Madonna Song Holiday

It was written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder for their own musical act Pure Energy, and produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez. Hudson came up with the lyrics of the song while watching negative news on television, and together with Stevens-Crowder worked on the music. They recorded a demo, which was turned down by their label Prism Records. Afterwards, Benitez pitched the track and offered it to several artists, including former The Supremes singer Mary Wilson, but it was rejected. Around the same time, Benitez was working with Madonna on her album; after realizing they needed a song for the project, Benitez thought of "Holiday" and approached Hudson and Stevens-Crowder.

"Holiday"
1985 UK rerelease picture sleeve
Single by Madonna
from the album Madonna
B-side	"I Know It" "Think of Me" (UK)
Released	September 7, 1983
Recorded	1983
Studio	Sigma Sound (New York City)
Genre	Dance-pop post-disco
Length	6:08 (album version) 4:10 (7-inch version)
Label	Sire Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Curtis Hudson Lisa Stevens-Crowder
Producer(s)	John "Jellybean" Benitez
Madonna singles chronology
"Burning Up" / "Physical Attraction" (1983) "Holiday" (1983) "Lucky Star" (1983)
Alternate cover
Artwork for the 1983 UK release. Initial pressings didn't feature Madonna on the cover
Licensed audio
"Holiday" on YouTube

Recording for the song took place at New York City's Sigma Sound Studios; although Madonna and Benitez did not want the final version to differ too much from the demo, minor alterations were made in the composition, including the addition of a piano solo, which was done by their friend Fred Zarr. Described as a dance-pop, post-disco song, the lyrics talk about the "universal feeling" of needing and wanting to take a holiday. It features instrumentation from guitars, electronic clapping, a cowbell, and synthesized strings. Initially released as a double-sided single with "Lucky Star" in August, "Holiday" was published by Sire Records as the official third single from the album on September 7, 1983.

Critics reacted positively towards the track, deeming it infectious and a highlight from the album; in retrospective reviews, it is now considered to be among Madonna's best singles. "Holiday" performed well commercially: in the United States, it was considered Madonna's breakthrough, peaking at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reaching number one on the Dance Club Songs chart. It found success outside North America as well, reaching the top-ten in Australia, Belgium, Germany and Ireland, among others. In the United Kingdom it was released three times: first in 1984, then one year later, and finally in 1991; the last two times, it reached the chart's top five.

No official music video was shot for "Holiday"; to promote it, Madonna appeared on several nightclubs and television programs in the United States and the United Kingdom. She has also included the track in nearly all of her concert tours, the most recent being 2023―2024's the Celebration Tour. "Holiday" has been covered and sampled by several artists, and featured in television programs and movies.

"Holiday" was written and composed by ex-spouses Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens-Crowder for their own group, Pure Energy. Stevens-Crowder created the initial chord progression on the keyboard as a ballad and, after a couple of days had passed, she decided to speed it up. Hudson came up with the Bassline and the hook Holiday, celebrate, while Stevens-Crowder added the line It would be so nice. They then recorded a demo, sung by Stevens-Crowder, which was presented to their label Prism Records, who decided not to record it. Hudson and Stevens-Crowder knew John "Jellybean" Benitez from Fun House nightclub, where he was the resident DJ, and had presented him songs before; Benitez had remixed some of the songs they had released as Pure Energy, and offered "Holiday" to Mary Wilson from The Supremes, Phyllis Hyman, and disco group The Ritchie Family, but they all turned it down. Hudson revealed that he and Stevens-Crowder were not involved with pitching the song, as they still had hope they could record it themselves.

In 1983, Madonna was recording her first studio album with Warner Music producer Reggie Lucas; the album was green-lit by Sire Records after the singer's debut single "Everybody" (1982) found success in the dance club scene. However, she soon realized that there was not enough material for a full length album ― the only songs available were "Everybody", "Burning Up", "Lucky Star", "Think of Me", "I Know It", and one called "Ain't No Big Deal". Lucas then brought two new songs to the project: "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline". Another issue arose when the singer learned Bray had sold "Ain't No Big Deal" to disco act Barracuda, thus rendering it unavailable for her album. Benitez thought of "Holiday" and approached Hudson and Stevens-Crowder. The couple was reluctant to the idea of Madonna recording the song, but changed their minds after meeting her.

