Songfacts®:

• This is the title track, the lead single and one of two new songs on Madonna's third Greatest Hits compilation.
• This dance track was originally titled "Celebrate."
• The song was co-written and produced by Madonna and the English DJ Paul Oakenfold. Ian Green and Ciaran Gribbin also have writing credits. Gribben is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter who was one time frontman foe Belfast rockers Leya - a band once voted 'Most Promising Irish Band' by readers of the influential Irish music magazine Hot Press. Since going solo Gribben has been recording under the pseudonym of Joe Echo. Gribben explained to the Belfast Telegraph how he hooked up with Madonna: "I've done a lot of work with the producer Paul Oakenfold who is a big buddy of Madonna's. She approached him and asked him what he was working on and if he could send her some material that she could write lyrics to. Myself, Ian Green and Oakenfold had written some stuff for Oakenfold's new album so he sent her off between 15 and 20 tracks. Of these, she chose two I was working on, Celebration and Broken. Basically me, Ian and Oakenfold arranged the backing track, we worked out the chord structure, put the guitars, keyboards and drums to the track and Madonna wrote on the lyrics and melody. The last six months have been pretty amazing for Joe Echo but writing this track for Madonna has to be the highlight."
• The song's music video was directed by Madonna's long-time collaborator Jonas Akerlund, who helmed her "Ray of Light" clip as well as working on the documentary I'm Going to Tell You a Secret about the Queen of Pop's 2004 Re-Invention tour. It features a cameo by the singer's model boyfriend Jesus Luz as a DJ. Madonna's oldest daughter Lourdes also makes an appearance toward the end, in which she does a backflip.
• The cover for Celebration was created by Californian street artist "Mr. Brainwash," who according to the English graffiti artist Banksy is best known for "throwing modern cultural icons into a blender and turning it up to eleven."
• Madonna had good cause for celebrating when this became the Queen of Pop's milestone 40th #1 on the Dance/Club Play Songs chart.
• Celebration was Madonna 11th #1 album in the UK (including 1996's Evita soundtrack). This drew her level with Elvis Presley for having the most UK chart-toppers of any solo artist, only behind the Beatles' best total for any artist of 15.
• The song reached #1 in a number of countries including Italy, Sweden and Finland where it remained at the summit for six weeks.