Reviews (page 3 of 8)
This is just a really great pop album. The music actually has integrity, is varied, is trying to push some kinds of boundaries while taking some other great artists and styles (i.e. Prince) and making that even more for a pop audience. There are so many great songs, and even the non-singles really do some great things. I loved it.
This album brings back fun MTV, youth experiences and times.
nog leuke pop, soms wel minder liedje 3.5
I have heard Madonna I have not listened to Like a Prayer I have heard the Singles. Like a prayer and cherish hold up as great track. The rest of the album is pretty good. I had no idea she worked with prince. This is a great pop record.
A couple of incredible era defining pop hits and some solid filler tracks channeling disco and all the 80s production wizardry available but also a lot of slow burning ballads that really stink up the place. Definition of a greatest hits not an album artist, but what hits!!
I went in not being a huge fan but always respected her talent. The album started strong and pulled me in right away. There was a real sense of nostalgia, and for a moment I thought my opinion of her might be changing. However, after the first few tracks, the momentum faded. I tend to prefer Madonna’s more upbeat, energetic songs, and the slower material here didn’t hold my attention as much. Overall, it had its moments, but it ended up losing my interest as it went on.
Dear Jesse was way too Disney-fied for me. But overall a front half heavy loaded pop record. The back half slides down a bit but overall not too bad
2/4
my queen
Would rate a 3.5. Like a Prayer is such a good song.
An iconic album by an iconic artist, who achieved cultural ubiquity by selling sex and controversy, with the first two tracks ("Like A Prayer" and "Express Yourself") still receiving air play almost four decades later. Prince is credited as a "Composer, Primary Artist, Producer" on the album. Still, it sounds like a consummate contemporary pop album of its time, and I'd probably switch to another album after listening to those first two songs...
It's 2026. I have lived almost two decades on this Earth and I confess that I have just barely got on the Madonna train. My conclusion: just some damn good late 80s pop. That's all there is to it. To make it more appropriate, this is my 69th five star rating. The fact that it's going to Madonna makes me proud. It's been quite the ride (9/10, 5/5 on this scale)
80's trademark pop record which sounds very much like a product of it's time. Refreshing exception is 'Love song' where Madonna really seems more like a assistant and Prince is controlling things. Other standout track is Oh Father which sound bit like Kate Bush. On top of those there are couple of good pop tunes, but there are also too many fillers...
Time hasn’t been kind to this album. Regardless of time this album is full of filler tracks.
Time has not been gentle to this album
Didn’t finish, it felt a bit meh.
Good old school album, like a lot of Madonna
Pop, 1989 -> 3
I under appreciated this album at the time 4/5
Madonna at the top of her game, simple as. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
Once again, I'm at a 10. I’ve been waiting for this album to come up; the other two Madonna albums we’ve gotten on the list are both good, but to my mind, the version of Madonna I’m most familiar with is based on her ‘80s stuff; “Lucky Star”, “Like a Virgin”, “Borderline”, “Papa Don’t Preach”, et cetera. “Vogue” is 1990, but throw it in there too, just for fun. Basically, if it’s in “The Immaculate Collection”, that’s the Madonna I’m most familiar with. Since this is from 1989, it always felt like this was the album I’d gravitate to the most whenever we got it. Besides, this album’s title track has stuck with me for a long time. However, since I heard it through Pandora years ago, I never really bothered to seek out the full album for whatever reason. As has been proven multiple times throughout this list, the younger version of myself that was too lazy to seek out full albums was a total idiot – this is fucking fantastic from top to bottom. I’ve come to learn that I really love that phase of 1989/1990 production, when people had mastered the art of the drum machine, were starting to incorporate MIDI sounds in more polished ways, and were blending real instrumentation back into their albums. Much like “Behaviour” by the Pet Shop Boys, “Violator” by Depeche Mode, or “The Sensual World” by Kate Bush, this album feels like a natural sendoff to the ‘80s, and it may very well be the best album Madonna’s ever put out. The production work here is fantastic, & Madonna’s vocals just glide on a lot of these tracks. The songwriting feels perfectly introspective, setting up the stage for a more honest approach that artists like Christina Aguilera would later run with. It’s also surprisingly sweet at times, at least more so than I would expect from the image of Madonna I have in my head; tracks like “Express Yourself”, “Cherish” & “Dear Jessie” are poppy, upbeat anthems that stand out among the crowd here. Really, if I have any minor nits to pick, it’s the repetition on the lyricism – these are very well written, but the lyrics do loop a bit without the vocal variance to keep them fresh. Granted, that’s covered up really, really well by the production work – Prince, in particular, manages to make “Love Song” feel hypnotic, with an approach reminiscent of “Sign O’ The Times” mixed with “1999”, and somehow, that hypnotism waves away a lot of the repeated lyrics as just flirting. The sense of repetition does permeate the album a bit, but the different styles & tempos this album goes with gives it a really dynamic push/pull that keeps it fresh. Take “Keep It Together” & “Spanish Eyes”, for example; the former is just New Jack Swing that could fit onto “Rhythm Nation 1814”, but the latter feels like a Peter Gabriel track with a slight samba lean, & Madonna’s frustrated vocals evoke Kate Bush in a great way. Same goes for “Dear Jessie” into “Oh Father”, with the former being a My Little Pony-esque wonderland of escapism, and the latter being a harsh reality check about the lack of emotional support after her mother’s death. That push & pull really sells the album, culminating in “Act of Contrition”, acting as a mirror to “Like a Prayer” in that her frustration with religion has totally fucking boiled over & she’s sick of it. It’s a great closer because of it, and the structure to this album as a complete top to bottom piece of work feels extremely satisfying. Sure, you can write some of this off as Phil Collins-esque cheese if you really want to, but for my money’s worth, it feels like an album she poured her soul into. When you treat music with this much care, people will notice, and as a culminating piece to her run of ‘80s singles & hits, it feels like a great way to wrap up the decade. I think it’s a fantastic album, with 51 minutes that fly by & no skips involved – maybe “Act of Contrition” if you don’t like Madonna screaming about a computer at the end, but even still. I’m at a 10 with it, and I feel really glad this album lived up to the expectations I had for it. Remarkable to get this & "Thriller" back to back. As a whole for Madonna’s 3 albums here, it’s a 4.5, a 3.5, and a 5, so I guess 13/15 ain’t bad at all. I do feel like at least one more ‘80s album could be here, but regardless, I admire her even more than I already did. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m running back “Like a Prayer” at least 5 more times. That song fucking rules.
I grew up in an era when Madonna was ubiquitous, for good reason. She was a hit machine in this era and seemingly couldn't miss. This record features three of her all time classics, the title track, Express Yourself, and Cherish. The rest? Meh. Even the track with Prince is only mildly interesting. Which is wild considering both were arguably at peak powers, but there was no musical synergy here. It just sounds like a mediocre Prince outtake. Strange choice as an album overall, but I understand the impulse to include the most important artists of an era, so we move on
Not sure how I didn’t know about the Prince and Madonna collab. Also when the choir comes in towards there end of Like A Prayer *chefs kiss*
wasn’t as good as I expected it to be
+++
One of the most widely overrated artists.