"Holiday" was recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios in New York. After she was given the demo, Madonna quickly recorded the vocals. Benitez assembled the musicians, hummed the music to them, and asked the singer to sing in a "very soulful approach". Hudson played guitar, and his brother Raymond the bass; Madonna herself played the cowbell that can be heard towards the beginning, while background vocals were provided by Norma Jean Wright and Tina Baker. Just before it was completed, Benitez and Madonna took the tape to their friend Fred Zarr, so he could add what the singer referred to as "Zarrisms": "creative flourishes" that would provide the "finishing touches", which ended up being a piano solo towards the end. In a 2012 interview with Blogcritics, Stevens-Crowder recalled that Madonna and Benitez tried to do everything the same way as the demo, as they felt it had a "certain magic" to it; minor changes included substituting Hudson's LinnDrum with Zarr's Oberheim DMX, and Madonna's vocals ― while Stevens-Crowder's were more gospel oriented, Madonna's were more pop; "she captured the soul I put into it, but she added her own flavor. She didn’t try to copy it. Madonna did Madonna", recalled Stevens-Crowder. The writers were not given production credits, since it was Benitez who presented the track to Sire Records and Madonna; although they pressed for one, they ultimately let it go since they felt that the song would be their chance to get recognized as efficient songwriters.

 

"Holiday"

Audio sample of "Holiday", featuring its repetitive refrain and the four bar sequence in its musical composition.

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Musically, "Holiday" has been described as a dance-pop, post-disco song devoid of any particular structure. According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Inc., it is set in the time signature of common time with a medium tempo of 116 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor, with Madonna's vocal range spanning from B₃ to C♯₅. The song follows the chord progression of G–A–Bm in the first line, when Madonna sings Holiday!, and changes to G–A–F♯m–G in the second line, when she sings Celebrate!. The chord sequence has been compared to that of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" (1984). The refrain is sung by the singer in a "completely deadpan" way, while for the verses, she uses her lower register to give the lyrics a "more positive spin". Lyrically, it talks about the "universal sentiment" that everybody needs a holiday from their daily lives. Present throughout the song are "Chic-styled" guitar flickers, electronic clapping, and synthesized strings.

A double-sided single of "Holiday" and "Lucky Star" was first made available on mid August 1983. According to Rikki Rooksby, author of The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna, the label wanted to release "Lucky Star" as a stand-alone single, but changed their mind after "Holiday" began receiving heavy radio play and reached the first spot of Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. "Holiday" was officially released as the third stand-alone single from the Madonna album on September 7, 1983. Initial pressings didn't feature an image of the singer on the cover; Rooksby wrote that this was an intentional move from the record company, as they wanted to play with that idea and didn't want the public to find out Madonna wasn't black.

In the United Kingdom, "Holiday" was first released in January 1984. A second release was then done in the summer of 1985, during the "height of Madonnamania"; finally, in 1991 it was re-issued for a third time to promote The Immaculate Collection (1990), Madonna's first greatest hits compilation. This third release came accompanied by The Holiday Collection, a four track EP that included the full-length original version of "Holiday", and three songs not featured in The Immaculate Collection: "True Blue" (1986), "Who's That Girl", and "Causing a Commotion" (1987). "Holiday" was added to Madonna's third greatest-hits album, Celebration (2009), while an edited version had been previously featured on The Immaculate Collection. A dub version of "Holiday" can be found in You Can Dance (1987), Madonna's first remix compilation. Three decades later, the 7" version of the single was included on Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022), the singer's third remix compilation.

"Holiday" has received positive reviews since its release. Rooksby deemed it, "as infectious as the plague. One listen and you could not get the damn hook out of your mind". On a similar note, it was described as a "festive, infectious anthem [that] caught fire almost immediately [...] in dance clubs all across the country" by J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography. Writing on Encyclopedia Madonnica, Matthew Rettenmund referred to "Holiday" as a "prime example of Madonna's reliance on infectious optimism", that has "aged remarkably well". It was considered a "simple song with a fresh appeal and a good mood" by author Mary Cross. For Lucy O'Brien, it is the song that "cemented [Madonna's] style. With its bubbling Latin undertow, crunchy bassand strings, and Fred Zarr's elegant closing piano riff, it's one of her most persuasive numbers". Adam Sexton, author of Desperately Seeking Madonna: In Search of the Meaning of the World's Most Famous Woman (1992), named it a "loping disco ditty" with an "ineffable charm".

To the staff of Billboard, "Holiday" is a "pretty standard dance tune, but [Madonna] has the pipes and presence to make [it] special". On the same vein, Don Shewey from Rolling Stone named it simple but clever. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine singled out "Holiday" as "effervescent", and as one of the "great songs" on his review of the Madonna album; from the same portal, Stewart Mason highlighted its "undeniable electronic groove". According to Entertainment Weekly's Jim Farber, "['Holiday'] satisfied both worlds". While Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani deemed it airy, it was referred to as "sparkly" by the Portland Mercury's Mark Lore. From Pitchfork, Jill Mapes applauded the song's "feel-good wiggle", and opined it "helped resituate electronic dance-pop at Top 40’s apex".

