Cover art for 7" U.S. vinyl single
Single by Madonna
From the album Madonna
B-side: "Think of Me", "Physical Attraction"
Released: February 15, 1984
Format: CD single, 12" maxi single, 7" single
Recorded: February 1983
Genre Pop, dance-pop
Length: 5:18 (album version), 3:59 (radio edit)
Label: Sire Warner Bros.
Writer(s): Reggie Lucas
Producer(s): Reggie Lucas
"Borderline" is a song by Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released on February 15, 1984 as the fifth single from the album, by Sire Records. Written and composed by producer Reggie Lucas, the song received remix treatment from Madonna's then boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez. She used a refined and expressive voice for the song. Its lyrics dealt with the subject of a love that is never fulfilled and was written as a rebellion against male chauvinism.
Contemporary critics and authors applauded the song, calling it harmonically the most complex song from the Madonna album and complimenting the dance-pop nature of the song. "Borderline" became Madonna's first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number ten. In the United Kingdom it reached number two after it was re-released as a single in 1986. Elsewhere, the song reached the top 10 or top 20 of a number of European nations while peaking the singles chart of Ireland. The song was placed at 84 on Blender magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born", while Time included it on the critic list "All-Time 100 Songs".