So far I’ve felt like I’ve been pretty hard on Madonna, not that she didn’t deserve it, she did, but I felt bad cause I can tell that she’s legitimately musically gifted, I just hadn’t heard any good music yet. I can say this album isn’t awful desperate out of touch garbage. It’s actually pretty good, especially the title track, that might be my favorite song of hers. As a whole it is a lot of mom pop rock, which gets grating over time. But the good news is this album comes right out the gate with all the best songs on the album being the first three. Not terrible, not great. EDIT: Actually, small correction, like a prayer is not my favorite song or the best song on this album. That totally belongs to the prince song on this album called “love song”. But honestly having prince on your album feels like cheating. The other song on this album I really like is express yourself.
This is about as 80s as it gets. A few songs caught my attention here, like the title track and Express Yourself, but I'm not completely into the album as a whole.
- “that crazy white lady from the 80s” - I enjoyed this quite a bit - truly girl music -
All the instrumentals and most of the lyrics are just so garish. In between the occasional stylistic ice pick to the brain it is pretty boring. Highlights: "Cherish", "Keep It Together"
Ok
The title track is so awesome, but it really fails off in the second half and becomes a slog.
As the kids like to say, this album SLAPS.
Title track is iconic and a total banger. It's a nice album, surprisingly introspective and I like how the final track parallels the first title one. Overall, cool. 8/10
Great album
For every banger on here, there's one that I just don't connect with. She's an icon though and I love her style.
I've always loved Madonna but somehow I'd never listened to this full album. It's great. Definitely sounds like one of her first attempts to sound "mature" and you can hear a preview of what she would sound like throughout the 90s. Her most overtly soul / r&b inflected album (even some gospel elements). This is like a spiritual cousin of George Michael's Faith -- oversexed pop star makes a record about religious devotion as a metaphor for all the ways their sexuality is related to true love and, therefore, has been misconstrued or misunderstood.
estuvo chimba, buenas vibras y bacano pero tampoco mucho mi estilo, madonna tiene temas durísimos pero este álbum al final me pareció un roce repetitivo
Sympa mais tout de ressemble un peu dommage
c correc
Très sympa, jamais écouté Madonna je m'attendais à un truc plus pop actuelle mais c'est vrai que c'est relativement vieux. Like a prayer est un immense banger et le reste est bien
2nd Madonna album I am getting on this list. Much better than the last one I got. Title song is great, however I did not know any of the other songs. Prince collab is wonderful as well. Polished 80s pop sound. Probably 3 stars.
I was not familiar with this as an album. It does of course contain some of her bangers and ends up being an iconic listen. 7/10 [KEEP]
Day799 - it’s doesn’t seem like this is over thirty five years ago. the three singles were just monster hits
Listenable
I was pleasantly surprised! 4!
"whaddya mean it's not in the computer?!?!" 4/5
This album put me in such a great mood.
My 100th Album! Yay! I've never actually heard this album in full before. I didn't even really hear the title track until a few years ago, my mom HATES Madonna. Like, truly hates her. From what I've heard of her, I have a bit of a mixed opinion, but her music is just generally fun. 1. Like A Prayer - Iconic and fun! Not a fave of mine, but I get it. I do think that it's a minute too long, if i'm being honest 2. Express Yourself - This is fine, it's fun. Idk why it's reminding me of Barbie for some reason? 3. Love Song - Eh, not my vibe 4. Till Death Do Us Part - Ooooh this is pretty! I really like this one! 5. Promise To Try - 6. Cherish - Fun and cute! I really like this one! 7. Dear Jessie - Kate Bush cloudbusting synths, slay. This one is just fine. 8. Oh Father - might grow on me 9. Keep It Together - This one is fun 10. Spanish Eyes - 11. Act of Contrition - oh, this is creepy lol. Kinda gave me a headache Overall, a pretty fun album. I can see why it's on this list. I can see why she got to the level of fame she was at, and still kind is to this day. I'll probably come back to this every now and then, I found a good handful of fun pop songs to play!
i'm more of a ray of light but this still cool. every song on here that prince worked on is my favorite
80's vibe, not so much my style.
0815 Pop aber war bestimmt mal was Neues
Gear: Penon FAN 3s Artwork: 💍👖😳 Production: 🎛️💸🧼 Music: 📻🎶🤩 Rating: 🙏🙏🙏/5
The album moves through a surprising range of styles, from the gospel-like intensity of the title track to the bright but ironic pop of “Till Death Do Us Part,” the simple and emotional ballad “Promise to Try,” and finally the noisy, almost metal-like “Act of Contrition.” Because she became such a huge pop icon, it’s easy to forget this side of her. But listening to the album as a whole, what stands out is how naturally she moves between very different musical approaches and still makes them feel like part of the same work. It reminded me that before anything else, Madonna is a musician.
Ok album highlight is dress you up
3.2 Maybe this list has worn me down, but I actually enjoyed that in places. Til Death Do Us Part is actually a great song, and Oh Father was another highlight. The lows weren't too low. I enjoyed the random Kate Bush rip off in the middle. The title track is fine, it's one of those that sound so familiar but I don't think I've ever actually sat down and listened to it properly. Some other pass me by, but overall I'm not upset at it's appearance on here.
I just dont see why I should care
I like the titular track a lot, but the rest of the album is quite dated in my opinion. I guess she's more of a hits artist than an albums artist. Didn't really like the rest of the album that much. 5 / 10
I wore this album out
first listen i'm very pop illiterate but i didn't know how iconic this is
Some classics, but a bit of bland filler. Still, those classics are all-timers.
There are a few duff songs in here but this gets 4 stars because the great songs carry this album on their own. Particularly Oh Father. Early Madonna for the win.
A weirdly inconsistent album. Odd Prince collab song I had forgotten about. A Disney like, seemingly out of place song. Crazy last track. I remember her as the pop queen, 80s version of Taylor Swift but this is a strange one.
Had a knee-jerk reaction to this thinking it's for sure about a 2. It came out when I was in my teens and I pretty much hated all things pop and she was the quintessential pop girl. So, never on my player. I tried to listen with fresh ears, which wasn't super hard because I'm sure I've only ever heard the singles and I hadn't heard any of them in at least 25 years, either. But I'd heard them enough that I still knew most of the words! It's fairly typical of girl pop of the decade, "Cherish" being almost a perfect rep of this trite, weak garbage. BUT, I can't dunk on the whole thing. The songs with Prince on them are quite good. Never heard them before or even know that he was on here. "Love Song" and "Keep It Together" are pretty hot tunes. Still poppy, but with some funky bass and guitar flairs. "Oh Father" is an apparently well-known song that I hadn't heard, but it is a big swing for a pop girl to sing so strongly about abuse. While it's not my type of music, I don't hate it (Well, "Cherish" sucks!) It's decently played, especially the Prince bits, but outside of that her voice is fine. Sounds good and she doesn't do all that dramatic keening and throw in tons of vocal flairs like the young ones from a few years later. And it was mighty influential. Not necessarily musically influential as much as being a strong rep for girls that they can do anything. She earned her way into pop stardom and always took a lot of chances. Hard to stay in the pop world and keep experimenting. Good on her for that. I'll give this a 3 because while it's not something I'll play again, I can understand why people will. And her influence is still strong.
