Nobody Knows Me.

This is the place where I will rant, rave, vent, or vex on life, pop culture, politics, or anything else that may cross my mind.

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Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States

Thursday, December 29, 2011

My 46 Favorite Songs of 2011.

46. Katy Perry "The One That Got Away"

45. Lady GaGa "Born This Way" Madonna "Express Yourself" comparisons aside, Lady GaGa cemented her superstar status with this ode to individuality and expression. The title track from her second full length album debuted at and became the 1000th Billboard #1 song spending 6 weeks there.

44. Jessie J "Domino" A late blooming hit that may have legs well into the beginning weeks of 2012.

43. LeAnn Rimes "Give"

42. Lady Antebellum "Just A Kiss" An attempt to make lightening strike twice, ended up being not as big as previous hit "Need You Know" but still went on to solidify the trios pop country status as hitmakers.

41. Cascada "San Francisco" A Katy Perry "California Gurls" rip off that I couldn't get enough of.

40. Sara Evans "Stronger"

39. Charice "Louder"

38. The Script "Nothing"

37. Foster The People "Pumped Up Kicks" I'm allowed one "hipster" selection and this is it.

36. Taylor Swift "Mean" My favorite track from her SPEAK NOW album was a middle finger to the meanies in a year that saw many anti-bullying anthems.

35. Jessie J. "Price Tag" (feat. B.o.B.) Whenever I hear this I still picture "The Voice's" Xenia performing it on stage in her deer in headlights expression pointing and instructing everybody to "look to the left" then "to the right".

34. Jason DeRulo "Don't Wanna Go Home" Lovin' the Robin S. "Show Me Love" sample in this.

33. Darren Hayes "Talk Talk Talk"

32. Diana Vickers "Music To Make The Boys Cry"

31. Jessie J. "Who You Are" The song that proves to me that Jessie J actually has some talent hidden underneath her spandex catsuits.

30. The Saturdays "My Heart Takes Over"

29. OneRepublic "Good Life"

28. Gloria Estefan "Wepa" (feat. Pitbull) (R3hab Remix) Although it sounds like Jennifer Lopez's "On The Floor" the Queen of Latin Pop still sounds more refreshing on this remix than Lopez does on her own "American Idol" riding comeback hit.

27. Maroon 5 "Moves Like Jagger" (feat. Christina Aguilera)

26. Nicki Minaj "Super Bass" The feel good track of the year.

25. Lady GaGa "Hair" An album track that I am dying for her to release as a single. The stripped down piano version she performed on her Thanksgiving special is one of the best things I heard all year.

24. Kimberly Caldwell "Desperate Girls & Stupid Boys"

23. Keri Hilson "Pretty Girl Rock"

22. Demi Lovato "Skyscraper"

21. Lady GaGa "The Edge Of Glory"

20. Beyoncé "The Best Thing I Never Had" This "Irreplaceable" sound alike was THE only thing that made 4 worth buying.

19. NKOTBSB "Don't Turn Out The Lights" A Boy Band Bonanza. My guilty pleasure song of the year should have been a bigger radio smash than allowed.

18. Ed Sheeran "The A-Team" One to watch for 2012. Already a Top 3 hit in the UK, this song seems to be picking up steam at U.S. radio.

17. Kelly Clarkson "Mr. Know It All" A change of pace from her anthemic lead singles, this track was a pleasant Bruno Mars-esque song that ushered in a new era of hits for the Original Idol.

16. Robyn "Call Your Girlfriend" The best video of 2011 was for this song, which was simply Robyn dancing her heart out.

15. Jennifer Hudson "Where You At" 'Tis a shame the Oscar winner's music career will never match her movie acclaim. This ballad was from a massively underrated album that never caught on with the public for some unknown reason.

14. Lady GaGa "Yoü And I" When I first heard this I thought it was nothing more than rip off of her own "Speechless" but upon further listens it slowly revealed itself as a exquisitely crafted pop song with layers of depth and emotional gravitas.

13. Colbie Caillat "Brighter Than The Sun"

12. Bruno Mars "Grenade"

11. Katy Perry "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"

10. The Band Perry "If I Die Young" A track that made my list last year but really blew up in 2011. Country, pop, and even dance radio were all over this making The Band Perry one of 2011's biggest success stories, garnering them multiple Grammy nominations.

9. Rihanna "We Found Love" Rihanna IMHO is at her best when doing dance pop and this club ready jam was no exception.

8. Stevie Nicks "For What It's Worth" This should have been a hit song and played on radio right next to Adele's "Someone Like You".

