Nothing Fails

"Nothing Fails"
Single by Madonna
from the album American Life
B-side"Nobody Knows Me"
ReleasedOctober 27, 2003
Recorded2002
StudioOlympic (London, UK)
Genre
Length4:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Madonna singles chronology
"Me Against the Music"
(2003) 		"Nothing Fails"
(2003) 		"Love Profusion"
(2003)
Licensed audio
"Nothing Fails" on YouTube

"Nothing Fails" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her ninth studio album, American Life (2003). Written by Madonna, Guy Sigsworth and Jem Griffiths, and produced by the singer along with Mirwais Ahmadzaï and Mark "Spike" Stent, it was released as the third single from the album on October 27, 2003. Originally demoed as "Silly Thing", "Nothing Fails" is a love song which has acoustic guitar chords and a gospel choir appearance. Lyrically, the song discusses a lover who is the one, and how their meeting was not just chance. A number of remixes were done, including one on Madonna's remix album Remixed & Revisited (2003).

The song received generally positive reviews, with music critics praising it as one of the best tracks from American Life, while others compared it with Madonna's previous single "Like a Prayer" (1989), as both songs feature a gospel choir. "Nothing Fails" was released in the US in hopes of attaining sales from American Life. However, it did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the second single from the album to fail to chart in the US. Nevertheless, the song reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Singles Sales charts. The single also reached number one in Spain and the top ten in Canada and Italy.

Although initially reported on the contrary, no music video was filmed for "Nothing Fails". The song was performed during a promotional tour for American Life in 2003, along with other songs from the album and her past hits. One of these performances was shown by MTV in a special named Madonna on Stage & on the Record. It was also performed during Madonna's sixth concert tour, the Re-Invention World Tour (2004), with Madonna alone on stage singing the song accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Many reviewers noted that Madonna in the performance was a "solitary figure" as it was herself alone playing the acoustic guitar.

Background and recording

"Nothing Fails" started out as a demo track titled "Silly Thing," co-written by British musician-producer Guy Sigworth (pictured above) for his wife.[1]

According to Lucy O'Brien, author of Madonna: Like an Icon, the main concept of American Life was about "nothing".[1] This was evident in the titles of the songs like "Nobody Knows Me", usage of "no" in "Love Profusion", as well as "Nothing Fails".[1] Usage of the negative tone led Madonna to be sarcastic on people's assumptions about her and emphasize about her knowledge of romantic love.[1] "Nothing Fails" began as a humble track that musician-producer Guy Sigsworth wrote for his wife.[1] He asked singer Jem Griffiths to collaborate with him and during their first collaborative session, they wrote a song called "Silly Thing", inspired by Sigsworth's wife. He said: "I never write love songs, but I was moved to write one for her. I've never had a problematic relationship with her, there's not been a lot of drama. But I wanted to write something naive and honest."[1] The demo, which was reminiscent of an offbeat folk song, was later played for Madonna, who loved it and changed parts of the song, including the title. In September 2012, Sigsworth leaked the original version of "Nothing Fails", describing it as a "work-in-progress demo of a song I originally wrote with Jem, and which later became 'Nothing Fails', co-written and recorded by Madonna. It's over ten years old".[2] On "Nothing Fails", Griffiths said:

"When I actually heard it I was so shocked, [be]cause it was the first time I believed [my career] was actually going to happen. And to hear Madonna singing it was like, oh my [God], so bizarre. My mom keeps calling me whenever it's on. She'll go to shops in the UK and hold the phone up to the thing and I'm like, 'They're going to arrest you.'"[3]

"Nothing Fails" was produced by Madonna and Mirwais Ahmadzaï, with an additional production by Mark "Spike" Stent.[4] The recording sessions for American Life started at late 2001, then was put on hold as Madonna filmed Swept Away in Malta and starred in the West End play Up for Grabs. She returned to the Olympic Recording Studios in late 2002 and finished off the sessions.[4][5] The mixing for the track was done by Mark "Spike" Stent at the Westlake Recording Studios at West Hollywood, California, while Tim Young did the mastering of the song at Metropolis Studios in London.[4] Michael Colombier did the string arrangement with Geoff Foster acting as the strings engineer, conducting at AIR Studios.[4] For the instrumentation featured in the song, Ahmadzaï played the guitars, and Stuart Price played the piano.[4]

