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Flashback Video: 'Material Girl' by Madonna

Ever since the dawn of MTV and Friday Night Videos, the music video has significantly impacted musical tastes and pop culture. It might not be as extreme as when the Buggles declared that "Video Killed the Radio Star", but there is no arguing that the music video certainly could make or break a song's popularity. So this regular Flashback Video feature will serve to remember some of the music videos from the great '80s decade that made an impact on me in one way or another.


This issue we will cover "Material Girl" by Madonna. It was the second single released from her 1984 Like a Virgin album and would spend two weeks peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March of 1985. This is the song that gave Madonna one of her most popular nicknames during the '80s.


The music video for "Material Girl" was directed by Mary Lambert. She had previously directed the videos for Madonna's "Borderline" and "Like a Virgin" and, though she went on to direct films (notably 1989's Pet Sematary), she really established herself directing music videos in the '80s. Some of Lambert's other music video work during the '80s included Sheila E. "The Glamourous Life", Eurythmics "Would I Lie to You?", Rod Stewart "Love Touch", Janet Jackson "Nasty", Janet Jackson "Control", Sting "We'll Be Together", "Rock Wit'cha" by Bobby Brown as well as returning for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" and "Like a Prayer".


The video for "Material Girl" was was shot in early January of 1985 at Ren-Mar Studios in Hollywood, California. It features a recreation of Marilyn Monroe's performance of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" from the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The mimicked scenes are interspersed with scenes of a Hollywood director trying to win the heart of an actress (Madonna) who discovers that, contrary to her song, the young woman was not impressed by money and expensive gifts. The director, played by Keith Carradine, pretends to be penniless to get a date with her and his plan seems to work as the video ends with them kissing.

Here is the music video for "Material Girl" by Madonna...



"Material Girl" was nominated for Best Female Video at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It". On YouTube, the video became her ninth video to surpass 100 million views.

Hope you enjoyed another trip back to the '80s thanks to Flashback Video!

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