Madonna stans: what's her best work?

[Butters Stotch 4,500]

36 minutes ago, BioStasis said:

It took me YEARS to get into Bedtime Stories but one night it finally hit me and I've been a stan since. By the way, today is the 26th anniversary of this album 

I don't know why I loved this album from first listen, it really blew me away. It's in my top 3, if not my favourite.

[lasagna 1,984]

imo her best bodies of work are hard candy and madame x (I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW)

i understand why people dislike these albums, but personally they're my absolute favourites. she committed COMPLETELY to the aesthetic and sound of the albums, which is something i personally adore. and in my eyes, each album has an incredible and totally unique tour.

even for songs i'm not that fond of on the albums, i still enjoy them for just how much she commits to the style of them. good and bad

[Batwings 12,694]

Well, this thread is already four pages in, so I don't know if my two cents are relevant, LOL, but I've been a fan since the 90s, and here are my Top 3 faves in order:

1. Like a Prayer

2. Ray of Light

3. True Blue

 

Like a Prayer and Ray of Light were WAAAAAAAAAAAY ahead of their time musically, and True Blue is one of *THE* essential 80s albums. 

Other notes:

- Bedtime Stories is drastically underrated. It's Madonna's most "chill" album, and it's filled with tons of 90s electronic R&B goodness.

- Erotica is basically Madonna's dark masterpiece. There are some BANGING early 90s dance pop tracks, and includes the exquisite Secret Garden, one of the most underrated songs in her catalogue. 

- Confessions on a Dancefloor is a pretty universal fan favorite, and in my opinion, was her last really solid album. 

- Unlike other fans, I actually really liked Rebel Heart. I think the issue many people have with it is that there are a few cringe tracks mixed in amongst incredibly strong tracks, and it doesn't feel as cohesive as some of her previous works.

 

Hard Candy and MDNA are my least favorite albums. With Madame X, when it was first released, I thought it was an absolute masterpiece, but after a few listens, I just got tired of it. It's definitely an interesting experimental album, but for me, it just didn't have much replay value. 

[HausOfAntonio 7,821]

Skin from ROL is her best song, objectively, scientifically proven, unarguably. 

[holy scheisse 20,310]

4 minutes ago, Batwings said:

Well, this thread is already four pages in, so I don't know if my two cents are relevant, LOL, but I've been a fan since the 90s, and here are my Top 3 faves in order:

1. Like a Prayer

2. Ray of Light

3. True Blue

 

Like a Prayer and Ray of Light were WAAAAAAAAAAAY ahead of their time musically, and True Blue is one of *THE* essential 80s albums. 

Other notes:

- Bedtime Stories is drastically underrated. It's Madonna's most "chill" album, and it's filled with tons of 90s electronic R&B goodness.

- Erotica is basically Madonna's dark masterpiece. There are some BANGING early 90s dance pop tracks, and includes the exquisite Secret Garden, one of the most underrated songs in her catalogue. 

- Confessions on a Dancefloor is a pretty universal fan favorite, and in my opinion, was her last really solid album. 

- Unlike other fans, I actually really liked Rebel Heart. I think the issue many people have with it is that there are a few cringe tracks mixed in amongst incredibly strong tracks, and it doesn't feel as cohesive as some of her previous works.

 

Hard Candy and MDNA are my least favorite albums. With Madame X, when it was first released, I thought it was an absolute masterpiece, but after a few listens, I just got tired of it. It's definitely an interesting experimental album, but for me, it just didn't have much replay value. 

This makes me very excited for bedtime stories and erotica based on those summaries

 

How would you describe music and american life in the grand scheme of her oeuvre? (I've never used that word in a legitimate context congrats to me)

[androiduser 7,103]

to me it's Madonna/The First Album, Erotica, Ray of Light, Confessions on a Dancefloor

[Batwings 12,694]

4 minutes ago, holy scheisse said:

This makes me very excited for bedtime stories and erotica based on those summaries

 

How would you describe music and american life in the grand scheme of her oeuvre? (I've never used that word in a legitimate context congrats to me)

I'm not a huge fan of Mirwais's aesthetic, but there are some great tracks on both albums. Music was a little underwhelming after the massive acclaim of Ray of Light, but it's a good album, and Paradise (Not for Me) is an absolute masterpiece. 

I'm not as crazy about American Life as other fans are. I just think some of the lyrics are extremely cringeworthy. HOWEVER, it gave us the fabulous ReInvention Tour, so there's that. 

[tifffany 373]

I was a Madonna stan and didn’t like Gaga because of the feud, lol. But I was also like 13  Ray of Light was my favorite album, but tbh I should listen to her discography more often

[Kevbev 349]

EROTICA

[holy scheisse 20,310]

2 minutes ago, Batwings said:

I'm not a huge fan of Mirwais's aesthetic, but there are some great tracks on both albums. Music was a little underwhelming after the massive acclaim of Ray of Light, but it's a good album, and Paradise (Not for Me) is an absolute masterpiece. 

I'm not as crazy about American Life as other fans are. I just think some of the lyrics are extremely cringeworthy. HOWEVER, it gave us the fabulous ReInvention Tour, so there's that. 

Oh wow-- he produced both of those albums? They do have commonalities from what I hear. interesting to learn

[Phlop 4,773]

Music tbh

[Ronk 14,078]

For me it's Madonna, Like A Virgin, True Blue, Like A Prayer

[JusKeepBreathin 19,311]

What's Shakespeare's best work?