7. Nicole Scherzinger "Don't Hold Your Breath" Say what you want about her "X-Factor" judging duties, but this gem was a #1 hit in the UK. Just goes to show that Americans wouldn't know a good pop song even if it smacked them in the face.

6. Britney Spears "I Wanna Go" Inescapable this year. Our Brit Brit returned to glory with this tune, which was undeniably the best and catchiest of the four singles from FEMME FATALE.

5. Selena Gomez & the Scene "Who Says" At one point when this first came out there was a day I listened to this at least 30 times in row. It's that good.

4. P!nk "F*ckin' Perfect" The title sums it up.

3. Katy Perry "Firework" Another song from my list last year, that I played and enjoyed well into this year. Add this song to the list of songs that I will "never tire of" hearing.

2. Adele "Rolling In The Deep" What else can be said about this song other than it was the most original, deserving to be a hit, track of the year. An artist and talent like Adele comes along once in a blue moon and her influence on the music industry will be felt for a long time coming.

1. Adele "Someone Like You" I still think the Grammys should have recognized this track as the "Song Of the Year" rather than "Rolling.." (which is rightfully nominated as the "Record of the Year"). Admit it, the first time you heard this song you had to stop what you were doing, sit down, and just listen. Adele simply stuns us with the lyrics, vocals, and emotion of this song that you can't help but feel anything but moved. In a word: Masterpiece.





Monday, December 27, 2010

20+10 = My 30 Favorite Songs of 2010

Here is my annual list of songs I've loved this year.

30. Train "Hey, Soul Sister". This song was literally, everywhere. Radio, tv commercials, country radio, dance radio (thanks to the Karmatronic mixes), and finally a cover version on "Glee". It was inescapable all year long, but thankfully it was something I didn't mind having embedded on the front lobe of my left side brain. Besides any song that name checks Madonna has to be somewhat ok. Right?

29. Charice "Pyramid" (feat. Iyaz) - Perhaps Warner Bros. should have sat on Charice's album until after her guest spot on "Glee" wraps. This soaring pop/r&b song should've propelled her into the pop stratosphere, but was released about 6 months too early.

28. The Script "Breakeven"

27. Scissor Sisters "Fire With Fire" America's disregard for this band still astounds me. This galloping anthem was one of the finest pop songs of the year.

26. Colbie Caillat "I Never Told You" (Video Mix) The extra ad-libs on the end of the Video version of this song totally make this song perfect.

25. Diana Vickers "The Boy Who Murdered Love" UK X-Factor '08 finalist, Diana Vickers struck #1 gold with her first single "Once". This follow up fizzled on the charts, but was my favorite from her album.

24. Taio Cruz "Dynamite"

23. Selena Gomez and the Scene "Naturally" My biggest guilty pleasure song of 2010.

22. Adam Lambert "If I Had You"

21. Brandon Flowers "Crossfire" The Killers frontman's solo career didn't quite catch fire as it should have, but the this song and the album, Flamingo, are great reminders of the talent that Flowers has as performer and artist.

20. Sugarland "Stuck Like Glue" Country purists may hate the reggae/rap breakdown plopped in the middle of this song, but I for one love it. What makes it even better is Jennifer Nettles' Beyoncé "Single Ladies" tribute (leotard and all) during it in the video.

19. Bruno Mars "Just The Way You Are" I admit, I didn't fall in love with this song until AFTER it was used on "Glee" but this not-overly saccharine ballad always makes me smile.

18. Nicki Minaj "Check It Out" (with will.i.am) Best example of using an 80's sample (the Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star") and making it work. Too bad will.i.am also had a hand in the worst use of an 80's sample (Dirty Dancing's "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life) with the Black Eyed Peas wretched "The Time (Dirty Bit)".

17. Taylor Swift "Mine" Say what you want about her live singing skills, Taylor still writes songs heads and shoulders above her pop and country peers. "You are the best thing that's ever been mine" is one of the simplest yet smartest lyrics ever written.

16. Joe McElderry "Ambitions" I don't know what it is about this song that makes me want to start a flash mob in the middle of the street. But I do.

15. Ke$ha "Tik Tok" Okay maybe this is my biggest guilty pleasure song of the year. So sue me.

14. Katy Perry "Firework" Katy can't sing this live for crap, and having it sung better by reality show contestants (Matt Cardle on the X-Factor and the Sing-Off's Backbeats) just goes to prove that a good song is a good song is a good song.

