“Vogue” is a song by American singer Madonna from her soundtrack album I’m Breathless (1990). Written and produced by herself and Shep Pettibone, it was inspired by voguing, a dance which was part of the underground gay scene in New York City. The song was released as the lead single from the album on March 20, 1990, by Sire Records and Warner Bros. Records. “Vogue” is a house song with influences of disco, which contains escapist lyrics describing the dance floor as “a place where no boundaries exist”. Its middle eight features Madonna name-dropping several actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. “Vogue” was later included on three of Madonna’s compilation albums: The Immaculate Collection (1990), Celebration (2009), and Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones (2022).
Upon its release, “Vogue” received positive reviews from music critics, who noted how it was musically different from the rest of the tracks on I’m Breathless; it was retrospectively seen as one of Madonna’s career highlights. The song was commercially successful, topping the charts in a number of countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where it was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “Vogue” became Madonna’s biggest selling single at the time of its release, and has sold more than six million copies worldwide to date. It additionally received prizes at the 1991 Juno Awards and at the American Music Awards of 1991.
The accompanying black-and-white music video, directed by David Fincher, was shot within 16 hours, while she was rehearsing for her Blond Ambition World Tour. It leans on static iconography, including shots inspired by works by painter Tamara de Lempicka and several Hollywood photographers. The video has been retrospectively regarded by critics as one of Madonna’s best. It received a total of nine nominations at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, including for Video of the Year. Madonna has performed the song on several of her concert tours – the most recent being the 2023–2024 Celebration Tour – and other occasions, such as the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.
“Vogue” has been covered and sampled by several artists since its release, including Kylie Minogue, Beth Ditto, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande. It was also featured on the soundtrack of The Devil Wears Prada (2006), as well as in “The Power of Madonna” episode of the Fox show Glee in 2010. Writers and critics have noted the video and the song’s influence in bringing an underground subculture into mainstream popular culture, as well as the way in which it followed a new trend in which house music enjoyed widespread popularity.