was my favorite madonna album the moment i heard it, and honestly its hard to imagine that ever changing. i feel like this one has fallen in esteem over the years...a lot of the "maturity" of the record manifests in ballady songs, lower-key songs, and just plain Weird songs, rather than more of the two big famous bangers that open the record, and i think its just kinda not what a lot of post-"poptimism" people want out of a pop record...maybe it feels like a negotiation with an outdated idea of what is Respectable? i could understand that as an objection, but man i just think the whole record slays front to back. the songs can be Patient, but patience is such a virtue here...theyre so melodious and Musical without feeling like theyre burning out your dopamine, theres so much Room in them, and madonna just fills that room right up with so much personality and raw emotion. dear jessie/oh father is an especially powerful one-two punch, featuring an abbey road-tier transition that thematically links the two...wanting the best for a still-forming person, partially because of the darkness of your own formative years. the entire aesthetic of the record , finding a new Soul and sense of self outside of what was forced upon you in your youth, while acknowledging that it will always be a part of you, contains a power that will never be dated. pulling from her personal life, the surrounding visual presentation (the music videos, photo shoots, her public appearances), and the music itself to create not just a cohesive record but a cohesive Period for a pop star's activity is madonna's greatest contribution to popular culture, this is an equally important blueprint as the likes of britney's blackout when it comes to pop girls. i love ray of light too, but a post-enlightenment album never quite has as much power to me as one like this...full of struggle, drama, and triumph that feels meaningful. and i even like the weird ass prince song!!!!
The album where Madonna showed the world that she was a serious artist who was in it for the long run. While it isn't as catchy as her first couple of albums it still has some genuinely huge songs on it, and I enjoy the more personal lyrics on this record, as depressing and shocking as they sometimes are. Not my favorite Madonna album, but still a damn good one.
Yassss queen.
I like the title track. But the rest, woof.
The title track, 'Dear Jessie', 'Oh Father' are highlights but aside from the standouts, the other tracks are, to my ears, mostly filler. Appreciate this is sacrilege to lovers of the genre or Madonna herself but overall not to my taste. Will return to individual songs only.
Ok. Religious conflicts and dad issues. This is a pop album by Madonna. There may be a reason you never hear deep cuts from Madonna.
A couple good, catchy hits, and rest just kinda flopped.
Maybe it's one of those important when it came out albums, but I was pretty bored with this very '80's pop. All of these I was unfamiliar with prior to going in (but not all Madonna songs) and tried to keep an open mind
One massive hit and then some other middling Madonna. The title track is good though. I wonder what Tarantino's take on this one would be. I would have thought Express Yourself was a bigger hit. Maybe Spotify streams aren't the best barometer of how big a song was. Madonna and Prince, unfortunately, two great tastes that do not go great together. Love Song is a Prince song on a Madonna album. Cherish has never been one of my favorite Madonna songs but it is a highlight amongst the album tracks. Dear Jessie sucks; stupid lyrics, awful music. The difference between the 70s and the rise of FM radio where entire albums or sides were played and the more singles driven format is nowhere more clear in the loss of overall album quality than this album.
The great, great Madonna. Not just my lady, but our lady. I will never forget her masterful Super Bowl performance in which she sang the opening song of this album, which was stuck in my head all day after I listened to it on my morning commute. A powerful album against which I have very little.
not a bad album. this one was a turning point from her bubble gum type pop songs into more personal songs like "Express Yourself" and "Like a Prayer".
This was a nice listen. Wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Tolerable. Not what I would choose to listen to. A couple songs had some songwriter talent, and her voice is really good.
Not a Madona fan, but it was a "fun" listen. Makes me think of early MTV. When they actually did videos.
Obviously, there are the closet hits, but as far as the rest of the album, as far as I am concerned is mediocre. This is not an album that I would purchase.
Mh. Mi aspettavo di più da un sedicente album introspettivo
Three hits. Pretty solid time in Madonna's career.
It's not my style of music, but I know she gives an amazing ;ive performance!
Always assumed I had heard this whole album, but no. The hits were fun. The rest. Meh.
Meh
This album was all over the place. Coupla classic hits but to a cohesive album
I feel that this is diverse, some of the songs are profound and the melodies are very catchy. Like a prayer is obviously a hit, but there are others here like Express Yourself and Cherish. I also think there are a couple of dudes, and it is a bit more of the same for Madonna
A classic
great record, full of great songs, very recognisable
I'd give million stars
Likeca prayer, dear jessie
Better than some of the other pop albums. Still not really my thing though.
Madonna's middle period just doesn't hold up well. It is hard to believe the level of her influence based on her music from the late 90s on. Pass.
Live from the beach once again. I don't exactly know why, but whenever I'm down here I feel the urge to tap out one of these reviews on my shitty, busted up Android. I WILL make beach reviews a regular series and I WILL disclose that I'm at the beach every time and it IS imperative that you know this information. Anyhoo, yet another blast from the past. This is my second Madonna album after Ray of Light, which I listened to about 360 albums ago. I recall thinking that was alright. Just a perfectly decent trip hoppy pop album from the late 90s. I'm surprised to learn that Madonna got her start in the 80s. I'm ashamed, frankly. In my elite gamer brain, I've always possessed the knowledge that Sonic the Hedgehog was originally meant to have a human girlfriend named Madonna, though I've never connected the dots and realised that Madonna must have started her career prior to 91. I'm not sure what genre this album will belong to given that it predates Ray of Light by 9 years. Upbeat, jumpy pop tunes and pronounced vocal harmonies are what I'm expecting. Back home now. I listened to half of this album while holding my phone speaker up to my ears at a volume which wouldn't make passerbys aware to the fact that I was listening to Madonna. Surprise, surprise, it didn't make for a very good listening experience and I'm more favourable to this album now that I'm listening to it with my usual setup. This was a good time. I can appreciate this style of gimmicky, dance-oriented, punchy 80s music as a relic of its time. The songwriting is decent - I like the moments with stressed syllables most, though the harmonies are also pretty good. There's some decent variety in the synths on this album, though they generally fall under a lush/bassy sound that I think is pleasant. Some of the analogue instrumentation is good too, though that obviously isn't the emphasis of this album. My only significant criticism is that this album is inconcise. Most of these songs dragged on for a minute longer than they needed to. Book time. "...the most spectacular pop album since Revolver." The rest of this entry is just talking about its collaborators and range of influences. Wikipedia says this album was co-written and co-produced by Prince, which makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. Her most personal release at the time. A big hit with critics. Had six singles, most of which were very successful. Was a pivotal release within her discography. I was doubtful at first, but this is a solid pick. Granted, I'm still skeptical when it comes to the inclusion of post-70s pop stars. The air around them is different. They're a lot less iconic and a lot more commercial. I know Madonna was a huge, gargantuan deal, though I don't think she's monolithic enough to wrench out three list albums. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see when I roll her final album. Until then, I cosign this inclusion.
Good enough album. Not my style
Immaculate
Madonna's best album. Fight me.