13. Rihanna "Only Girl (In The World)" Thankfully Rihanna got the dirge-fest that was "Rated R" out of her system, because she pulled out all the stops on this epic club track that returned her to the top of the charts, and once again proved she is the savior of pop music.

12. Lady Antebellum "Need You Now"

11. The Saturdays "Higher" Forget the FloRida assisted radio version and go directly to the "Headlines!" EP version for Una's fantastic wailing on the bridge.

10. Robyn "Hang With Me" Pop music's hardest working, yet still underrated, artist released three EPs of some of the finest music heard in ages. Shimmering, robototic, and heartbreaking all in one fell swoop "Hang With Me" is only one of the gems found on the "Body Talk" series.

9. Katy Perry "California Gurls" (feat. Snoop Dogg) Immediately, upon first listen of this in April, I pegged it to be the Summer of 2010 song and I was correct. Katy's answer to Jay Z and Alicia's "Empire State Of Mind" was this year's catchiest, most sung along to song.

8. The Band Perry "If I Die Young" An exquisite ballad that slowly but surely scaled it's way to the top of the country charts. The lyrics are so strong and striking, creating such haunting imagery in my mind. I think I got shivers the first time I heard it

7. P!nk "Raise You Glass" P!nk never fails to deliver and this rowdy tribute to all the "dirty little freaks" became only her third #1 in a career that should probably have more than just three.

6. Adam Lambert "Whataya Want From Me" 2009's American Idol runner up almost saw his post Idol career end before it began when his American Music Award performance of "For Your Entertainment" raised more than a few eyebrows and the backlash began to seep in. Luckily he had an ace in the hole in the form of this P!nk written track that reversed the damage and catapulted his album sales to Gold status.

5. Kylie Minogue "All The Lovers" Lead single from Kylie's 11th album, "Aphrodite' was a spellbinding, euphoric, glimmering trip through pure pop perfection.

4. Robyn "Dancing On My Own" The first single from Robyn's "Body Talk" project showcased the Swedish doll's penchant for crafting a hook, line, and (heart)sinker. If you aren't devastated by the songs lyrics I'd check for a pulse.

3. Katy Perry "Teenage Dream" Words can't describe the nostalgic feelings conjured up by this song. Katy hit it out of the park with this ode to days gone by and first crushes. Add in "Glee" then flipping the song on its head with an a cappella all-male version and it totally sent this song into my top 10 of all time.

2. Kylie Minogue "Get Outta My Way" Ms. Minogue's disco-fied dance floor filler was awash in swirly synths, pulsing beats, and a sassy chorus. Kylie knows her heart and fans belongs on the dance floor and this massively addictive track put both front and center.

1. Miranda Lambert "The House That Built Me" If I were a songwriter, this is the song I wish I had the talent to write. Striking, immediate, and poignant this song takes such an ordinary topic and creates a visual that is melancholy, wistful, and just plain beautiful. While Miranda didn't write the song, I can't picture any one else singing this as her vocals lend just the right amount of vulnerability without becoming overly sentimental. A perfect performance on a perfect song.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

My Favorite Songs of 2009

Here are my top 52 songs of 2009.

52. Whitney Houston "I Didn't Know My Own Strength"
Whitney's "comeback" may have fizzled after the initial hype, but her cleaned up image and divorce from Bobby Brown showed she still had the thing that she became famous for...The Voice. Teaser single "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" was an understated self proclamation.

51. Katy Perry "Waking Up In Vegas"

50. Kristinia DeBarge "Future Love"
Her label may or may not be releasing this as the follow up to "Sabatoge". This is a pure sugary pop confection, would be a shame if they didn't.

49. Brandy "Long Distance"

48. Enrique Iglesias "Takin' Back My Love" (feat. Ciara)

47. Elliot Yamin "Fight For Love"

46. Gloriana "Wild At Heart"

45. Chrisette Michelle "Epiphany"

44. Carolina Liar "Show Me What I'm Looking For"

43. The Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow"
Not the greatest song ever written, but definitely one of the most addicting and catchy.

42. Cascada "Evacuate The Dancefloor"
Who'd have thought that euro dance act Cascada would release three albums and place a single from each album in the upper half of the Billboard Hot 100?

41. Esmee Denters - "Outta Here"
Although she's on Justin Timberlake's Tennman label, I am eagerly awaiting the first album from the YouTube discovered Norwegian singer.

40. Cheryl Cole "Fight For This Love"

39. Theo Tams "Lazy Lovers"
Current and possibly final Canadian Idol winner's first single is a beautiful ode to budding and thriving relationships.