While reviewing The Immaculate Collection on its 25th anniversary, the Daily Review's James Rose referred to "Holiday" as a "fairly sappy, empty [...] conventional '80s dance number", with vocals that are "ordinary, even chirpy", and "gidgetish" lyrics. On his review of the 2001 re-release of Madonna, Michael Paoletta from Billboard pointed out that, "such tracks as 'Holiday' [...] remain irresistible". The same opinion was shared by The Quietus' Matthew Lindsay, who also added that it "bubble[s] with joie de vie", and compared it favorably to Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" (1980). A 2012 poll conducted of Rolling Stone readers found the song to be Madonna's tenth best, as well as one of her "most enduring". In another occasion, the magazine named it the singer's 22nd best song. In 2013, while reviewing the Madonna album on its 30th anniversary, Billboard's Keith Caulfield referred to "Holiday" as the singer's breakthrough. It was named Madonna's ninth and eight best song by Gay Star News' Joe Morgan and Matthew Jacobs from HuffPost, respectively; the latter wrote that, although it didn't reach the Hot 100's top ten, "it's certainly her most infectious song". For The Arizona Republic's Ed Masley, "the production hasn’t aged as well as, say, 'Into the Groove', but the melody? That’s timeless"; he deemed it Madonna's 20th best.

"Holiday" is considered a "serotonin-raising pop classic that will be filling dance floors at gay bars and family gatherings from now unto eternity" by Variety's Mike Was, and the "ultimate feel-good party anthem" by author Marc Andrews. Jude Rogers, from The Guardian, described it as a "blissfully simple" song that has "never lost its freshness or warmth"; she placed it at number 8 of her ranking of Madonna singles. "Holiday" is Madonna's third and second best song according to Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Arnold and PinkNews' Nayer Missim, respectively: the former wrote that, "it's the prototype for everything from 'Into the Groove' to 'Living for Love'", while the latter referred to it as a "jagged slice of irresistible disco funk" that foreshadowed Madonna's work with Nile Rodgers. Also from PinkNews, Marcus Wratten deemed "Holiday" the second best song on Madonna, adding: "Most of the songs [on the album] stand the test of time, but none do it with such ease as 'Holiday' [...] far and away one of her most catchy songs [...] [it] remains one of Madonna's brightest, breeziest hits". For Enio Chola from PopMatters, it is "too infectious to not dance and sing along to, and too iconic to ignore", as well as the singer's 11th best. In Slant Magazine's ranking of Madonna's 82 singles, where "Holiday" came in at 19, Paul Schrodt singled out its "immaculate" arrangement, further adding: "Madonna’s soulful vocal take [...] as if she were taking on the world’s problems as her own, is what’s made this hit outlive its seemingly superficial charms". For the staff of Billboard it's Madonna's seventh best song, as well as one of her "most carefree". Finally, The National Student's Emily D'Souza named it one of Madonna's most underrated songs, as it gets "overshadowed by its arguably overrated counterpart 'Like a Virgin'", and "should exceed the pop-prestige it has received".

On August 27, 1983, the "Holiday" / "Lucky Star" release debuted on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart at number 31. Almost one month later, it reached the chart's top spot ―where it spent five weeks― becoming Madonna's very first number one on any Billboard chart. By the end of 1983, "Holiday" / "Lucky Star" was ranked third on the Dance Club Songs chart. On the week of October 29, "Holiday", as a stand-alone single, entered the Hot 100 at number 88, ultimately peaking at number 16 on the week of January 28, 1984, and remaining on the chart for twenty one weeks in total. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, "Holiday" peaked at number 25 and was on the chart for 18 weeks. It then came in at number 79 on the Hot 100's year-end chart for 1984. During a 2005 interview with CBS host Harry Smith, Madonna listed "Holiday" among her favorite top-ten hits, but was corrected and told that it had actually peaked at number 16. In Canada, the single debuted in the 48th position of RPM's Top Singles chart on the week of January 21, 1984; almost three months later, it peaked at number 32.

In the United Kingdom, "Holiday" debuted at the 53rd position of the UK Singles Chart on January 14, 1984, eventually peaking at number six on the week of February 18. Following the second release in 1985, the single peaked at number two, just behind Madonna's own "Into the Groove", and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In 1991, "Holiday" peaked at number five. With over 700,000 copies sold, "Holiday" is Madonna's fourth most successful single in the United Kingdom, according to the Official Charts Company. In Australia, "Holiday" entered the Kent Music Report's top 50 in April 1984, eventually peaking at number 4 and spending a total of 16 weeks on the chart. The song debuted on the 37th position of New Zealand's chart on February 12, 1984, and peaked at number 7 almost two months later.

