The following songs recorded by Madonna were not released commercially. Some songs have been given to other recording artists for recording. The list encompasses studio-quality recordings by Madonna that were not commercially or promotionally released by a reputable label, documented demo versions of songs not released in any form, early demo versions of released songs where there is a substantial difference to the released versions (such as completely different melody), and officially commissioned and Madonna-related professional remixes not chosen for release.

Sources of information United States Copyright Office records, Library of Congress Royalty Collection Agency Records (ASCAP, BMI, MCPS) Music Publisher Records of Madonna and her various collaborators work together. Reliable and credible media reports thought to be free of overseas translation errors or possible confusions. Interviews with Madonna's song writing partners such as Stephen Bray. He appeared in the article "Unreleased Madonna Songs" by Bruce Baron in Goldmine Magazine 1999. See transcript at Madonna Ultiography Actual visit in year 2000 by 1999 Goldmine article author to US copyright office to review materials discussed in article. See notes at Madonnacatalog.com

1979–81

Solo and with various New York rock bands "No Running in the City" and "All My Love" appear on a 1979 acoustic, solo demo tape alongside early versions of "Simon Says", "Shine A Light" (introduced as "Hear Me"), "Little Boy Lost", "Safe Neighbourhood", "Love Express", three instrumentals and two takes of an unknown and un-named song. The tape originates from the post-Breakfast Club / pre-Emmy period when Madonna was recruiting musicians for her own ensemble. The full story of the tape – remarkable as it is performed almost entirely solo with Madonna playing guitar and singing – appears in the March 2009 issue of UK magazine Record Collector and was featured on MSNBC. "Born to Be a Dancer", an alternate version of "Over & Over", "Tell the Truth" and "I Got Trouble (Roll Over It)" taken from Dan and Ed Gilroy's private tapes (1979). Audio excerpts were made available by Andrew Morton on The Daily Beast news-reporting and opinion website in 2009 as "The Gilroys' Lost Madonna Tapes". Another song not made available; "Trouble" is remembered by Ed Gilroy as the first song Madonna wrote (instead of "Tell the Truth", as Madonna recalls). "(I Like) Love for Tender", "No Time for Love", "Bells Ringing" and "Drowning" are all featured on Madonna's studio demo tape with the band Emmy and the Emmy's in 1980. Other Emmy tracks such as "Simon Says" are not included here because they were either live recordings or already legally released on a small indie label. They belong listed on the Madonna discography page. NOTE: A studio version of "Simon Says" is included on the Shamrock Tape. See below for corrected track listing. "Do You?" and "Hothouse Flower" were performed in an art film of which excerpts have been shown on TV. "Tell the Truth" and "Hothouse Flower" and "Simon Says" and "I Got Trouble (Roll Over It)" and "Oh Oh (The Sky Is Blue)" and "Nobody Wants to Be Alone (Once I Thought I Was Good)" and "Well Well" – early recordings recorded on the "Shamrock" reel-to-reel tape. It was recently auctioned to a private owner. "Tell the Truth" was allegedly the very first song Madonna ever recorded (with the help of Dan Gilroy of the band The Breakfast Club). In 2005 Madonna sang the chorus of "Tell the Truth" during an interview with Parkinson on UK TV. She also discussed writing the song in Rolling Stone magazine (October 2009). "Take Me (I Want You)", "Best Girl" and "Nobody's Fool", with Emmy And The Emmys. Demo recordings of "Take Me (I Want You)" have leaked online. Live versions of "Best Girl" and "Nobody's Fool" songs have also leaked, along with live versions of other Emmy-era tracks (already mentioned) from this period. "Prisoner", "Head Over Heels", "Get Away" and "Call on Me" – possible early recordings from the Emmys era; those titles are listed on a hand-written set-list spotted in some pictures of a 1980/1981 live gig, taken by photographer George DuBose. Those pictures are famous among collectors as being related to the Underground Club performance. There is actually no evidence that Madonna recorded those songs on tape, they could be compositions written and intended just for live concerts; some audio-tape from rehearsals (featuring those songs) may or may not exist. The existence of these tracks has been confirmed as being on the actual set-list. Those Underground Club pictures can be seen in a large number of fan sites' photo-galleries and even on George DuBose's official site. "We Live in a House", written by Josh Braun, Janis Galloway and Madonna in 1982. US copyright registration # PAu-1-843-482. It was recorded with the second incarnation of the band Spinal Root Gang, which co-writer Josh Braun founded with his twin brother and his father in the early 80s, as he explained interviewed in 2017. In the interview Braun says he met Madonna when she was rehearsing with Emmy at the Music Building in New York, and that by coincidence around the same time she rented a room to Braun senior on the Upper East Side. Josh Braun's father wanted to put a new version of Spinal Root Gang together with Madonna as a singer. She asked if her friend Janis Galloway could be part of the band too and they agreed. Josh says they wrote "We Live in a House" together and recorded a demo with his father playing saxophone and Madonna as the only singer, since for some reason she said Janis that the scheduled recording wasn't happening. Sample lyric: "We live in a house, and people just don't care. We live in a house, they don't go anywhere." Madonna screams at one point: "You can't come into my house." "The Sky Is Blue". Written and performed by Madonna. The song appears on a cassette auctioned in Invaluable.com. In the overview, Dan Gilroy remembers: "This cassette has a very early Madonna song that she wrote and sings alone, playing the Carlo Rbelli acoustic guitar. It's possible that no one else has ever heard this song. Her handwriting is on the cassette. This cassette has 2 performances of Madonna singing "The Sky Is Blue." "Kiss Me", "Coming in Fine", "Moving Along", "Hot House Flower", "While My Baby Walks the Streets", "Tears in My Eye", "Coming in Fine", "I Wonder What Happened to Her", "Letter from Daddy", "Hurry Hurry Hurry", and "Song for Danny" are featured on a cassette auctioned by Invaluable.com. All songs written by Madonna. "Bird Free", "Trouble", "Shine a Light", and "Tell the Truth" are featured on a cassette auctioned by Invaluable.com. "Curtis Come Back", "Glad You Were Born", "Trouble", "Hot House Flower", "Give It a Try", "Born to be a Dancer", "Even My Tears Run Away from Me", and "Again and Again" are featured on a Vintage Shamrock Recording Reel tape auctioned by Invaluable.com. Madonna sings, plays drums and guitar. "Say hey, Joe" is featured along with "Curtis Come Back", "Again and Again", "Trouble", and "Hot House Flower" in a cassette auctioned by Invaluable.com.