38. Melinda Doolittle "It's Your Love"

37. Pixie Lott "Boys & Girls"
A Duffy-like import, that's just as fun as "Mercy".

36. Kings Of Leon "Use Somebody"
Thank you, "X-Factor" almost ran, Ethan Boroian, for turning me onto this incredible song. 'Tis a shame Cheryl cut you, instead of Rikki Loney.

35. Kellie Pickler "The Best Days Of Your Life"

34. Taylor Swift "Love Story"

33. The Black Eyed Peas "Meet Me Halfway"
Should have been the Peas third Number One in a row, but alas America does not enjoy a perfectly constructed pop song.

32. Keith Urban "Kiss A Girl"

31. Girls Aloud "Untouchable"
The song that broke GA record breaking run of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 hits. Another shame, as this is a brilliant song.

30. Sugababes "About A Girl"

29. Lady Antebellum "Need You Now"
Country music's hottest new group preview their upcoming sophomore release with a haunting, beautiful track.

28. Lady GaGa "Poker Face"
This year's most overexposed pop star, is also the year's craftiest. Hit after hit, Gaga ruled practically every media outlet possible in questionably fashionable flair.

27. Miley Cyrus "Party In The U.S.A."
The guiltiest pleasure of the year.

26. Carrie Underwood "Cowboy Cassanova"

25. Sugarland "Keep You"
Raw, emotional, and soul baring. Jennifer Nettles lays it all on the line in this stripped down, heart wrenching song and video.

24. Cast Of "Glee" "Maybe This Time"
Leah Michelle always, always wows on "Glee". The addition of Kristen Chenoweth to this diva showdown is just the icing on the cake.

23. Martina McBride "Ride"

22. Alesha Dixon "Breathe Slow"

21. Whitney Houston "Million Dollar Bill"

20. Lady Antebellum "I Run To You"

19. Lady GaGa "Paparazzi"

18. Colbie Caillat "Fallin' For You"

17. Kris Allen "Live Like You're Dying"

16. The Saturdays "Forever Is Over"

15. Alexandra Burke "Bad Boys" (feat. Flo Rida)
The best track Leona Lewis never recorded.

14. The Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feelin'"
Insanely addictive. Just as all of the Peas output this year has been.

13. Leona Lewis "Happy"

12. Madonna "Celebration"
Madonna's swan song for Warner Bros. was aptly titled for a career retrospective.

11. Kelly Clarkson "Already Gone"
The comparisons to Beyoncé's "Halo" aside, Kelly delivers an exquisite song that's probably the closest she'll come to the depressing material on My December.

10. Owl City "Fireflies"
The most enchanting pop song this year. Buzz, blips, and techno swirls abound on this magically delicious track.

9. Beyoncé "Halo"
Gorgeous. I always like Beyoncé better when she is more focused on just the singing. Yes, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" was fun, but this anthem lets Beyoncé really shine.

8. Kelly Clarkson "My Life Would Suck Without You"
A return to form for America's Original Idol.

7. Michael Bublé "Haven't Met You Yet"
A charmer of a track. Forgoing both schlock and saccharine, Bublé delivers a mature, yet youthful sounding song that's just plain fun.

6. Taylor Swift "You Belong With Me"
The Grammy nominated Record and Song of the Year became a cultural phenomenon by winning an MTV VMA (the first for a country song). Taylor had an incredible year and I expect things will keep getting better for her.

5. Lady GaGa "Bad Romance"
The first time I heard this, I was like "WTF?". After repeated listens I was hooked and chanting right along with her. Purely EPIC in proportions, this capped off Lady GaGa's amazing first year, and showed she is a force to be reckoned with, overexposure or not.

4. Alphabeat "The Spell"
Let the 90s flashbacks begin with this Black Box inspired track, that is fun and ebullient.

3. Jordin Sparks "Battlefield"
The "should've been bigger" song of the year. While it reached the Top 10, it wasn't as looming and played as the tracks from her first album. Still one of my favorites of the year.

2. Agnes "Release Me"
A straight up dance track, this is what Leona Lewis would sound like on a night at the clubs.

1. David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland "When Love Takes Over"
The best of the year. Borrowing from Coldplay's "Clocks" this track proved that Kelly is a musical force to be reckoned with in her own right. By loosenin' up and lettin' her hair down, Kelly gave Beyoncé a run for her money on the dance chart, where this ended up the Billboard Club Play song of the year.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Top 10 albums of 2009

I almost didn't do an album list, because it's rare that people buy full albums. But I do, and I'm picking my ten favorite albums from this year.