All the songs sound the same. Dull.
This album is still among my small collection of cassettes from when I was younger. At the time, I felt this was a pretty magnificent album. Now, apart from the title track, it all sounds quite insipid and immature. It is perhaps quite accomplished musically, but I can't get past the lyrics. I picture Madonna with the back of her hand raised to her forehead over and over again. Ray of Light is the better album in my estimation.
Conventional pop isn't exactly my world, but Madonna has some cool stuff here. I have my respect for Madonna, after all, she has her cool factor, she was even hanging around with folks in the New York no wave scene way back when. But I just didn't expect for the music to click as much with me. But it kind of did. She has a collection of really enjoyable pop songs here. There's still a skew towards New Wave that give the album a cool flavor, especially on Love Song. And I think the assembly, production and performances here are really artfully done. I guess there's maybe a little filler here, and it doesn't really speak to my aesthetic eye as strongly as some other 80's pop. But I definitely see that theres something here that's really worth celebrating.
An important album for pop and some classic tunes. 2 - a good album but not my thing
Un personaje fundamental en la historia de la música. Sin gran voz, sin ser ninguna belleza, sin un cuerpo espectacular, sin buenas dotes de composición pero con una inteligencia, ambición y determinación incomparables. Madonna es un figura clave de los 80 y 90´s. Este no es su mejor disco, al anterior True Blue’ (1986) es mejor y sobre todo Ray of Light (1998), Music (2000) y Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005). Luego ya perdió el pie, y el favor del público, a ver si los recupera, talento tiene. De aquí todo es interesante: la portada con olor a pachuli, el vídeo con el escándalo del beso a un Jesús negro, cruces del KKK etc etc, y sobre todo los dos temas más conocidos Like a prayer, Cherish y Express yourself. En esta época Madonna dominaba el mundo. El resto del disco no llega a la altura, con algunos temas bastante flojos como Love Song (colaborando con Prince y es decepcionante) Spanish eyes (sobre el SIDA una temática que sobrevuela en todo el disco) y otros mejores como Till death do us part o la beatlemaniaca Dear Jessie, un gran Canciones para su madre (Primise to try) y su padre (Oh father) y temas que se quedan anclados en su momento, como Keep it together, pero que han perdido el encanto. Act of contrition es un cierre extraño que no aporta nada ni encaja con el resto. Demasiado escándalo, triunfo total , pero la estaban esperando para cobrarle las deudas pendientes y con Erotica la hundieron (o trataron de hacerlo) un disco que ha venido ganando con el tiempo. Luego ya resurgió con los discos citados hasta caer en la irrelevancia, por el momento. Lady Gaga, Spice Girls, cualquiera que se haya dedicado a la música sabe quel deben mucho a Madonna, y buena parte a este disco, que ha envejecido mal.
It's not that it's bad, in fact it's very good at what it does, it's just that I'd rather be listening to something else.
Primer álbum entero que escucho de la queen. La verdad que la clava al ángulo en eso del pop. Un toque largo, pero la tiene atada. 7/10
Pretty decent tbf
11/02/2026 I had higher expectations and was left disappointed. Spotify listeners: 41.9 million
Starts off strong with Like a Prayer but then most of the rest of the album feels like filler. Another low 3 from me.
The headline song is great, everything else is not so much.
Hmmmm. Opens strongly, and then it just sort of meanders into mediocrity. I was expecting more. Hard to give it a higher score.
Three decent songs that reminded me of middle school the rest of the album was trash.
The first two songs on side A and the first song on side B are all time classics. Disco-pop Madonna was definitely my favourite era of Madonna. Apparently my wifes favourite Madonna album!
This felt like Prime Madonna. I can’t believe I’m saying this about Madonna but this album is great throughout. Honestly nothing I can pick out as a sore point.
Like it or not, Madonna was popping in the 80s. This is that, and even if some of the songs run long for ear-worm pop songs, it's still mostly just a high energy, fun time. There are so many quirky sounds and instruments used in this album that make me wish stuff like it was still prevalent today. Highlight: Like a Prayer Highlight #2: Express Yourself Highlight: #3: Cherish Lowlight: Spanish Eyes Surprise Hit: Dear Jessie
The hits are incredible masterpieces. The ballads pain me a little. Stereotypically 80s.
the queen of pop does it again with impossibly catchy rhythms and even dabbling with elements of funk at times. the title track was groundbreaking and so controversial that she lost a sponsorship deal with pepsi because of the video. but then, in the 80’s controversy sold and madonna is a master marketer who always knew what to do to get attention.
Sounds perfectly 80s without that horrible 80s production? Madonna, how did you do it??
As well as capturing the emotional chaos of her marriage, Madonna delved into her Catholic girlhood and family dynamics with some Freudian pop song-writing. Producer Pat Leonard was the yang to Madonna’s yin, his deeply melodic music providing the ballast for her vivid lyrics. The standout song here is the iconic title track, with its fiery gospel choir, arunaway bass line and the lyrical celebration of the sacred and profane. Top Quality Pop.
7/10
Okay, now we’re talking. Now we’re really talking. Because today was the day of Like a Prayer (1989) — Madonna’s masterpiece, and, to me, quite possibly the greatest album ever made. Not just in her discography, but in pop music as a whole. I’m going to borrow a line from Rolling Stone: it’s the closest pop music has ever come to art. And I fully agree. I love this album beyond reason. I love its context. I love its subtext. I love its contradictions, its intimacy, its provocation, its vulnerability. I love everything about it. I’ve always been a huge Madonna fan, but Like a Prayer is where admiration turns into devotion. As a gay man, I also carry a deep respect for everything she represented and fought for — not just musically, but culturally and politically. This album feels like part of that legacy. The tracklist is flawless. “Like a Prayer,” “Express Yourself,” and “Love Song” with Prince are undeniable pop monuments. “Till Death Do Us Part” is one of her most underrated deep cuts. “Promise to Try” is among the most beautiful ballads she’s ever sung. “Cherish” is pure joy. “Dear Jessie” is tender and surreal, forever tied to its charming visual world. “Oh Father” is devastating — one of her greatest emotional performances. “Keep It Together” is euphoric and criminally underperformed live. “Pray for Spanish Eyes” is a delicious, unexpected detour. And “Act of Contrition” feels like the emotional purge of the entire record — the final exorcism of everything she was trying to process. When you place this album in its historical and personal context, it becomes even more powerful. It was created at a moment when the AIDS crisis was devastating communities, when fear and prejudice dominated public discourse, and when Madonna herself was going through a painful divorce from Sean Penn. Knowing this changes everything: suddenly, the songs are no longer just pop — they are confessions, prayers, rebellions, and survival mechanisms. I love this album. I love that I got to see Madonna perform some of these songs live. I love how this record has followed me through different phases of my life. It changed my life. It saved my life more times than I can count. Five stars — only because I can’t give more. If I could, I would. Because Like a Prayer is not just an album. It’s a revelation.
two madonna albums heard. TWO STRIKES
way too 80's
Price song rules
Look, I like bongo drum based albums as much as the next girl, but sometimes you need Madonna in the morning.