During its initial release, "Holiday" reached the top 3 in Finland, Italy and Ireland; in other countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, it reached the charts' top-ten. By the end of September 1985, the single had sold, according to Music & Media magazine, around 1.5 million copies in Europe. The 1991 release saw less success in Belgium and France, barely reaching the charts' top 40. In 2012, Pure Energy revealed that the success of "Holiday" had helped them financially, having used the money from royalties to move out of the boarding house they were living in at the time.

 

On June 4, 1983, Madonna performed "Holiday" at New York's Studio 54. On October 13, she sang the single at the Camden Palace in London. The following year, she performed "Holiday" on British television program Top of the Pops, where she was joined by her brother Christopher Ciccone; she also sang it on Discoring, The Tube, Manchester's The Haçienda, and on American television series American Bandstand and Solid Gold; in some countries, the performance from the latter show was published as music video to promote the single release.

With the exception of 2019–2020's Madame X Tour, "Holiday" has been included in nearly all of Madonna's concert tours. On the Virgin Tour (1985), it was the second number: Madonna wore lace leggings and bra, a colorful jacket, crucifixes on her neck and ears, and was joined by two male dancers. From the Observer–Reporter, Terry Hazlett pointed out that the crowd reacted to the number as if it "were a World Series catch". The performance of the song at Detroit's Cobo Arena was included on the Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour video release. On July 13, 1985, Madonna sang "Holiday" at the Philadelphia Live Aid benefit concert; her outfit consisted of flowery trousers, a cutoff shirt, and long white jacket. Halfway through the performance, the singer joked that she would not take her jacket off because, "[the media] might hold it against me ten years from now". Two years later, it was the final number of the Who's That Girl World Tour; decked out in a red flamenco dress, Madonna would stop the performance halfway through and ask the crowd to throw combs onto the stage, so she could fix her sweaty hair and finish the song. Robert Hilburn, for the Los Angeles Times, said the performance emphasized the concert's "celebrative theme". Two different performances can be found on the videos Who's That Girl: Live in Japan and Ciao Italia: Live from Italy, filmed in Tokyo on June and in Turin on September, respectively.

 

Madonna wore a Jean Paul Gaultier-designed Polka dot ensemble during the song's performance on 1990's Blond Ambition World Tour, which also sampled the Fatback Band's "(Are You Ready) Do the Bus Stop" (1975). Jon Pareles from The New York Times criticized Madonna's vocals during the number, saying she sounded like a "bad Barbra Streisand imitation". Three different performances can be found in Blond Ambition Japan Tour 90, taped in Yokohama, Blond Ambition World Tour Live, taped in Nice, and in the documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991); the latter performance was released as music video to promote the documentary and received four nominations at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. On the Girlie Show (1993), "Holiday" was performed as a military cadence. The singer and dancers wore long blue trenchcoats and, halfway through, did a foot drill while an American flag was hung in the background. Pareles compared the song's rearrangement to the work of John Philip Sousa. The performance recorded on November 19, 1993, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, was included on The Girlie Show: Live Down Under home video release (1994).

"Holiday" was sung on the second promotional concert for Music, which took place on December 2000 at London's Brixton Academy; Madonna wore a top imprinted with the names of son Rocco and daughter Lourdes for the performance. On 2001's Drowned World Tour, it was mashed up with Stardust's "Music Sounds Better with You" (1998). The singer wore a white fur coat, a rhinestone T-shirt with the words "Mother" in the front and "F*cker" in the back, and a burgundy velvet fedora. Reviewing the New York concert, Sal Cinquemani referred to the number as one of the "biggest crowd-pleasers of the evening". The performance on August 26, at Detroit's Palace of Auburn Hills, was recorded and released on the live video album Drowned World Tour 2001. For the Re-Invention World Tour three years later, it was reworked as a "tribal drum dance"; the number saw the singer and dancers decked out in kilts, and walk on an elevated V-shaped ramp over the audience. A video of multiple flags, that eventually morph into a single one, played on the backdrop screens as confetti fell from the roof. The number was described as the night's "most genuinely thrilling moment" by the Manchester Evening News' Paul Taylor. A performance of "Holiday" from this tour can be found on the I'm Going to Tell You a Secret live album and documentary (2006).

