Song · Madonna
“Holiday” by Madonna
From the album Madonna (1983)
“Holiday” by Madonna appears on 4 radio countdowns from 3 stations between 1991 and 2026. It was first released in 1983 on the album Madonna. Its best result is #128 on the WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #6,081 alternative song of all time.
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Madonna needed one more song to finish her self-titled 1983 debut on Sire when John "Jellybean" Benitez brought her "Holiday". Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder had written it for their own group, Pure Energy, whose label turned the demo down, and it had been shopped around to other singers before it landed with her. Jellybean cut it at Sigma Sound in New York, changing little from the demo beyond a piano solo from Fred Zarr, who also handles the drums, Moog and synths.
It's pure dance pop: guitars, electronic handclaps, synthetic strings and a cowbell Madonna bangs herself, with a lyric that wants nothing more than a break from the daily grind. It topped Billboard's dance club chart, her first time at the top of any Billboard list, reached 16 on the Hot 100, and has shown up on nearly every tour since.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 699 | CFNY 102.1 The Edge | CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) | 1002 |
| 2001 | 1865 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2021 | 380 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2026 | 128 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
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