OK I hate to admit it but this was kind of a bop And speaking as a fan of hard-core rock, "Like a Prayer" is one of the most perfect songs ever
Man, this thing was so big! I was a little too young for it, but she and this album were everywhere!
Starts off strong with a couple of big hits. Till Death Do Us Part is a heartbreaker juxtaposed by a fun staccato instrumental. A very good 80s pop album. 3.5/5.
Oh man I remember people being PISSED about Like a Prayer. It was great. She's got some really great pop songs on this album. The lyrics seem personal to her as well. It's probably one of her better albums, if not her best honestly. There are some that just don't land in this but she worked with two different folks on making it so that fits, Prince helped with this album, you can tell his guitar work in a couple of songs. That was a fun discovery for me. I won't listen to it again but it wasn't a bad listen, her Ray of Light album was blocked this one if it shows up in a feed later I won't be upset.
First two tracks are great, the rest are okay. A 3.
iconic album. Not really for me but its got a couple of nice songs
4/10
Misschien was het de zon, maar oh wat was dit gezellig. Heb best genoten. Was het super sterk? Nee! Maar wel gewoon leuk!
Madonna says fuck situationships
dipt een beetje rond cherish maar wat een lekker album !!
Like A Prayer is a total banger ofc, but further not a lot of memorable songs. A lot sounded the same.
Very 80s pop with elements of rock and dance. Like A Prayer and Express Yourself are both fantastic but the other tracks were mostly just ok.
madonna the goat
Yep, it was important back then, Madonna was a big gigantic star, yes, yes, I'll understand and agree with you all - but back in the day I didn't listen nor I really enjoy Madonna's work and it seems nothing has changed for me! I could die without listening to this, I don't think it's a game changer nor anything like that :-( So, a 3, considering its importance back then
I think I found Madonna more interesting as a new pop-culture phenomenon in the early portion of her career than I ever did her music. There's often a nasal quality to her voice that I find kind of irritating. The hits were just fine but the rest of the songs were bad to boring with the exception of "Keep It Together" which was funky and enjoyable. 2.5/5
The singles are SO good that it almost makes up for the filler being completely unremarkable, other than the enjoyment of hearing Prince’s fingerprints all over most of it. As an album, it’s probably skippable. But the singles are something everyone needs to hear before they die.
I have heard Like A Prayer the song but never listened to the album. Not really a fan of the song and now that I have heard the album, I am not a fan of it either.
Late 80s Pop, in one of Madonna's last good albums (though I prefer True Blue). The title track is the strongest here, with Express Yourself coming in second both in terms of sequence and quality. Other noteworthy mentions: Cherish and Oh Father. The rest of the album, sadly, is hit and miss, with great production value, but song quality all over the place. Still, for the aforementioned songs, this is a 3.5/5.
I’m surprised, I like this much more than I expected! I could see myself putting this on again when the mood strikes. Madonna is a blind spot of mine, besides her legendarily famous status I didn’t really know much about her work. The album being entirely normal pop songs and ending with “Act of Contrition” made me do a double take to make sure I was still listening to the album. It is wildly different from the rest of the tracks. There’s a lot of whispering and an electric guitar. It didn’t work for me, but it was a fun way to end the album.
I hate to give such a revered artist a bad score but this album did nothing for me. I didn't really enjoy the vocals or the pop sound.
Some filler. Most of the album is decent, no real hidden gems. The 3 singles Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, and Cherish are top notch songs. Of the album were the level of these songs it would get 6/5 stars.
Best Track - "Like A Prayer"
I have never been much of a Madonna fan, but I didn’t hate this. I did like the ballads more than the others. This is a three star album for me.
Ah, Madonna. Some good now-classic pop songs here. I enjoyed it overall, a nice throwback.
Really wanted to give this a five star rating, given its pop culture importance and the sheer number of classic songs, but unfortunately, there are just a couple of songs on the album that feel dated or I have no interest in listening to again, and on an 11-track album, this does have an impact. Alas Madonna, you will do better on future releases. Fave songs: Dear Jessie Express Yourself Like a Prayer
Wow. How have I never just listened to Madonna before? Super catchy tunes that were well written, well produced, and just generally really solid, I had a lot of fun listening to her sing about (only some dysfunctional) relationships and the resulting emotions. Felt like listening to the blueprint for modern pop stars. Favorite tracks: Like a Prayer, Cherish, and Spanish Eyes. Definitely gonna be revisiting this one. 8/10, four stars.
Ekki minn tebolli en eðalpopp. 3,5
Second half fades a bunch but she’s got a style and tracks you already love
Absolute classic pop -- Madonna is as confident here as she is wry
This album has some pop bangers on it, “like a prayer”, “till death do us part”, the one with PRINCE. But there are also some boring duds on here.
Top 3: 1. Express Yourself 2. Like a Prayer 3. Love Song Least Favourite: Dear Jessie
Classic pop
Overproduced. Anybody could be playing any part, including her voicing. It is almost as if everyone involved has collaborated in removing any shred of individuality. I want to like more of Madonna than her nice body and voice and good attitude. But just can't.
Started off very strong - some great tunes but the vibe dwindled as it went in. Still a solid, well-crated pop album.
I considered a long-form exposition of all the things I was feeling as I listened, but suffice to say I was never a fan and having listened more intently... affirmed. Production, songs, vibe, performance, nothing hits. "Express Yourself" saved this from a 1.
Never in a million years did I imagine giving a Madonna album 5 stars, but credit where credit is due: this is a hell of an album. Ambitious, catchy, inventive, poppy but devoid of cliché. I've always enjoyed the title track but today was the first time I realized what a killer bass it has. Express Yourself, a tune I didn't pay much attention to at the time, really wowed me. And I dug the Prince tune. (I know, Marianne!) This was going to be a 4, but since it was the weekend, I gave it a second listen, and the songs that didn't wow me the first time around very much did the second. Cherish is just all right, but the rest were either very good or excellent. There were several moments where I found myself cocking my head and thinking, how the hell did they think to do THAT and why does that work so well. I don't know what more you can ask for in an album.
What an absolute BELTER from start to finish
First two songs are bangers, but the rest of the album hasn’t aged well. 2.5 stars.
I really liked this one
A great album that holds up even today. Didn't think I'd enjoy it that much. And totally didn't expect the lyrics to be that heartfelt.
You know and love all the hits but the deep cuts are all over the place and not very good
I don’t rly care for this tbh
I stopped listening to Madonna with 'True blue', this is too full of burning cross and some para-mystical songs.
Fuck yeah ❤️
That was fine. Kinda slow, kinda basic. Seems like Madonna is as much an icon as an artist (of course, this is my first full album of hers I've listened to). Hard to do well on a list of albums if you're known for your hit singles. - Fun! Poppy. Anything that isn't rock is notable on this list - Getting more classic 80s as we go - "Love Song" is funky and I'm here for it - Pretty mid so far. Pleasant, there are some decent songs but mostly just background noise
very 80s
Good job Madonna!! 4
Brings back memories of walking through the mall wasting time as a teen
Forgot about the Prince collaboration. Pretty solid pop album more enjoyable than I remember it, but I had to listen to it once a week in the shop I used to work in for all the months it was in the charts.
it's madonna ✨
The title track is an undeniable pop classic and still sounds fresh today. The rest of the record, not so much. It's mostly vapid filler although it's generally groovy, and occasional number rises above the tedium. Spanish Eyes, with its moving lyrics on a taboo subject, is probably the best of them.