On 2006's Confessions Tour, "Holiday" was sampled on an introduction video that led to "Music" (2000), along with "Borderline" (1984), "Dress You Up" (1985), and "Erotica" (1992). During the Toronto concert of 2008's Sticky & Sweet Tour, Madonna did an a capella rendition of "Holiday" per the crowd's request. It was then added to the tour's 2009 extension, where it was performed on a conveyor belt, and sampled the then-upcoming "Celebration", as well as "Everybody". The number also included a tribute to Michael Jackson, who had passed shortly before the tour began; a medley of "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Something" (1983) played as dancer Kento Mori, dressed in Jackson's trademark black and white outfit, with a wide-brimmed hat and white gloves, began performing his most famous moves, including moonwalking across the stage. On the MDNA Tour (2012), "Holiday" was featured on a video that led to "Turn Up the Radio"; it was also sung on the New York, Vancouver, and Pittsburgh concerts.

 

Madonna appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on April 9, 2015, and sang "Holiday" using classroom instruments, alongside American band The Roots and host Jimmy Fallon. That same year, it was performed as the final song of the Rebel Heart Tour. The singer wore a red, white and blue Americana-themed costume, and draped herself in an American Flag. She "strutted across the catwalk" while the dancers, who were dressed "Gatsby-style", danced and paraded with "jubilant relief". The number ended with Madonna being strapped onto a harness and "flown offstage like Peter Pan". The performance was deemed a "triumphant" encore by The Arizona Republic's Ed Maseley. By contrast, Joey DiGuglielmo from the Washington Blade deemed it anti-climactic. The performance at the March 19–20, 2016 shows in Sydney's Allphones Arena was recorded and released in Madonna's fifth live album, Rebel Heart Tour (2017). An acoustic "Holiday" was the final song of the 2016 Madonna: Tears of a Clown show: The singer wore a clown's costume and played ukelele. In Miami, a fan got the chance to hold the microphone while she sang.

On the Celebration Tour of 2023―2024, "Holiday" sees Madonna and her troupe dancing underneath a big disco ball, on top of a circular stage set up to resemble New York's Danceteria and Paradise Garage. In the number, guest star Bob the Drag Queen plays a bouncer that won't let Madonna enter the club. The ending showcases "how AIDS permeated joyous queer spaces around the globe in the '80s and '90s", as noted by PinkNews: The dancers slowly drop to the floor, Madonna disappears behind the disco ball as the song's "dying strings echo away like a flashback in a movie", giving way to "Live to Tell" (1986).

 

 

 

Kelis (left) and Cassandra Peterson (center) are among the artists that have covered or sampled "Holiday". By contrast, Jessica Simpson (right)'s 2006 song "A Public Affair" was compared negatively to "Holiday" and deemed a "rip-off".

In 1986, MC Miker G & DJ Sven released "Holiday Rap", a rap take on Madonna's original; this single achieved commercial success, peaking within the top ten in several European countries like France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Sweden. The 1999 tribute album Virgin Voices Vol. 1: A Tribute To Madonna includes a cover by British synthpop band Heaven 17. In 2002, French–Dutch group Mad'House did an Eurodance version of "Holiday" that was included on their album Absolutely Mad. Five years later, "Holiday" was recorded by Girl Authority for their album Road Trip. Kelis performed a mashup of "Holiday" and her own single "Milkshake (2003) during a 2010 concert in London.

"Holiday" was sung by Adam Sandler's character in The Wedding Singer (1998). Two years later, the single's bassline was sampled by The Avalanches in their album Since I Left You. In 2003, "Holiday" was featured in Rugrats Go Wild. Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation named a 2003 two-part episode after "Holiday". The next year, samples of the track were incorporated in the song "He's Hot!", recorded by the cast of Will & Grace. Jessica Simpson's 2006 single "A Public Affair" was criticized for its strong similarities to "Holiday", and labeled a "rip-off"; regarding the criticism, Simpson told MTV: "I think people are ready to hear something that [Madonna] used to do [...] [it] wasn't a sample or something I meant to do, but she did influence me and still does today". Finally, in October 2020, actress Cassandra Peterson released a music video for her song "Don't Cancel Halloween"; set to the tune of "Holiday", Peterson ―as her character Elvira― bemoans that the COVID-19 pandemic has ruined Halloween, her favorite time of the year.

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

• Madonna – vocals, cowbell
• Curtis Hudson – songwriter, guitar
• Lisa Stevens-Crowder – songwriter
• John "Jellybean" Benitez – producer
• Fred Zarr – drum programming, Moog bass, synthesizer, acoustic piano
• Raymond Hudson – bass
• Bashiri Johnson – percussion
• Tina Baker – background vocals
• Norma Jean Wright – background vocals

• List of number-one dance singles of 1983 (U.S.)
• List of UK top 10 singles in 1985