recent split from husband Guy Ritchie, with lyrics like, “I’m right where the universe needs me to be/A lesson that I needed to learn/But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t burn.” Though she never revealed why the song was axed, it eventually saw the light of day in 2012, when members of her fan club received it as an exclusive vinyl.

2. The track list was meticulously picked.

With 11 albums under her sequined belt at the time of release, Madonna had a large pool of tracks to choose from while crafting Celebration. But what makes this compilation more special than others is that its track list was “selected by Madonna and her fans.” Perhaps that’s why oft-overlooked bops like Hard Candy’s “Miles Always” made the cut!

3. The album cover is a work of art.

As a woman who always has her finger on the pulse of culture, Madonna recruited street pop artist Mr. Brainwash to craft Celebration’s cover (as well as the jacket for its vinyl release). The decision paid tribute to her early days in New York, where she witnessed the peak of graffiti culture firsthand alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat. She later returned to Mr. Brainwash (known for “throwing modern cultural icons into a blender and turning it up to eleven”) in 2014 to create a mural for her Hard Candy Fitness gym in Toronto.

4. It marked the end of a huge chapter in her career.

Though Madonna got her start at Warner Records in 1983, Celebration marked her last contractual obligation to the label. Her next move, which seemed groundbreaking at the time, was an “all-encompassing” deal worth a reported $120 million with Live Nation, who planned to oversee her tours, as well as challenge the record label industry. In a poetic twist, the touring giant’s vision never took off and Madge (and her entire discography) returned to Warner with a “monumental” deal in 2021.

5. Madonna picked the most “badass” opener.

One of the most critically praised (and panned) aspects of Celebration was Madonna’s choice to arrange her hits in a nonlinear sequence. That’s not to say she just put her iPod on shuffle and wrote down a track list; there was thought behind each placement. The record opens with ABBA-sampler “Hung Up” from 2005’s Confessions On a Dance Floor, a bop that extended her Guinness World Record for the most top-40 singles from a female artist in the U.S. And her reasoning? “Because it’s a badass song,” she told Rolling Stone. No lies detected.

6. Her boy toy (at the time) appeared in the lead single’s video.

Madonna gave Celebration the rollout it deserved with an exceptionally trippy video for the title track, which served as lead single. In a sparkling dress and knee-high boots, she showed off her moves alongside a cast of dancers before undressing the DJ, portrayed by model Jesus Luz whom she was dating at the time. Luz later said he was “extremely grateful” for their yearlong relationship, telling Revista Quem, “[Madonna] inspired me to be the human being that I am today, more open to the unknown and more understanding of differences.”

7. The video also allowed her daughter to don some Madonna drag.

Another high profile cameo! Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon served up the spitting image of her mom in a fan version of the “Celebration” music video, sporting a look that paid tribute to the legendary “Like a Virgin” wedding dress. Lourdes was in good company too –– the special cut also featured clips of fans from Madge’s Barcelona and Milan Sweet & Sticky tour stops.

8. She reunited with David Letterman to promote the record.

We all know Madonna and David Letterman have got history. It all started in 1994 when she appeared on The Late Show and told off the talk show host for sexist comments, dropping the f-bomb 14 times and refusing to leave the stage. It became a bona fide pop culture moment, though Madge would return to the show multiple times over the years. However, her last appearance was to promote Celebration and it was characteristically entertaining. The singer told Letterman she would “rather get run over by a train” than get married again, and later, the two talked over Madonna’s first-ever slice of New York pizza.

11. The vinyl is worth a pretty penny.

Everything sounds better on vinyl! Shortly after its September 2009 release, the 36-track edition of Madonna’s Celebration arrived on vinyl through Warner Records. For reasons unknown, the label stopped pressing the record after its initial shipments and it’s no longer in circulation. Now, it’s a collector’s item, with copies currently going for $850 and up on eBay.

10. Madonna still loves the title track.

“Celebration” wasn’t Madonna’s biggest hit, but the bop’s upbeat, pro-party message remains close to her heart. Stans will remember that the track closed out The MDNA Tour. She even performed the song as recently as 2022, ending her New York City Pride set by bringing out queer performers Tokischa and Saucy Santana to keep the party going.

