This Used to Be My Playground

"This Used to Be My Playground"
Single by Madonna
B-side	"This Used to Be My Playground" (long version)
Released	June 16, 1992 (Worldwide) July 19, 1992 (U.K.) July 25, 1992 (Japan)
Format	Cassette, CD, CD maxi, 7"
Recorded	March 1992 Manhattan, NY May 1992 Oceanway Studios (Los Angeles, CA) May 25, 1992 (Los Angeles, CA)
Genre	Pop ballad
Length	5:08
Label	Sire, Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Madonna Shep Pettibone
Producer	Madonna Shep Pettibone
Certification	Gold (US) Silver (UK)
Madonna singles chronology
"Rescue Me" (1991) "This Used to Be My Playground" (1992) "Erotica" (1992)

"This Used to Be My Playground" is a song performed by Madonna. It is the theme for the film A League of Their Own, which starred Madonna as well as Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Rosie O'Donnell. The song was written and produced by Madonna and Shep Pettibone, and recorded prior to final sessions for her 1992 studio album Erotica. Released in the summer, the single was a worldwide hit, spending one week at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in August 1992, and became Madonna's tenth chart topper, breaking her tie with Whitney Houston to become the female artist with the most number one singles at that time. It entered the charts in the UK top five, peaking at number three for two weeks and was another top five hit for Madonna in numerous other markets. The song earned Madonna a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Original Song".

Though featured in the film, it was not available on the soundtrack album, due to licensing restrictions that prohibited Madonna material from mixed or compiled with other singers on albums. It was originally available on the Olympics-inspired Barcelona Gold compilation album released that summer, but in a shorter edit than any of the versions on the commercial singles. It would later be featured on Madonna's 1995 ballads compilation, Something to Remember.

In spite of its commercial success, Madonna has never performed it in any of her concerts or media appearances. It also does not appear on succeeding greatest hits albums GHV2 (2001) and Celebration (2009). According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 275,000 copies in the UK.

Official versions

1. Album version – 4:42
2. Single version – 5:06
3. Video version/Single edit – 4:58
4. Long version – 6:03
5. Movie version (Without sound effects) – 6:56
6. Movie version (With sound effects)/Film version – 6:42
7. Instrumental – 6:54

• The album version is on the 1992 Barcelona Gold compilation CD.
• The album version and the movie versions are not available on the singles.
• The movie version with sound effects is directly from the credits of A League of Their Own, while the version without sound effects has a longer intro (like the single version) and has no sounds from the movie in the background.
• There is speculation amongst fans that suggests an early vocal is used on the movie versions and the vocals were allegedly re-recorded for the single and album versions.^{[citation needed]}
• The album and single versions have two verses, the long version has three, and the movie versions have four.

Music video

The music video, directed by Alek Keshishian, was filmed in June 1992 at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California and Malibu Beach and world premiered on MTV on June 30, 1992. The video was commercially released in 2004 as a bonus feature on the 2-disc special edition DVD of A League of Their Own. The video shows a photo album being viewed by somebody and Madonna singing in different settings from the different pictures inside the album. As the video ends, the viewer having reached the end of the album then scrolls backwards through previous pages.

• Director: Alek Keshishian
• Producer: unknown
• Director of Photography: unknown
• Editor: Jim Haygood
• Production Company: Propaganda Films

Track listing

US cassette and 7"

1. "This Used to Be My Playground" (single version)
2. "This Used to Be My Playground" (long version)

Europe CD single

1. "This Used to Be My Playground" (single version) – 5:06
2. "This Used to Be My Playground" (instrumental version) – 6:54
3. "This Used to Be My Playground" (long version) – 6:03

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1992)	Peak Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	4
Australia ARIA Singles chart	9
Austrian Singles Chart	6
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)	5
Canadian Singles Chart	1
Dutch Top 40	8
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles	2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)	1
France SNEP Singles Chart	5
German Singles Chart	6
Irish Singles Chart	2
Italian FIMI Singles Chart	1
Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles Chart	59
Norwegian VG-lista Singles Chart	3
South African Singles Chart	4
Spanish Singles Chart	6
Swedish Singles Chart	1
Swiss Singles Chart	6
UK Singles Chart	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)	Position
Australian Singles Chart	45
German Singles Chart	34
Italian Singles Chart	5
Netherlands (Mega Single Top 100)	43
Swiss Singles Chart	15
US Billboard Hot 100	21

Preceded by "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot	U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single August 8, 1992	Succeeded by "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men
Preceded by "I'll Be There" by Mariah Carey	Canadian RPM Singles Chart number-one single August 15, 1992 - August 29, 1992	Succeeded by "The One" by Elton John
Preceded by "Rhythm Is a Dancer" by Snap! "Hanno Ucciso l'Uomo Ragno" by 883	Italian Singles Chart number-one single August 15, 1992 – September 5, 1992 (first run) September 26, 1992 – October 10, 1992 (second run)	Succeeded by "Hanno Ucciso L'Uomo Ragno" by 883 "It's Probably Me" by Sting and Eric Clapton
Preceded by "Abba-esque" by Erasure	Swedish Singles Chart number-one single September 30, 1992 - October 7, 1992	Succeeded by "Om du Var Min" by Mauro Scocco

Cover versions

The 2000 compilation Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2 features a cover by British New Wave/synthpop band A Flock of Seagulls.