10. Mary J. Blige Stronger withEach Tear


Had this come out a little earlier in the year, it would've ranked higher, but it's only a few weeks old, so it lands near the tail end of the my favorites. Mary doesn't let down on yet another album of anthems dealing with self improvement and empowerment.

9. Alison Iraheta Just Like You

Fourth place finisher on this year's "American Idol", Alison, released an album that is mature, solid, and belies her true age. Influences and hints of P!nk and Kelly Clarkson abound.

8. Alexandra Burke Overcome

2008's "The X-Factor" winner delivered a pop R&B album with loads of potential singles. She's like a more fun, less uptight Leona Lewis. Get ready America, as she's being groomed for Leona like success in the States, and should do pretty well if given the right push.

7. Carrie Underwood Play On

The best selling Idol contestant continues her amazing run of hit albums and singles. Her third album is no disappointment and is both true to her persona and evolves her as an artist.

6. The Saturdays Wordshaker

Not quite yet as successful as the Sugababes or Girls Aloud in the UK, The Saturdays are aiming to give those groups a run for their money. Second album is assuredly stronger and even more cohesive than their first fantastic album, Chasing Lights.

5. Shakira She Wolf

My expectations were very low, as first single "She Wolf" was unimpressive, but Shakira saved her best for the album. Subsequent singles "Give It Up To Me" and "Did It Again" are sheer pop perfection.

4. Alicia Keys The Element Of Freedom

An artist who just gets better and better. This album is exceptionally gorgeous.

3. Kelly Clarkson All I Ever Wanted

After 2007's commercial failure, My December (an album which I still love), Kelly went back to making pop music for the masses and scored big time. Three Top 20 hits and the album is a reminder of why we all love the Original Idol.

2. Jordin Sparks Battlefield

The best pop album of the year, may not have been a big hit as her label may have wanted, but Jordin's sophomore effort was in a word, brilliant. The title track is epic, "S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)" is pure pop fun, and ballad "No Parade" is heartbreakingly amazing.

1. Taylor Swift Fearless (Platinum Edition)

2009's biggest selling album is also one of the years best. Although it was released at the end of 2008, Taylor had an amazing year. Her songwriting is on level with some of the greats twice her age. Her down to earth, girl next door personality only adds to her charm. I predict a Grammy win for "Album Of The Year".




Monday, September 7, 2009

Some Great New Tracks for the Fall...

Here are some great tracks to look out for this fall...

1. Leona Lewis - "Happy"...

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This song is LOVE. No other way to describe how I feel about it. Leona re-teams with "Bleeding Love" creator, Ryan Tedder, for this exquisite empowering anthem. From her forthcoming album Echo.


2. The Saturdays - "Forever Is Over"

The Sats

Britains girl group of the moment, The Saturdays, lead off their second yet to be titled album, with "Forever Is Over". The song assaults all your senses and leaves you wanting more when it wraps up in less than three and a half minutes. Totally catchy and totally addictive.

3. Natalie Imbruglia - "Want"

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While Natalie Imbrublia has been missing from the pop music scene for many a years, she returns with this haunting, electronica inspired jam. Coldplay's Chris Martin co-wrote the tracking, further cementing his affinity for Australian pop stars, having worked with Kylie Minogue on "Lhuna" last year. "Want" is from Natalie's upcoming album Come To Life. Since her last two releases, (Counting Down The Days and Glorious: The Singles 1997-2007, went unreleased in the United States, it's uncertain if this will be unleashed here.

4. Alexandra Burke - "Bad Boys" (feat. Flo Rida)

AB

Current "X-Factor" champ (Britain's much better version of "American Idol"), Alexandra Burke, starts right out of the gate with an American sounding tune that could be a hit stateside. Not unlike Leona Lewis, (an "X-Factor" winner in 2007), Alexandra's people are looking to launch her worldwide and Flo Rida's appearance on the song almost guarantee her a shot at U.S. radio.

5. Cheryl Cole - "Fight For This Love"

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Current "X-Factor" judge and Girls Aloud member, Cheryl Cole, unleashes her first solo song and upon first listen, the song isn't much. By far not the best vocalist, but lying beneath the Pet Shop Boys mashed with RedOne beats is a killer hook and chorus. Not quite on the level of the phenomenal Girls Aloud tracks "The Loving Kind" and "Untouchable", "Fight For This Love" is grower, not a shower type of song, that gets better listen after listen.

