Albums: Madonna (1983), The Immaculate Collection (1990), The Confessions Tour (2007), Celebration (2009)
Songwriter: Madonna
Producer: Reggie Lucas

Easily the best of the dance songs on her first album. The minimal, rhythmic production is perfect - but more importantly, Madonna was a damn good songwriter. Lucky Star is basically one massive hook from start to finish - especially in the single/Immaculate Collection edits, the melodies almost go by so quickly you’ve barely had time to sing along.
Special note must be made of Madonna’s lyrics, which not only successfully incorporate a nursery rhyme, but relate love to the star metaphor in a genuinely intelligent, imaginative way. In particular, the bridge of “shine your heavenly body tonight” is GENIUS, a perfect alignment of physical attraction and celestial objects if there ever was one. Lucky Star scoffs at other so-called intelligent pop lyrics - Lady Gaga can reference playing cards and muffins as much as she likes, but the imagery she creates still won’t make any sense.

For once, a low budget (reverting back after Borderline, oddly enough) doesn’t hinder the music video. The minimalist three-person choreography (including brother Christopher Ciccone on backup) may be the best example of the dance style of those early nightclub track dates, but as the numerous close-ups prove, the focus is clearly on Madonna herself. The video simply drips with sex appeal - it’s a testament to the idea of true sexiness as a confidence projected from within that Madonna looks utterly radiant, the embodiment of desire, when the most skin she shows is her stomach. No lingerie? Not even a hint of cleavage? To continue my “most subsequent popstars are vacuous” theme, Madonna achieves infinitely more with infinitely less removal of clothing. With only two dancers, all dressed in monochrome black on a boring white background, Lucky Star can still charm the pants off the unsuspecting viewer - really, who else could turn a whole nation’s gay men straight?