Solo vocal recordings "I Want You", "Love on the Run", "Get Up" and "High Society", a Pat Benatar style pop-rock Madonna demo produced under the direction of Madonna's first manager Camille Barbone of August Artists Ltd and Gotham Sound Studios in New York City with guitarist Jon Gordon in 1981. All four of these tracks have leaked on the internet in high quality. Two more songs were recorded at Mediasound Studios but not used on the 1981 demo circulating at the time called "Remembering Your Touch" and "Are You Ready For It" which are also reasonably easily available for internet download. "Shake Your Head (Let's Go To Bed)" Madonna recorded lead vocal with Don and David for the Was (Not Was) album Born to Laugh at Tornadoes produced in Detroit in 1982–83. The released vocal were by Ozzy Osbourne with backing vocals by Kathy Kosins and Carol Hall. Madonna and John "Jellybean" Benitez are both in the album credits. During a May 2006 Kathy Kosins phone interview with Bruce Baron it was revealed that Ozzy recorded his vocal first. Kathy and Carol added vocals in Detroit. Kathy's vocals were intended to be replaced by Madonna by producer Don Was. Madonna's label Sire Records did not agree to the release and Kathy's vocals were restored for the ZE Records release as a backing track. Kathy then became a longtime Was (not Was) contributor. Madonna originally became involved via her friendship with Stephen Bray and his group The Breakfast Club who were also signed with ZE Records (later acquired by MCA). Madonna requested her original vocal not to be used in an early 1990s remix released as a single in Europe to support a Was (Not Was) Greatest Hits album. Kim Basinger did the new vocals. The 1990s remix version with Madonna's vocals leaked onto the internet in April 2008. "Sidewalk Talk", written by Madonna for former producer and boyfriend John "Jellybean" Benitez. The 1983 commercially released version features vocalist Catherine Buchanan on lead vocals and Madonna singing on the chorus and bridge. The original demo version with Madonna on the lead vocal remains unreleased and was produced with Stephen Bray as confirmed by interviews. "Afterglo", "Rock Your Body", "Girl with Stars in Her Eyes", "Swing with Me" and "Cherish". In early 2011 several other previously unknown songs came to light penned by Madonna via handwritten lyric sheets on an auction site. Cherish is different from the song of the same title from the Like A Prayer album released in 1989. To date, these songs have not been released.

1982–89

Madonna "Ain't No Big Deal" The released version was produced by Reggie Lucas in 1982 and appeared as the B-side of her "True Blue" single in 1986, though this is an alternate version to the unreleased version mentioned above. Originally intended to be Madonna's first single. Three more separate unreleased studio versions were also produced each by Mark Kamins, Stephen Bray and John "Jellybean" Benitez. They were all shelved by Sire Records when the song was recorded and released in 1983 by the female disco act Barracuda on 12-inch vinyl Epic Records release 49-04264. "Ain't No Big Deal" was included in the US compilation album Revenge of the Killer B's, Vol. 2. On June 12, 2024, the song was released onto digital platforms as a B-side to "Papa Don't Preach". "Physical Attraction", US copyright registration PAu-484-430 from February 1983 credits words and music created in 1982 only to Madonna as sole author as does April 1983 publisher transfer registration PAu-506-929. Producer Reggie Lucas is not credited as the sole author of this song until 1984 registration PA-210-598 for the 12" commercial single release for the work created and published in 1983 and has been the only credited songwriter since. "Writer's Block", listed in the MCPS-PRS database as being written by Madonna and Richard Lewis Warren for the 1984 TV show Cover Up starring Jon Erik-Hexum and Jennifer O'Neill. An episode by this name first aired on November 24, 1984 (Season 1, Episode 7) without crediting either Madonna or Richard Lewis Warren. However, that episode does include "Lucky Star" which means this entry is most likely an error in the database.

Vision Quest soundtrack