Composition and remixes

'Nothing Fails' (2003)
A sample of the song's chorus, backed by an acoustic guitar, with Madonna singing "I'm not religious".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Nothing Fails" features an acoustic guitar introduction, which is a recurring theme of American Life.[6] The guitar is accompanied by a "light" drum section and low-pitched vocals from Madonna and also features a cello in the first part of the song, while gospel music comes in at the later half.[6][7] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, "Nothing Fails" is written in the time signature of common time with a moderately slow tempo of 92 beats per minute.[8] It is composed in the key of B♭ major with Madonna's voice spanning from F3 to B♭4.[8] The song follows a basic sequence of Gm–F–E♭–B♭–Gm as its chord progression.[8]

Lyrically, the song discusses a lover who is the one, and how their meeting was not just chance, a reference to the "tree of life" is made during the song while Madonna makes denouncements of religion by singing "I'm not religious" but she wishes to pray.[6][9] Bill Friskics-Warren, author of I'll Take You There: Pop Music and the Urge for Transcendence, described the lyrics as consisting of double entendre, talking about both spiritual and sexual rebirth.[10] The London Community Gospel Choir, led by Nicki Brown, recorded backing vocals for the song.[11] The strings engineer for the choir, Geoff Foster, recalls that the group consisted of "a bunch of great singers giving it loudly, it was impressive."[1] According to Rolling Stone and The Advocate, the song glides from a lean arrangement and then reaches its peak with the gospel chorus, which resembles that of Madonna's single, "Like a Prayer" (1989).[12][13]

A remix version for the song, "Jackie's In Love In The Club Mix", done by DJ Jackie Christie, was made available as one of the exclusive tracks of the American and European maxi-single release of the song. She maintained Madonna's vocals and the gospel choir appearance, commenting that "I was asked to remix 'Nothing Fails' [...] I wanted it to be a mainfloor mix with a big choir breakdown so you felt the magic of the Madonna and the choir, like church."[14] Peter Rauhofer's remix of the song was added along with the remixes of the follow-up single, "Love Profusion".[15] Another version, the "Jason Nevins Mix", was included on Madonna's 2003 remix album Remixed & Revisited. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic commented that on this remix, Madonna sounds as if she is out of step with the music of 2003.[16]

Critical reception

Critic Robert Christgau deemed "Nothing Fails" and "Mother and Father" the highlights from American Life.[17]

"Nothing Fails" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. O'Brien listed it as a "hymn of devotion" and "the most majestic song on American Life". She complemented the "dramatic, theatrical air" of the song and noted that the addition of the choir made the song revelatory and ecstatic.[1] J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote in his book, Madonna: An Intimate Biography, that although the album was not a strong, cohesive package, "Nothing Fails" stood out as one of the few gems.[18] In a review for the album as a whole, Michael Paoletta from Billboard called it a highlight of American Life, describing the song as "tear-inducing".[19] Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker called it "lovely" and named it, among other songs from the album "refreshingly – hell, shockingly – earnest".[20] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian praised its choral finale.[21]

Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani labeled it one of the moments of greatness on the album.[22] Ian Youngs from BBC Music gave a positive review for "Nothing Fails", writing that less is more when it comes to Mirwais' electronic tricks.[23] Johnny Davis from NME commented that "only 'Nothing Fails' and 'Intervention' dip beneath the frenetically poppy, with neither a 'Ray of Light'-style glitterball stomper, nor a big ballad to act as a breather".[24] Josh Tyrangiel from Time found Madonna's singing in "Nothing Fails" as relaxed and woeful, consisting of "plenty of soul".[25] A review in the Telegram & Gazette complimented the song for successfully blending between the "spiritual and the sensual".[26] Jon Pareles from The New York Times believed that "Nothing Fails" was able to raise sentiments likened by other people and was prone to introspection, unlike other Madonna tunes.[27] Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club considered the song "emotionally resonant", but characterized the introduction of a choir as "busy".[28]

Instead of praising "Nothing Fails", Chuck Taylor from Billboard said that the song "illustrates everything that makes [American Life] a grind".[29] Ben Ratliff from Rolling Stone compared it negatively to "Like a Prayer" and commented it is much closer to what she's become good at: the idea of transfiguration through love, declaring that the difference in 2003 is she doesn't have the ambition.[12] Stylus Magazine also compared it negatively to "Like a Prayer", calling it "an off-hand denouncement of religion" and stating that "the same old song, over 10 years later, just doesn't cut it anymore".[9] Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times found the lyric "I'm not religious" to be "confusing and befuddling", as Madonna references Jesus Christ and Satan in other songs on the album.[30] Jude Rogers from The Guardian called it a "quiet, gospel-dazzled jewel" from American Life, placing it at number 48 on her ranking of Madonna's singles, in honor of her 60th birthday.[31] Chuck Arnold from Entertainment Weekly listed "Nothing Fails" as the singer's 29th best single, calling it "a triumph - creatively not commercially - that goes from stripped-down earnestness to churched-up gloriousness".[32]