6. Alphabeat - "The Spell"

Alpha

Alphabeat lead off their second album with "The Spell" which is an homage to the 80's and 90's. Take part of Black Box's "Everybody Everybody", part of "Touch Me All Night Long" by Cathy Dennis, and add a hint of early 90s house music and you get this amazingly kick ass song. Too much for simple words, this may be my #1 song of the year.


Download "The Spell" here: ---> Here

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Separated At Birth?!

Whitney Houston on "Good Morning America" 09-02-09

Whitney

The Tranny, Leiomy from Vogue Evolution on MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew".

VE

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

No Choice Her Voice Can Take Me There...

Yes, I still get excited about upcoming Madonna products and projects. Early this week a preview for the upcoming official 2010 Calendar was released to no one's satisfaction. (No new pics, just photos from all her tours...that's now 2 calendars in a row that take a career retrospective in pictures).

Now we get the official track list for the upcoming Madonna "Celebration" hits collection DVD that's to be released on Sept. 29th.

Here's the track listing:

1) Burning Up
2) Lucky Star
3) Borderline
4) Like A Virgin
5) Material Girl
6) Crazy For You
7) Into The Groove
8) Live To Tell
9) Papa Don’t Preach
10) True Blue
11) Open Your Heart
12) La Isla Bonita
13) Who’s That Girl
14) Like A Prayer
15) Express Yourself
16) Cherish
17) Vogue
18) Justify My Love
19) Erotica
20) Deeper and Deeper
21) Rain
22) I’ll Remember
23) Secret
24) Take A Bow
25) Bedtime Story
26) Human Nature
27) I Want You
28) You’ll See
29) Frozen
30) Ray Of Light
31) The Power Of Good-Bye
32) Beautiful Stranger
33) American Pie
34) Music
35) Don’t Tell Me
36) What It Feels Like For A Girl
37) Die Another Day
38) Hollywood
39) Love Profusion
40) Hung Up
41) Sorry
42) Get Together
43) Jump
44) 4 Minutes
45) Give It 2 Me
46) Miles Away
47) Celebration

Notable missing videos are the rarely seen videos for "Everybody" and "Holiday". Both from her debut, but never shown on MTV during their heydays, these videos do exist, and can be YouTubed for viewing enjoyment. They were extremely low budget videos of her dancing with her backups.

"Gambler" - Never officially promoted, a video was created from the "Vision Quest" movie scene in which Madonna makes cameo.

The fully animated promo clip for the non United States single "Dear Jessie". Think the beginning of the movie "Who's That Girl" crossed with Walt Disney's "Fantasia" and you get this saccharine lullaby's video.

The David Fincher directed clips for "Oh Father" and "Bad Girl" were excluded. The exclusion of these videos is odd, as these are considered mini masterpieces by her fans. These are previously available on "The Immaculate Collection" and "The Video Collection 93:99" collections.

The oft forgotten video for "Fever" (which does appear on the "The Video Collection 93:99" release)

"This Used To Be My Playground" from the movie "A League Of Their Own". Not one of her best videos, but would be nice to have, as it is only available on the Special Edition DVD release of the movie.

The "Evita" videos ("You Must Love Me" and "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", even though this was really just an actual scene from the movie).

"Drowned World/Substitute For Love" - This video is also for one of her non United States singles, that drew controversy due to the Princess Diana like comparisons. Diana was tragically killed in a car crash while fleeing from paparazzi, the video depicts Madonna running from them as well. Considering one of her tours was named after this song, it's strange to see it left off.

"Nothing Really Matters" the "Memoirs of A Geisha" inspired clip is another video for a lesser known song, that had an amazing beautifully lensed video. Thankfully this and "Drowned World..." appear on "TVC 93:99"

"American Life" - Both the edited and non edited version are missing. This video drew criticism because it was shot in the aftermath of the Dixie Chicks backlash and showed scenes of war, destruction, and anti Bush sentiments. Madonna first declared her freedom of artistic expression and defended the video, but then changed her mind and released an edited version that features her singing in front of a backdrop of ever-changing flags of different countries. Still unavailable to this day on any official Madonna product, even though Warner Bros. stated it was going to be an extra on the "I'm Going To Tell You A Secret" DVD.

Considering how many great videos Madonna has made, the tracklisting is pretty incredible. A lot of the videos are not available on DVD ("Erotica", "Deeper And Deeper" "I Want You") so it is nice to be getting them, although I wish more of the rarities would have been made available.