Song · Madonna
“La Isla Bonita” by Madonna
From the album True Blue (1986)
“La Isla Bonita” by Madonna appears on 1 radio countdown from 1 station in 1987. It was first released in 1986 on the album True Blue. Its best result is #15 on the Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1987. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #155 alternative song of 1987.
Watch
Video from YouTube (Madonna). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
Madonna saved "La Isla Bonita" for last: it was the fifth single to come off True Blue, her third album, and it arrived in February 1987, months after the 1986 LP. It started out as a Patrick Leonard and Bruce Gaitsch instrumental until Madonna wrote words for it and co-produced it with Leonard, her first real plunge into Latin pop. Flamenco guitar, Latin percussion and maracas set the scene, she slips into Spanish for several lines, and the lyric conjures an island called San Pedro whose whereabouts stay a mystery. She called it a tribute to Latin American people.
Mary Lambert's video cast her twice, as a buttoned-up Catholic woman and a fiery flamenco dancer. The single reached number four on the Hot 100, topped the charts in the UK and West Germany, and has made the set list on eight of her tours.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 15 | Studio Brussel Flanders, Belgium | Studio Brussel De Eindafrekening 1987 | 29 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.