I'm an 80s pop fan and this was one of the biggest of that era. The singles from this one are still in heavy rotation all these years later, that should tell you something.
Icon of the 80’s-90’s. Diva from the start. Good music, although at times likes to push the edge.
I couldn't finish listening to this. What i heard was good, but i just hate 80s dance pop. I'm a much bigger fan of New Wave. I don't even hate Madonna, there's just so much more interesting stuff I could be listening to.
Sports chants, for instance.
*1989. *Opens strong with Like a Prayer and Express Yourself. *Cherish Is also on here. *Pretty solid pop album. RATING - 7/10
Promise to Try and Keep It Together when you listen to this album.
It's a fun album, first time hearing a whole Madonna project and it has a real fun 80's vibe to it, but it usually stays the same throughout which isn't bad but it just doesn't keep me invested into the album the whole time.
Ok Madonna, you can have this one. You got some bops here.
時代を感じますね
waarschijnlijk belangrijk in zijn tijd... maar de tijd heeft lelijk huisgehouden met deze plaat...
No thanks
Deadpool & Wolverine forever changed this for me
esperava bem mais, mas os singles são mto bons, isso é fato
bom tirando o ÓBVIO que os singles são PEDRADAS, achei que seria melhor, viu. algumas são PICAS, outras acabam se estendendo demais... mas ainda assim, foi divertidissimo!!!!! till death do us apart eh bem massa hein pqp
The title track is one of the best pop songs ever. The rest of the album isn’t anywhere near as good, but there are still many well crafted songs here. The only songs I dislike are the Prince duet + tracks 9 and 11.
Yeah.... Besides the first 2 songs that I already knew existed, nothing else was even worth listening to...
shit-pop
Only 3 songs that I liked. The rest I didn't care for.
I didn’t enjoy it. I’m not sure if I was meant to
There are a few bangers on this album. Okay, there is a dud or two but it’s catchy pop from start to finish. Maybe a few of the songs could be a minute shorter, but I’m nitpicking. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
With the four hits "Like A Prayer", "Express Yourself", "Cherish" and "Dear Jessie" it is potentially a four stars album. Unfortunately the rest of the tracks are not my favour. If there were any doubts whether to give it four or three stars the tracks "Love Song" and "Act of Contrition" were the decider. 3,5
its fine, groovy but not all that interesting
I don’t think I like madonna
That was better than I thought it would be
Yer
I love the title track of this album, the rest left me quite lukewarm unfortunately.
Last two songs sucked. Otherwise, pretty good
One of the best pop albums of the 80s. It's also Madonna's best album. It doesn't seem quite as strong to me now as it was when it came out. It's a high 4, not quite to a 5.
Classic Madonna! I like it!
PLEASSEEEE i love this album
When 'Love Song' came on I immediately thought "wow this sounds like a Prince song" and yes, looks like Captain Obvious was right again. Co-produced, co-written and performed by Prince. Always love to discover artist collabs I'd never hear otherwise. I did take a long look in the mirror though after hearing that baby laugh in 'Dear Jessie' and thought "what am I doing listening to this album?" With that said listening to this led me to follow it up with 1998's 'Ray of Light' and I had a wayyyy better time. It made me appreciate this album more in retrospect.
Not a fan. I thought I would like it but I was wrong
Imagine writing songs with Prince and then being like.. nah that’s alright I don’t need them.
First of all, fuck Sean Penn. Second, damn, Madonna, you really needed to get that shit out, I’m happy for you and sad that happened. This is a really good pop record, if occasionally eye-rolling in how dated it is. Not every song is the best, but every song is solid and well written, with some punching you in the solar plexus. And while I was prepared to just go down the middle, she adds a little wild experimental edge right at the end hinting at what was to come in the 90s. This is a hell of a record, one that rides the line of Top 40 hits with personal lyrics in a really good blend. Good stuff, even if coming from a rough place.
Liebeee madonna höre ich auf jeden fall nochmal richtig 80er!
Mix of songs I would enjoy if I was attracted to men, and strange choices that I either hate or love.
The two openers are pop perfection. Like A Prayer especially is fantastic. I prefer the other version of Express Yourself more. The horns here are a bit cheesy. However, the rest of the album I found boring. Which is really quite disappointing. I love pop music and should love Madonna. Maybe this just needs a re-listen.
Like a Prayer is the standout track, excellent song. The rest of the album is an easy enough listen, enough variety between the songs to keep it interesting.
Enjoyed this more than expected. Still not a big fan of "Express Yourself", but it's not terrible. Did not expect as much input by Prince! That was a welcome surprise to say the least.
Similar to how the creepiness of "like a child, you whisper softly to me, you're in control, just like a child, now I'm dancing" is immediately erased by the brilliance of "like a dream, no end and no beginning, you're here with me, just like a dream, let the choir sing!" .... the brilliance of the title track (& Express Youself, sure) are immediately outweighed by the rest of this album being forgettable, mushy ballads. But I listened to Like A Prayer 5 times yesterday which really has to count for something. 3.5
one of the biggest, lowest stakes, most meaningless fights i've ever witnessed was in college when a dancer was considering doing her senior solo to like a prayer and someone else insisted that like a prayer is about fellatio. it lasted for days and altered friendships. anyway, what a banger to lead off perhaps the most "only here for the single" album on the whole entire list.
another instance of a whole album i can't stand and then i go "oh huh this one's not that bad" but its because the album ended and spotify started autoplaying other things. this happens So Often.
Just like a dream! You are not what you seem! Unfortunately this album is not able to stand up as a whole against the power of the title track/opener, which would be a tall order, but - still. A lot of the back half felt wandering. I listened to "Like a Prayer" at least four times today. Then "Black or White" by Michael Jackson because I get the intro guitar bits to those two mixed up sometimes so one makes me think of the other. Then "Like a Prayer" again. And "Hung Up" once.
like a prayer is always a vibe, didn’t majorly enjoy the rest
I love Madonna. Like a Prayer is so iconic and this album was such a great time. I did listen to this album on a run which I will say isn’t the best place for it lol. I’m now proud to say that I’ve listened to a Madonna album all the way through.
Like all early Madonna albums it's great singles and the filler. But the singles are superb
Great pop! Sadly, some fillers on here, but even the fillers are better than some of the stuff I’ve listened to on this journey through sound so far.
I didn’t like a single song from this album
Some of this suffers from the fact that having lived through the heyday of this album I have heard these songs far, far too many times. I was VERY surprised on Love Song to hear the fact that this was very assuredly a duet with Prince. How did I not know about this in 1989?!
Wholly carried by a banger.
It's Madonna and some of her biggest singles are in there, but as an album it's nothing really remarkable
Now this is Pop well done!
Pop Soul and Adult Contemporary from 1989 is something that I try to avoid with all my heart.