9. The album found even more success from Glee.

There are few Glee episodes better than “The Power of Madonna.” In fact, the cast’s takes on the Queen of Pop’s hits were such a smash, their album topped the Billboard 200 albums chart. The episode also had the kids returning to the classics, with Celebration receiving a 219% boost on the charts the week after the show aired, and Madonna’s entire catalog seeing “a 44% jump in sales.” Thank you, Ryan Murphy!

12. The live performance of this album track generated controversy.

Madonna performed Celebration‘s “Revolver” (alongside Lil Wayne on the big screen) as the second song on The MDNA Tour… and classically, she stirred up quite the controversy. Wielding “a Kalashnikov rifle” alongside a dancer armed with an Israeli Uzi, she shot up the bad guys in what one reviewer described as “a bloody scene.” The prop guns garnered headlines, especially at a 2012 show in Denver occurring shortly after the Aurora shootings. Madonna defended the decision in a letter to Billboard, writing, “I do not condone violence or the use of guns. Rather they are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging.”

14. The leaks hit Madge hard!

Leakers gonna leak! Despite a planned release date of August 3, 2009, lead single “Celebration” hit the internet a few days ahead of time, forcing Madonna and her team to drop the track early. That wasn’t the only spoiler, though. A demo of “Revolver” also made rounds on the web ahead of release, though it did not include Lil Wayne’s verse.

16. There is an oft forgotten Akon collaboration.

Madonna’s collab with Lil Wayne stole the thunder during the Celebration era, but it wasn’t her only feature. In November 2009, she dropped an especially bombastic remix of “Celebration” with Akon, though in retrospect, the forgettable reworking feels more like a testament to 2009 pop culture than anything else. Still, music review site Tone Start ranked it Akon’s fourth best collab.

15. Celebration even helped Madonna break records.

Queen tings! With the release of Celebration, Madonna matched Elvis’ massive chart record in the UK, earning her eleventh No. 1 album across the pond. She still holds the record for female artist with the most No. 1 albums on The UK Official Charts, as well as the record for female artist with the most UK No. 1 singles, clocking in at 13 chart-toppers.

13. This Celebration track reimagined a 2002 fan favorite.

The lore of “It’s So Cool” runs deep. The previously unreleased track, which was included as a digital bonus on Celebration, was written by Madonna in 2002 during the American Life sessions. A leaked demo reveals the original was a stripped-back and spiritual ode to confronting life’s big questions, but Madonna and Paul Oakenfold reworked it into a thumping club banger for its 2009 release. Get you a song that can do both!

17. Madonna’s herstoric visuals got the love they deserved.

You can’t talk about Madonna without mentioning her videos, which is why the greatest-hits was accompanied by Celebration: The Video Collection. The DVD included “unedited and never before seen” footage of “Justify My Love,” and marked the first time videos like “Into the Groove” were officially released… though we’ll always be bitter that it was just a Desperately Seeking Susan montage. Still, it was nice to have her visuals in one place.

18. There were some glaring omissions.

“Rescue Me”? “This Used to Be My Playground”? “Rain”? “American Life”? “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”?!?! While Celebration‘s track list is practically impeccable, some fans (and critics) were peeved about the classics didn’t make the cut. Although, as Eric Henderson wrote in his 2009 Slant Magazine review, perhaps it’s a testament to her musical legacy that Madonna “can release a behemoth, two-disc greatest hits package … and still [manage] to significantly short-change [her] legacy.”

19. She had a dance-off with Lady Gaga during her Celebration era.

It seems the beef between Madonna and Lady Gaga has finally come to a close after Mother Monster congratulated her on ticket sales for the Celebration Tour earlier this year. The drama seemingly started with 2011’s Born This Way, so fans may be surprised to learn that Madge was singing Gaga’s praises on the Celebration promo tour in 2009.

In fact, she revealed the duo had a “dance-off” weeks after the greatest hits’ release at her manager Guy Oseary’s birthday party. “The DJ basically … would play one of [Gaga’s] songs and then he would play one of mine,” she told GMTV. “I would dance to her songs and sing all the words and she did the same for me, and it was really fun.” Where was our invite?!