Madonna - Material Girl

Madonna's hit song 'Material Girl' is the anthem for a girl living in a consumer centered age looking for a guy who can make all those shopaholic dreams come true. 'Material Girl' is off Madonna's second album Like a Virgin, and is girl pop at its best. The best line off the song 'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash / is always Mister Right' describes it best! While the song may have been first released in the '80s, it still doesn't fail to make one sing along madly or start dancing to its infectious melody. A must download for all those looking to reclaim the magic of the '80s! And as always, there's a lot to learn from Madonna's refrain: "Only boys who save their pennies / make my rainy day"

Madonna - Ray of Light

Madonna's Ray of Light album marked yet another transformation for the diva who never fails to impress with how she manages to change her outlook, sound, philosophy and fashion sense with each album. With this album, Madonna was deep into her yoga-henna phase which sparked the beginning of the world's fascination with both imports from the East, but the true highlight was the song 'Ray of Light'. With a brilliant video that captured the essence of the song perfectly, this fast paced number is perfect to bring a ray of light into anyone's gloomy day!

Madonna - Die Another Day

Madonna joined a list of bigwigs in the music industry by singing the theme song for the James Bond flick Die Another Day. The song showcased Madonna in a very strong, independent woman image - and was a far cry from the haunting ballad-esque themes that James Bond films had been associated with so far. 'Die Another Day' is snappy and kicks a punch - even with simple lyrics like "I guess I'll die another day / its not my time to go" - it reinforces the aura surrounding both Madonna and James Bond - truly invincible! Like James Bond, Madonna shows no sign of calling it a day, and
'Die Another Day' is just proof of how Madonna can reinvent herself and James Bond themes, as we know it. However, each hero comes with their own demons in the closet, and the lyrics "Sigmund Freud / Analyze this" will strike a chord with anyone who has pondered about the problems in their life at any point. One wonders what Mr. Freud would have to say about Madonna and James Bond, had he a chance to analyze them!

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' remains to be one of the most iconic songs and videos ever produced in recent music history, despite the fact that it was released in 1982. 'Thriller's' music video was the first of its kind to ever be created in history. The 13-minute video for 'Thriller' was a short horror spoof film of sorts, featuring zombies and all sorts of creatures of the night dancing along with Michael Jackson - a legendary dancer in his own right. 'Thriller' is not just great pop music, but also a great dance song, whose steps remain to be as popular as Michael Jackson's signature moonwalk. But this is pop with a darker twist: "You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight". Doesn't it seem like a perfect soundtrack to the dark periods of strife and riots Karachi has seen?

Michael Jackson - Black or White

Michael Jackson is obviously known for his frequent brushes with the law, scandals with child abuse and bankruptcy issues - and his transformation from being dark skinned to deathly white skinned (courtesy skin disorders and treatments that make him sensitive to sunlight). Michael Jackson's song 'Black or White' was a massive hit, with the theme and video of the song promoting racial unity, featuring that year's hit actor Macaulay Culkin (remember Home Alone?) and even included an Indian dance sequence. Moreover, the video also was rather controversial because of a sequence showing Michael exhibiting violent behavior and performing suggestive dance moves. In an era where the world is asking the question "Can a black man become the President of the USA", and racial stereotyping is part and parcel of the life of millions, the song is as pertinent as ever.

Michael Jackson - Bad

Michael Jackson's 'Bad' is yet another anthem for the bad boy (and girl!) within all of us. Michael Jackson's title as the King of Pop is highlighted in this addictive song with its chorus of 'Because I'm bad, I'm bad" - and the video was yet another landmark, directed by none other than Martin Scorcese. The song is one of those evergreen pop songs that just don't seem to be made anymore. Michael Jackson describes the song best in his 1988 autobiography: "'Bad' is a song about the street. It's about this kid from a bad neighbourhood who gets to go away to a private school. He comes back to the old neighbourhood when he's on a break from school and the kids from the neighbourhood start giving him trouble. He sings, 'I'm bad, you're bad, who's bad, who's the best?' He's saying when you're strong and good, then you're bad." What a perfect street song!

-- Saba Imtiaz