Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Madonna Leaves Out Her Original, Biggest Hits Like “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl” from Tour — Too Expensive or Too Much Staging Needed

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As I’ve said before, Madonna did not write her biggest hits. Others did.

So if you were hoping to hear “Like a Virgin,” “Material World,” “Borderline,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” and so on, the Celebration tour is not the place for you.

Tonight at London’s O2 Arena Madonna debuted her set list and guess what’s missing? All of those songs.

That’s because she would have had to pay license fees to perform them. Believe me, the songwriters could have been thrilled. But the budget — and maybe ego — doesn’t allow it.

She does sing Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Why, for god’s sake? She must have gotten a good deal on it.

But “Express Yourself”? “Cherish?” “Frozen”? “Who’s That Girl?” “Beautiful Stranger”? Play ’em at home!

Here’s a link to the setlist.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009, where he covered Michael Jackson, and previously wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine in the mid-1990s, where he covered the O.J. Simpson trial. He also edited Fame magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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