 

[GovernmentHookah 880]

True Blue, Like A Prayer, Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light.

[shoful 13,304]

Omg! Love these threads! The most fan praised and general pop connoisseurs albums are: Ray of Light and Confessions on a dancefloor. 
 

My Top 5 albums are very unconventional but If you like deeper music these are the albums you HAVE TO LISTEN TO:

1. Madame X (wow I still listen to everyday)

2. Erotica

3. American Life

4. Ray of Light

5. Like A Prayer 

Here’s kind of a guide that might help you through your selection. These are the albums in release order.

1983 ~ Madonna - An album the really revolutionized pop music. Started that sound of the 80’s and kinda ended the disco period. A very underrated album but included some great bops like Burning Up. 
 

1984 ~ Like A Virgin - This album definitely shows it’s age. A continuation of the 80’s sound. Very very old sounding now. Includes Material Girl and Like A Virgin. Almost every song sounds like that on the album. Highlights are: Dress You Up, Angel, Love Dont Live Here

1986 ~ True Blue - A huge mature swing for Madonna. Includes a lot of strong vocal pop ballads. Her best selling studio album. You probably know most of the songs on it: Papa Dont Preach, La Isla Bonita, Open Your Heart, Live To Tell. Highly Recommend this. 
 

1989 ~ Like A Prayer. This record is an even more mature and reflective perfection of True Blue. Deals with Madonna’s divorce and some personal struggles like her mother passing and her anguish with her father. Highlights: Like A Prayer, Express Yourself, Til Death Do Us Part, Promise to Try

1990 ~ I’m Breathless. Not a studio album but she wrote and sings every song on this soundtrack. A very old school sounding album but easily overlooked masterpiece. Highlights: He’s a Man, Sooner or Later, Back in Business, Hanky Panky, Vogue

1992 ~ Erotica. A MASTERPIECE!!! Her darkest album to date. Grundgey and like rough. Most of the tracks were taken from a couple of takes. Keeps a raw kind of sound. 90’s house sounding. Her first conceptual album where she introduces herself as Mistress Dita (my profile pic). She deals with feelings of sex, romance, lost, lust, really a reflection of her deeper insecurities. Highlights: Bad Girl, Erotica, Words
 

1994 ~ Bedtime Stories. 90’s R&B sounding. Very chill album. Sensual and sexual. Kind of like a softer erotica. Dealing with a lot of the same themes but in a more gentler way. Definitely underrated. Its a work of art. Highlights: Bedtime Story, Inside of Me, Love Tried to welcome Me

1998 ~ Ray of Light. Electronica masterpiece. Trance music. I believe you said you listened so you know how great it is!

2000 ~ Music. A more harsher electronic Ray of Light. Some songs are completely in autotune. The first ever for a major pop star. Highlights: Music, Gone, I Deserve It

2003 ~ American Life. Another just WOW record. Deals with insecurity and who you are in this world. Struggles with politics, your image, who you want to be. The genre is Folktronica. The electronic music hits harder on this record than  any of hers previously. Highlights: Nothing Fails, X Static Process, Love Profusion, Easy Ride

2005 ~ Confessions on a Dance Floor. Disco disco disco! Very nu disco. Bops such as Hung Up is on this which I’m sure everyone has raved about in most of these posts. She talks a lot about the same issues as in American Life but kinda packages them in a more commercial way. Highlights: Hung Up, Get Together, Sorry, Let It Will Be, Like it or Not

2008 ~ Hard Candy. A sign of the times. Very 2000’s urban sounding. I mean she enlisted the 3 men who were making these popular hits with this sound at the time: Timabaland, Pharrell and Kanye. Has some hidden gems among the ****. Highlights: Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You, Heartbeat, Voices, Miles Away

2012 ~ MDNA. ALLLL EDM. Her worst work to date. Should have been cut in half. I recommend this as the last album you listen to. Who knows you might like it. Has some bangers! Highlights: Girl Gone Wild, Masterpiece, Beautiful Killer, I’m Addicted

2015 ~ Rebel Heart. Basically a double album. A lot of songs! Has a lot of trap influences and a lot of main pop songs. Has a lot of dance bops on it as well. There are some really nice personal albums that were publicly overshadowed from the **** like Bitch I’m Madonna. Highlights: Living for Love, Ghosttown, Joan of Arc, Rebel Heart

2019 ~ Madame X. EXPERIMENTAL POLITICAL WORLDLY MASTERPIECE! Her best album ever. Featuring so many different songs from around the world! Another concept album! American Life’s sequel. Very aggressive political songs but ones that offer hope in the end. Most of the songs have a weird structure and sound but I find them to be her best work EVER! She reunites with longtime producer Mirwais. He did Music, all of American Life and a couple on Confessions. He is of course all the super experimental and political songs on here Highlights: Killers Who Are Partying, Extreme Occident, God Control, Batuka, I Don’t Search I Find, Ciao Bella

Non-Album songs that you should listen to: Gambler, Causing a Commotion, Justify my Love, Rescue Me, This Used to be my Playground, You’ll See, Beautiful Stranger, Time Stood Still, History, Has To Be

 

@holy scheisse Sorry that I made this super long but hope this helps!  

let me know your thoughts when you listen to some of her albums