Chart performance

Following the commercial disappointment of "American Life" and "Hollywood"—the first two singles from American Life—Maverick sent a radio remix of "Nothing Fails" in hopes of attaining sales.[29] The song was sent to Mainstream Top 40 radio on October 28, 2003.[33] "Nothing Fails" did not chart in the United States; however, it was a commercial success on the dance charts.[34] According to Fred Bronson, the single release of the remixes of the song debuted at number-one on the Hot Singles Sales and Hot Dance Single Sales chart, on the issue dated December 27, 2003, the same week it also moved up to the top-twenty of the Dance Club Songs chart. "Me Against the Music" by Britney Spears, on which Madonna was featured, and "Nobody Knows Me", both were also present in the top-twenty, making Madonna the only artist to have three songs within the top-twenty on the chart simultaneously.[35] However, the single sold less than 10,000 units according to Nielsen SoundScan, marking one of the lowest totals at the time for a number-one song on the chart.[36] At the year-end Hot Dance Singles Sales recap, "Nothing Fails" was at number two position, while "Me Against the Music" and "Love Profusion" were at numbers one and three respectively. Billboard reported that Madonna was the first artist in its chart history to have the top three Dance Sales song.[37]

In Australia, Warner Bros. Records released a maxi-CD single of "Nothing Fails". The release was considered an album by ARIA due to the number of different tracks; it failed to chart on the ARIA Albums Chart. However, it did appear on the ARIA Dance Albums Chart at number six.[38] The song also reached the top ten in Canada.[34] In Europe, "Nothing Fails" achieved moderate success on the charts. In Austria, "Nothing Fails" debuted at number 74, and one week later, peaked at number 51, going on to spend six weeks inside the chart.[39] On January 3, 2004, "Nothing Fails" debuted at its peak of number 50 on the Belgian Flanders Singles Chart.[40] However, it peaked at number three on the Ultratip chart of Wallonia.[41] The song debuted at number 16 on the Danish Singles Chart, peaking at number 11 the next week.[42] The song debuted at its peak of number 34 on the French Singles Chart on November 30, 2003. In its second week, the song began its decline, falling out of the chart at number 97, almost four months later.[43] Estimated sales stand at 24,818 units in France.[44] The song had commercial success in Italy, reaching the top ten on its singles chart, and also in Spain where it reached the top of the chart.[45][46] On the German Singles Chart, the song peaked at number 36.[47]

Promotion and live performances

No music video was filmed for promotion of "Nothing Fails". Initially it was reported by Daily Mirror that Madonna planned to shoot the video in Israel with actor Michael Douglas.[48] According to Polly Graham from the newspaper, Warner Bros. executives were concerned about the singer's safety in Israel, but Madonna was adamant. "Her record bosses are really worried about it. They are trying to talk her around, but she's having none of it. She has told them it makes sense to shoot it in Israel as the Kabbalah originates from there. Madonna is not particularly bothered about her safety and potential risks. She doesn't think it's as bad as it seems."[49] Her then husband Guy Ritchie was also facing difficulty with his project, Revolver, which was rejected by Sony Pictures executives since it contained references to Kabbalah, and they asked Ritchie to re-write the script.[48] Since the video itself would have included symbolism from Kabbalah, Madonna ultimately decided to not film the music video.[48] These reports were later refuted by the artist during an interview with San Francisco radio station Alice 97.3, where she explained that no music video would be shot for the single.[48]

Image of a blond woman. She is dressed all in black but showing her arms, and wearing a hat of the same color. She is playing an orange-red acoustic guitar while a microphone is to her mouth. She is looking to her right and smiling
Madonna singing "Nothing Fails" on 2004's Re-Invention World Tour.