First two songs are solid radio hits. But her honesty and intimacy on this album give us another example of how thoroughly uninteresting she really was. This album actually diminishes my respect for Sean Penn. Add to that the fact that it would, legitimately, be a better album without her vocal tracks, and one is forced to conclude that it's another one of the, literally scores if not hundreds, of albums on this list that no one needs to hear, ever. Two songs - two stars.
this album is super groovy and i really loved listening to “love song” from the album
Harsh but she loses stars for being a dick
only liked like a prayer
Well I didnt think I would ever like a Madonna album beyond maybe a 3/5. But when Oh Father came on I just succumbed to the whole experience. Really not a bad song here and I think the personal, introspective lyrics really raised the level of the whole album. This is not simply a dance/pop album. It is a statement album and shows Madonna is more in control, creatively and emotionally, them ever before
Certainly an iconic piece for the era, as was she in general, but other than the few hits the rest is just meh. Low 3.
The two hits are the cream here, but there a few unexpected treats, too. Madonna was certainly expanding her musical horizon beyond the pop of the time, so I’ll round up.
Seems like quality, highly produced pop music.
I thought "Oh, Madonna, I'm familiar with Madonna." I always liked Madonna, but I was still blown away by this album.
The title track is the only good song on here. The rest are meh.
Super-boring. I feel weird giving Madonna a 2, but that's what I'm doing. Don't tell Madonna.
Listened to the beginning of each song and very quickly concluded this is one of the weaker entries in Madonna’s catalogue, and man. Does she have some stinkers as she gets older and more tired. I can understand how this was something interesting back in the day but it just sounds to me like a more polished version of your run of the mill 80s pop slop. I much prefer the gravitas and unconventionality of her previous album entry, True Blue.
Fine. Listenable. didn't hate it.
Late 80s pop goodness
Classic 80s pop music. This record is not bad but also not that good.
It has a couple of OK singles, but as an album it's not very good. Favorite song: Cherish
Express yourself!
Meh. These pop star albums don't seem to have much individuality in the songs, just look at the cast of thousands involved, everything is a bit overdone. Plus I don't care from Madonna's voice. I'm not clear what criteria get an album on this list - surely it's not just sales?
Can't call myself a Madonna fan, but she does have some pretty good tunes. Love Crazy For You! Slow danced with my wife more than a few times at the dance bars while we were in college. But this album didn't have that song so no doubt the best song off this album was Love Song. I probably would have enjoyed this album a lot more if the other songs were similar in nature and she let the guy in the duet sing a lot more, if not most of the album. But here we are. The 3 radio tunes are pretty good, Express Yourself, Cherish and Like a Prayer, in that order. Rest of the other stuff was OK with Act of Contrition being another stand out. All in all a pretty good album. Shout out to Prince for allowing himself to be part of a mediocre album. 3
3 From one ‘80s pop diva to another, though I’m a bit surprised that we’re just now seeing Madonna pop up on this list for the first time. I’m not going to pretend that I’m any kind of expert on her discography, but I feel like it won’t be the last. But yeah, as far as her body of work goes… I’m pretty indifferent. On a scale of annoying to catchy, I’d place most of her music somewhere in the middle. Like, it’s fine, but it doesn’t really do much for me, and after listening to this album, I would say my opinion has changed very little. However, I’ll give it credit for this - the songwriting and production holds up incredibly well. The signs of this being a 1989 release are definitely there, but generally, this has aged a lot better than many other contemporary pop releases from this era, to the point where I’d say you can hear the influence of this album in many modern pop artists today. Still, I just didn’t find any song here overly interesting… except for one in particular. You can probably guess where I’m going with this, and I’m risking sounding like my dad in saying this, but Love Song with Prince is the best track on this album by a mile. But, let’s be honest with ourselves, despite whose name is on the cover, it’s not a Madonna song with a Prince feature - it’s very much a Prince song with a Madonna feature. His style of production is all over this thing, and while I mean no disrespect to the Queen of Pop, it's the best song here because of it. Unfortunately, not as much of an impression was left from the rest of this tracklist. I was a bit surprised to see that the title track is one of her most popular songs because I certainly haven’t heard it before - or, it’s entirely possible I have and just forgot about it. I guess a lot of people have hailed Express Yourself as empowering; I found it kind of formulaic, though I’m also a man, so I can acknowledge I’m probably not the target audience there. After Love Song, a lot of this started to blend together, with Promise to Try being an especially slow and boring number, but I did kinda dig the ethereal, Enya-esque sort of quality to Oh Father. Act of Contrition was sort of a weird outro given that it's mostly just a collage of noise over a guitar solo, but even weirder, the second least-streamed song after it is Love Song. I guess there isn’t as much of a crossover between the Madonna and Prince fandoms as one would think. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Overall, this was okay, but we’re going to round up to a 3 solely because of the Prince song. Though, I guess it wasn’t his only feature here - he also played guitar on Like a Prayer, Keep It Together, and Act of Contrition, all uncredited. However, despite all of that, the actual coolest thing about this album? It came with a factsheet about safe sex and HIV/AIDS in a show of support for the LGBT community. Respect.
hell yeah. she da best
Pretty good stuff
Another nostalgic one for me. I don't remember listening to the whole album before, but I like the variety and will listen to this one again.
Like a Prayer is amazing. Express Yourself is also a banger. Cherish is a really nice 80s pop song. There are some fillers - or at least songs that definitely aren’t good enough to stand the test of time, but all in all this is just a good pop album - and of course a cornestone in pop music generally.
Repeat
This was an awful waste of my afternoon. Vapid pop music, and at no point in my life would I be the target market for Madonna. And if there is one defining factor for Madonna, it is shrewd marketing. If only her music was as good as her PR.
Wow! I had no idea this would be as enjoyable as it is. I skipped Cherish. Really interesting religious and family themes, pretty sad at times. Loved the bookending of Like A Prayer and Act of Contrition.
YES
This album has 3 hit songs and the rest is unmemorable. Although, I was surprised to hear the Madonna/Prince collaboration and that they couldn't combine to make a hit song. I also began to wonder if the 3 hit songs would be memorable or hit songs in my mind on a first listen... as opposed to already knowing those three tracks and then not recognizing any others. If three different tracks had been played over and over on MTV would I question why Cherish hadn't been a single? or would I think it was unmemorable? I'll listen a few more times and see if anything sticks.
Some good hits and other songs I hadn't heard before
The bangers are really good - low four. I’m rounding up because of good memories
I like the Prince stuff but most of it is just kinda bland
It was alright Like a Prayer and Spanish eyes were the only ones I liked. 3 stars.
Not too bad but the first two songs were more exciting than the rest. Standout tracks: Like a Prayer, Express Yourself
After such strong opening, the rest of the album feels underwhelming. Like a Prayer as the first song sets such a bar that I personally just skipped through the rest of the album chasing the high that first song gave.
Her earlier stuff is better. This is not very good
I will say it, OG Madonna kicked arse
Wow holy shit
Jumps from inane 80s pop to boredom. Not my thing
Bet good album, fun and catchy
If one wanted a masterclass in late 80’s pop, this might be the top of the list. Unfortunately for me I don’t really want that but I can admit it is pretty masterful.
