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

By Carson Mlnarik July 14, 2023 at 7:00pm · Updated on January 26, 2024

This is cause for celebration! 

Madonna assured fans that she is “on the road to recovery” in a new social media post after being rushed to the ICU due to a “serious bacterial infection” while rehearsing for her upcoming Celebration Tour.

Though Madge is rescheduling her North America dates, she plans to kick off her global tour in Europe this October, promising, “My focus now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you, I’ll be back with you as soon as I can!”

We wish the Queen of Pop a speedy recovery! And while this means a few more months until thrilling setlist spoilers, costume pics, and tour merch hauls, we do have one thing to tide us over: Celebration, the iconic 2009 greatest hits collection that inspired the tour’s title.

As far as career retrospectives go, there are few LPs as essential as the two-disc odyssey through Madonna’s discography, from “Holiday” to “4 Minutes.” Not only that, but the collection also blessed us with three new songs: the groovy title track, “Revolver” featuring Lil Wayne, and bonus song “It’s So Cool.”

It may have been Madonna’s third greatest hits album, but it is certifiably her best — and most extensive.

The Celebration Tour marks the first-ever jaunt dedicated to her biggest hits. And if the announcement video (a 2023 spin on 1991’s Truth or Dare featuring celebs like Amy Schumer and Bob the Drag Queen) is any indication, we’re in for a legendary show that gives every era of Madonna’s sonic journey the attention it deserves.

Until then, cue up the first track on Celebration –– the perfectly placed “Hung Up” from 2005 –– and let the bops roll!

Here are 20 facts you may not know about Madonna’s greatest-hits album Celebration. 

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.

Madonna poses with her hands on her hips in a black dress with a tie in the front at the step-and-repeat for the 2009 VMAs.

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.

https://twitter.com/m_scrapbook/status/665208834240024576

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.

Madonna, wearing a dangling and sparkly earring, looks at the camera seductively in a black and white photo from the '80s, with thick eyeliner and big bangs that stick out in front of her face.

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.

Lourdes Leon, dressed in a white wedding gown with big hair mimicking Madonna's look from "Like a Virgin," blows a kiss towards the camera in a still from Madonna's "Celebration" fan video.

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.

David Letterman, wearing a suit and blue tie, talks to a crowd as he walks alongside Madonna, wearing sun glasses and a tight-fit black shirt on the streets of New York. A cameraman follows them.

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!

Madonna, wearing heart-shaped sunglasses, holds open a tracksuit jacket to reveal "MADONNA" spelled out on the liner while holding a microphone and performing on the opening night of 2009's 'Sweet & Sticky' tour.

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.

A collection of Madonna's vinyl records, including 'Dance,' 'MDNA,' 'Celebration,' and 'Rebel Heart,' sit in an assortment on a black table.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ_exCaUyn8

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.

Madonna, wearing a black electric guitar and a see-through outfit revealing a black bra, stands and touches her white top hat while performing on the 2009 'Sweet & Sticky' tour.

“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.

Lady Gaga, with pink-tipped bangs, wears a spiky metal mask around her eyes and leather gloves with her arm around Madonna, who smiles and wears a black leather jacket, at a 2009 fashion event. There's a crowd behind them.

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?!

20. There was a Celebration Myspace game.

A screenshot of Madonna's Myspace profile in 2009, reading "The Official Madonna Myspace page." Her profile photo is the cover for 'Celebration,' and her location reads "United States." Her genre is listed as "Pop/Rock," her Profile Views are listed as "22627403," and her last login reads "9/25/2009." Options to click invite you to view her "Pics, Videos, Playlists" over a black background.

What a sign of the times! In September 2009, Madonna launched a “Myspace based game” to promote Celebration. Perhaps “game” is a bit generous; this was no Kim Kardashian: Hollywood app. According to a fan site, the “game” entailed dressing up in your fave Madge look, dancing to “Celebration,” and then uploading it to the ancient social media network in hopes of being featured on Madonna’s site and profile. If only we remembered our login….

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8 Comments*

  • Gabby

    I am obsessed with her. However, my most favourite songs by her were never singles. Like, Messiah from Rebel Heart (the most beautiful song)

  • Davy

    The Justify My Love video is edited and cut on the Celebration DVD. It is not uncut and unedited like it claims above. Only the original best selling VHS tape is uncut and unedited.

    • dbmcvey

      I have a VHS tape of the original uncut and unedited video somewhere. It was really wild at the time–it might still be.

  • Seth

    It’s no Immaculate Collection, especially when it comes to cultural impact.

  • bachy

    The album cover image was put together by the celebrated French native pop artist Thierry Guetta (better known as Mr. Brainwash), by combining two different classic Madonna photographs.

    He took Madonna’s face from the classic shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino that premiered on “Bazaar” magazine in 1990 to promote the Blond Ambition Tour and Photoshopped it with the short platinum blond hairdo taken from her 1987 portrait by Alberto Tolot. You can see both original photos at this link (if allowed):

  • B J

    Why is Angel not on any of her compilations? Also Causing a Commotion?!

  • DomitoJo

    because neither of those songs had much of a cultural impact and are easily over shadowed by *tons* of her other songs.

  • ryantbo

    What amazed me was the video for Justify My Love was actually the censored version. How Madonna could allow that when she is know for breaking every rule always amazed me

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