To start marketing American Life, Madonna embarked on a promo tour. One of these performances, presented at the Total Request Live studios in New York, was shown by MTV in a special named Madonna on Stage & on the Record. Hosted by Carson Daly, she sang "Nothing Fails" and other songs from American Life while answered questions from the audience.[50][51] Madonna also performed the song at HMV store in Oxford Street, London, to around 500 people.[52] She wore a black beret, polka-dot blouse, black trousers and heels. The setlist included "American Life", "Hollywood", "Nothing Fails", "X-Static Process" and "Mother and Father" before performing her previous singles "Like a Prayer" and "Don't Tell Me". She also played the acoustic guitar during some songs and played the wrong chords at the beginning of "X-Static Process".[52]

The next year, Madonna performed the song on the Re-Invention World Tour as the first song from the acoustic segment of the concert. She arrived on stage dressed in a black Stella McCartney suit and accompanied by an acoustic guitar to sing the song.[53][54] Jane Stevenson from Toronto Sun described Madonna as a "solitary figure", as it was her alone playing the acoustic guitar.[54] Bret McCabe from Baltimore City Paper described it as a "warm-up" performance.[55] During the concert in Ireland, she wore a black coat and was protected by an umbrella while performing the song during the rain.[56] This occurrence was mentioned in the I'm Going to Tell You a Secret documentary, which chronicled the whole tour.[57]

Track listings and formats

Credits and personnel

Credits for "Nothing Fails" are adapted from American Life liner notes.[4]

Charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Nothing Fails"
Region Date Format Label Ref(s).
United States October 27, 2003
Warner Bros. [78]
Australia December 15, 2003 CD single [79]
Germany [80]
United Kingdom February 24, 2004 [81][82]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h O'Brien 2007, pp. 267–268
  2. ^ Backer, Camille (September 26, 2012). "Guy Sigsworth Shares the Madonna 'Nothing Fails' Demo 'Silly Thing' Sung by Jem". Hard Candy Music. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  3. ^ Moss, Corey (May 17, 2004). "Jem Out To Make People Forget All About The Holograms". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Liner notes". American Life (CD). Madonna. Maverick, Warner Bros. Records. 2003. p. 14. 48439-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ O'Brien 2007, p. 266
  6. ^ a b c Rooksby 2004, p. 63
  7. ^ Bendersky, Ari (November 18, 2004). "Discovering a Jem ; Welsh singer gets boost from Madonna, Dave Matthews". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Ciccone, Madonna (2003). "Digital Sheet Music – Madonna – Nothing Fails". Musicnotes.com. Alfred Publishing. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Howard, Ed (September 1, 2003). "Madonna – American Life". Stylus. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  10. ^ Friskics-Warren 2006, p. 71
  11. ^ Winter, Jessica (May 6, 2003). "So Many Lives". The Village Voice. Village Voice LLC. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (April 22, 2003). "American Life". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  13. ^ Flick, Larry (April 15, 2003). "All-American Girl". The Advocate. 887. Here Publishing: 62. ISSN 0001-8996. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  14. ^ "Madonna Tribe Interview: Jackie Christie". Madonna Tribe. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  15. ^ Paoletta, Michael (February 21, 2004). "Investors No Longer Trust The DJ". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 8. New York. p. 32. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  16. ^ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen (November 25, 2003). "allmusic ((( Remixed & Revisited {EP} > Overview )))". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  17. ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG Madonna: American Life". Robert Christgau Official Reviews. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  18. ^ Taraborrelli 2008, p. 403
  19. ^ Paoletta, Michael (April 26, 2003). "Madonna – American Life". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 17. New York. p. 37. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  20. ^ Tucker, Ken (April 25, 2003). "American Life Review: Madonna". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
  21. ^ Petridis, Alexis (April 11, 2003). "Madonna: American Life". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  22. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (November 4, 2005). "Madonna: Confessions on a Dance Floor". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011.
  23. ^ Youngs, Ian (April 21, 2003). "Madonna's dull Life story". BBC Music. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  24. ^ Davis, John (April 29, 2003). "Madonna 'American Life'". NME. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  25. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (May 5, 2003). "This (Sad) American Life". Time. Archived from the original on January 30, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  26. ^ Boynton, Donna (May 4, 2003). "A repentant Madonna is a bore". Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  27. ^ Pareles, Jon (April 18, 2003). "Madonna's Real Art: Getting Attention". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  28. ^ Thompson, Stephen (April 23, 2003). "Madonna "American Life". The A.V. Club. The Onion, Inc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  29. ^ a b Taylor, Chuck (November 8, 2003). "Madonna - Nothing Fails". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 45. New York. p. 34. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  30. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (April 20, 2003). "Madonna sounds spent on this 'American Life'". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013. Alt URL Archived December 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ Rogers, Jude (August 16, 2018). "Every one of Madonna's 78 singles – ranked!". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  32. ^ Arnold, Chuck (August 15, 2018). "Madonna's 60 best singles, ranked". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  33. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 21, 2003). "Madonna in a 'Remix' Mood". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  34. ^ a b c "Madonna Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  35. ^ Bronson, Fred (December 27, 2003). "Madonna's Dance Moves". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. New York. p. 73. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  36. ^ Bronson, Fred (March 27, 2004). "R&B Radio Follows Kanye West's Direction". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 13. New York. p. 68. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  37. ^ a b c Bronson, Fred (December 25, 2004). "Men Prance, Ladies Dance On The Charts". Billboard. Vol. 116, no. 52. New York. pp. 20, 54. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  38. ^ a b "ARIA Dance Chart: Week of December 22, 2003" ARIA Top 50 Dance Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  39. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  40. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  41. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  42. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails". Tracklisten. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  43. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  44. ^ "Les Singles les plus Vendus de la Décennie (2000-2009)" (in French). Infodisc. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  45. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  46. ^ a b "Hits of the World: Spain". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  47. ^ a b "Madonna – Nothing Fails" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  48. ^ a b c d Sarah, Vivah (August 17, 2003). "News of the muse". The Jerusalem Post. Mirkaei Tikshoret. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.(subscription required)
  49. ^ Graham, Polly (June 15, 2003). "Madge Defies The Bombes". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  50. ^ Hosted by Carson Daly (2003). "Madonna on Stage and on the Record". Madonna on Stage and on the Record. MTV.
  51. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (August 4, 2003). "Madonna Plans to Take Her 'Life' to MTV". People. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  52. ^ a b Davies, Hugh (May 10, 2003). "HMV? More like a Virgin". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  53. ^ Moss, Cory (May 25, 2004). "Madonna Twirls Rifle, Lifts Up Her Kilt At Opener". MTV News. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  54. ^ a b Stevenson, Jane. "Into the groove (tour spoiler)". Icon: Official Madonna Website. Madonna.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  55. ^ McCabe, Bret (June 16, 2004). "Swept Away". Baltimore City Paper. Times-Shamrock Communications. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  56. ^ Timmerman 2007, p. 13
  57. ^ Madonna (2005). I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (DVD). Warner Home Video. Event occurs at 01:22–01:30. 9362 49990-2.
  58. ^ Nothing Fails (EU CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. 5439 16500 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  59. ^ Nothing Fails (EU Maxi-CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. 9362 42690 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  60. ^ Nothing Fails (EU Maxi-CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. 9362 42682-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  61. ^ Nothing Fails (AU Maxi-CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. 9362 42682-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  62. ^ Nothing Fails (US Maxi-CD liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. 42682-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  63. ^ Nothing Fails (EU Maxi-CD liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. 9362 42697 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  64. ^ Nothing Fails (US 12-inch promo vinyl inlay). Madonna. Maverick Records. PRO-A-101232.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  65. ^ a b Nothing Fails (US 12-inch promo vinyl inlay). Madonna. Maverick Records. PRO-A-101245.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  66. ^ Nothing Fails (US promo CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. PRO-CDR-101230.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  67. ^ Nothing Fails (German promo CD single liner notes). Madonna. Maverick Records. PR 04322.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  68. ^ Nothing Fails (US 2 x 12-inch vinyl inlay). Madonna. Maverick Records. 0-42682.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  69. ^ "Madonna chart history, received from ARIA on January 24, 2020". ARIA. Retrieved July 12, 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. This only contains peaks from the ARIA-produced chart era (June 5, 1988 onwards). The High Point number in the NAT column indicates the release's peak on the national chart. "Nothing Fails" was counted as an album on the ARIA chart.
  70. ^ "Madonna > Charts & Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  71. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  72. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 4, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  73. ^ "Madonna – Nothing Fails" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  74. ^ "Top 100 – Romanian Top 100" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on February 7, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  75. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  76. ^ "Madonna – Nothing Fails". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  77. ^ "Hot Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. 52. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 12, 2013.
  78. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  79. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 15th December 2003" (PDF). ARIA. December 15, 2003. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2004. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  80. ^ "Nothing Fails". Amazon Germany. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  81. ^ "Nothing Fails 1: Amazon.co.uk: CDs & Vinyl". Amazon UK. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  82. ^ "Nothing Fails 2". Amazon UK.

Bibliography