2/5
Late 80s pop, co-produced by Prince. Chock-full of her amazing hits.
Some bangers on this, proper 80s pop tastic from my childhood. Some not so good “album tracks”
esta muy bueno. grandes temas. 80s mas no poder
Certainly some of Madonna's best songs are to be found on here, classics of pop music perhaps, but the rest of it is either boring or pretty bad.
Blast from the past, great
4/5
So I always heard from my dad that Madonna was the "it" of the 80s and 90s, but honestly I mean while it was good it wasn't my favorite. Maybe because it just isn't my favorite genre / style? It was a very close race between a 3 and a 4 but I think it was 1 song away from being a 4.
The opener, the title track, is obviously a fucking banger. I shouldn't be too surprised but there's a ton of good, catchy pop on here and some variety to keep it interesting. Not a lot of lowlights or filler, pretty amazing for a 51-minute 80s pop record. Just a tick beneath what I would need for a first listen 5. Cherish, Oh Father, and Keep It Together were the culprits. Overall though, bravo.
Decent pop.
I didn’t like quite a lot of it musically, but lyrically and thematically it’s deeper than I’d expected, especially in its religious allusions. There’s some absolute schmaltz on here (eg the one about princesses and leprechauns) but also some pretty dark/challenging stuff re domestic and parental abuse. Plus the overt but subverted religious references. The Act of Contrition at the end was weird but actually quite clever, I thought.
I've heard some of these tracks before...who hasn't, but hadn't heard the whole album. I can't say it's exciting, but It's not awful. It gave me the feel of being a Disney soundtrack (not that I'm a Disney soundtrack expert). That's all apart from the final track - Act of Contrition. How did that get there? It's just a bit weird compared to the rest of the album.
About as Madonna as it gets.
Like a Prayer is definitely a classic. The album cover is stunning, and as someone who’s always a sucker for religious themes and imagery in art, I think that aspect deserves far more appreciation. Prince’s contributions are fantastic. “Like a Prayer,” “Express Yourself,” “Love Song,” and “Cherish” are all solid tracks, but honestly, I didn’t care much for the rest of the album; it felt a bit too juvenile/disjointed at times.
Solid album. I knew the 3 big hits: Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish. I was surprised that Like a Prayer has so many more plays than the others (~700M versus ~15M). Also interesting that the album version of Express Yourself is different than the version I remember from MTV -- the album has more horns. Some of the other songs started growing on me, like Dear Jessie and Oh Father and Spanish Eyes.
Like A Prayer is a 5 star classic but, overall, I wanted to like this more than I did. The other two singles hold their own, but the Prince duet is more interesting as a curio than a song. The rest ranges from "fun but forgetable" to "clunky and dated."
The singles do a lot of work, seriously solid pop songs that are impossible to forget. The rest of the album varies from forgettable to deeply dated to actually interesting (serious Prince vibes courtesy of his involvement I'm guessing on 'Love Song') - but it's never boring. I'd argue she never got better than this but I'm not sure that's true. She certain maybe never got more purely poppy than this, tho.
Suffice it to say, I was not looking forward to this listen. Apparently, the title track was highly controversial on release, which is weird because it's pretty standard fare lyrically and musically. It's catchy, but standard fare nonetheless. The rest of this album follows the blueprint set by that track(brainless yet catchy 80s pop). The more upbeat tracks work far better than the ballads in this album. Overall, it is nowhere near as bad as I expected it to be.
This was an excellent album. We’ve all heard the title track, which is a great, great song. And certainly Express Yourself and Cherish harken back to younger Madonna and her upbeat pop brilliance. Both are very good songs, even if I wouldn’t seek either one out. There’s a lot more to like on here. For me, the best of the rest is Keep It Together, which is a great tune that reminds me a lot of those late 80s / early 90s jams from groups like New Edition. There’s some other more mature songs on here, which Madonna has always had in her bag (starting with songs like Papa Don’t Preach), and frankly I prefer to the more poppy songs. Excellent back to front. Not amazing, but really good.
The title track is a great pop song, that's for sure. The rest of the album can't live up to that, unfortunately.
Ever was a big fan. But she’s talented for sure. I might enjoy a greatest hits album
Just a good pop album. Like a prayer is a good tune - if I was to have a top Madonna track - it would be this one. Overall it’s fine.
Peak Madge. That said, I'm pretty ambivalent. The hits (and there are plenty here) are all great pop music. The rest? Meh.
Had its moments , the song with prince was the best part
Back when pop music actually meant pushing the boundaries and making quality music with the best talent available. Look at the personnel on this thing for proof. Excellent transitions between moods and sounds. Fantastic record with so much to latch onto. While listening it is quite often you think to yourself, "shit every modern female pop star really has been influenced by her haven't they"
But this 4th album Madonna was a certified global icon. Add this album, with 3 SMASH hits (Like a Prayer, Express Yourself and Cherish) only helped propel her to places only Michael Jackson could understand.
I LOVE 80s/90s Madonna. Easy 5 star for me.
The title track is pure pop perfection—dramatic, daring, and still electrifying. The rest? A mixed bag weighed down by filler that doesn’t come close to matching its brilliance. One iconic song propping up an uneven album.
Opening song is a banger, all time pop classic. She’s got pipes. Reminds me of childhood even tho it came out 10 years before I was born. Express yourself is another banger. Love song is really interesting. I like the production a lot, not very catchy tho. I like til death do us part, great production again and much catchier. Really good story telling/songwriting. Promise to try is pretty good, really good songwriting, a little too melancholy for my liking. Cherish is another classic that reminds me of both childhood and my retail days. PTSD from the BJs receiving dock. Banger nonetheless. Production is so good on dear Jessie. Good not great song, kinda cheesy? Lyrics. This song was not made for me, simple as that. Really cool transition Into oh father. Another song with great production. This is a good song all around. Keep it together is pretty good, more 80s than the rest. Catchy tho. Madonna is a great song writer. Shines through again on Spanish eyes. Really cool ending with act of contrition. This is worth another listen, I think second time around would get an even better score. After first listen, I give it 4.1 stars
Un clásico. Un disco que todo el mundo debería escuchar y no las mierdas con autotune
Ahhh - the very last album I bought on Vinyl before the revival.... 80s very much my era, and this is the end of what I consider to be her 'classic' 80s album run. After this she's reinventing herself every time. It's a really solid album, but it's a mixed bag and there is some filler here (just like on all her albums tbh). When it's good, its great...title track and Oh Father being the standout tracks for me. However, the Prince / Madonna track is just awful...should have never seen the light of day. Just drones on and on (and on). 3 (nearly a 4)
pop perfection babes
Really 80's and not as a compliment. The title track is great but that's about it. A lot of very tiresome cheesy late 80's pop that makes it more of a drag than an enjoyment. Don't really hate it but there isn't much to like here. Even the other hit singles aren't Madonna's best work.
A good listen! There’s a choir like sound to most of these that I really appreciate. Sweeping instrumentals and meaningful lyrics. Till death do us part and obviously Like a prayer are standouts for me