Ray Of Light

Madonna

1998

Rating

18454

Votes

24%

38%

23%

Distribution

Genres: Pop, Electronica Styles: Dance Pop, Ambient, Trip Hop, Downtempo, House

Album Summary

Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released in early 1998 by Maverick Records. A stylistic and aesthetical departure from her previous work, Ray of Light is an electronica and techno-pop record which incorporates multiple genres, including ambient, trip hop, psychedelic music and Middle Eastern music, while also seeing Madonna singing with greater breadth and a fuller tone. Mystical themes are also strongly present in both the music and lyrics, as a result of Madonna embracing Kabbalah, her study of Hinduism and Buddhism, and her daily practice of Ashtanga yoga. After giving birth to her first child, Madonna started working on the album with producers Babyface and Patrick Leonard. Following failed sessions with them, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with English producer William Orbit, which resulted in a much more experimental sound being produced for the album. The recording process was the longest of Madonna's career, and she experienced problems with Orbit's hardware arrangement which would break down and cause delays until it could be repaired. Upon release, the album received widespread critical acclaim, with reviews praising the singer's new musical direction, Orbit's complex, innovative and experimental production, and Madonna's writing skills. Referred to as her "most adventurous" record, Ray of Light has been noted for its introspective, spiritual, and religious nature with Madonna's vocals also being commended. Retrospectively, the album has continued receiving critical acclaim from contemporary critics and is often considered to be her best album. On top of this, the album is frequently cited by critics as one of the greatest mainstream pop albums of all time. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with the biggest first-week sales by a female artist at the time. It also peaked at number one in 17 countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, and charted within the top-five in most musical markets. Worldwide, Ray of Light has sold over 16 million copies and is one of the best-selling albums by women. Five singles were released from the album, including the international top five hits "Frozen" and "Ray of Light". The album's promotion was later supported by the Drowned World Tour in 2001. Music critics have noted the album's influence on popular music, and how it introduced electronica into mainstream pop culture in America. They also noted Madonna's musical re-invention which helped the 39-year-old remain contemporary among the teen-marketed artists of the period.

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Jul 07 2022 Author

"how do you do fellow kids?"

Nov 04 2020 Author

A whole lot of investment for a maximum of 15 minutes pay-off. You can certainly die before listening to this one, and in all honesty, at 1 hour 6 mins in length, there is a good chance that you might.

May 09 2021 Author

Top tier mid-career Madonna. Confident, composed, and coooool

Apr 16 2021 Author

I was pleasantly surprised by this, as downtempo stuff usually isn't my bag. And it is long, though the beauty of the production can't be overstated (Actually, maybe it can when the cheesy strings come into Little Star.) Madonna's voice doesn't have much zing to it here, but if it did the whole album would have to be retuned to it. She takes you through the hour of music, and the melodies are pretty if not very hooked, and the calming effect of the music is undeniable. I tend to prefer my trip-hop with more of the mentioned zing, but Madonna is absolutely my bag.

Jul 07 2023 Author

I never knew Madonna was that experimental with the sound in her albums. This one really surprised me, on how much variety it has. You got Trip-Hop, Trance, some hints of techno and much more. I really enjoyed it.

Aug 28 2021 Author

This album is without a doubt the singular high watermark for 90s American pop, and potentially Madonna's entire career. Between her other albums, I struggle to pick a favorite between Ray of Light, Madonna and Like a Prayer.

Sep 06 2023 Author

This was a total surprise. The only things I knew about Madonna were the adoption stuff and her hits, more from the 80s with that big, brash style. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy this, but it was easy to listen to and surprising in it's style. I'd happened to get Massive Attack's Blue Lines the day before, so the slightly laid-back trip-hop nature of this was interesting to compare - it's all fine enough, but lacks the drive and energy and rawness of that album: just a little too bland and over-produced in places perhaps. Not half bad though.

Oct 21 2021 Author

I never understood Madonna's popularity. Don't get me wrong. Can she sing? Yes. Has she written, recorded, and produced several hit songs. Sure thing. But she's pretty average in my opinion - and this album is evidence of that. These songs sound like a hundred other songs that came out around this time - there's nothing really innovative or different about it. Every song is 6 minutes long and they could have been 3. In fact, the whole album could have been one 3-minute song. They all sound the exact same. It's like the soundtrack for a Disney movie that was way to sad and weird to make it to theaters. And, even though I'm not a fan of Madonna, this album cannot be her best effort. Not sure why it's on the list.

Jun 09 2021 Author

what a huge pile of crap

Dec 14 2023 Author

Expecting just a simple pop album, I wasn't really looking forward to this one. But... Wow. I wasn't expecting this album to be quite as electronic as it turned out to be. I never knew there was a Madonna album like it, not that I really know much about Madonna's discography. This is a wonderfully electronic album with some songs that would suit a lounge, and others that would fit in a rave. It's filled with downtempo, house, trance, drum and bass, basically everything my ADHD-ridden millenial British mind can almost automatically adore. To be honest I almost forgot that this is an album by an American singer - William Orbit really brings a lot of British and European flair to the album. There's also some really cool Middle Eastern elements to this - Shanti/Ashtangi makes for a really cool midway(ish) point of the album, and a nice comedown from the trance rush of Sky Fits Heaven before it. From my impromptu research into this album I found out that she had underwent vocal training for her role in Evita, a couple of years before this album, and as a result she came to this album with a broader vocal range than ever. The full-bodiedness of her vocals pairs really well with the electronic direction of this album. I was really surprised by how much I loved this album. It's a fun, ravey, mystical and spiritual record with a bit of everything that the 90s electronic scene had to offer. I wasn't expecting to be seeking out a Madonna album because of this list but it's fair to say that it's what I'll now be doing. Favourite: Nothing Really Matters

May 01 2023 Author

well, this album could change a person's mind about being a Madonna fan. It was beautiful and amazing!

Jan 27 2023 Author

AMAZING

Dec 03 2020 Author

The last good Madonna album according to my wife

Aug 25 2023 Author

Madonna has always been the Queen of Reinvention and jumpin on trends. This is one of her peak moments. William Orbit brought out the best of Madonna with this blissful collection of techno pop. Unlike the bulk of her albums this one isn't patchy either, it is a solid piece of work no song feels like it needs to be skipped

Jul 19 2021 Author

Easily the best Madonna album.

Aug 07 2023 Author

(Deep inhale, followed by audible sigh) Ok…here we go. Madonna’s “Ray of Light”. Produced by William Orbit (whose album, “Strange Cargo III”, I found to be utterly loathsome), “Ray of Light” finds Madonna embracing the electronica of the mid 90’s and turning it into a easily digestible product for the masses. Thematically, Madonna draws inspiration from religious mysticism, psychedelia and yoga. Honestly, I am surprised that she isn’t writing songs about the probiotic benefits of kefir or multipart suites about vaccine conspiracies she read on a “very reputable” website. I fucking hate this album. It’s awful. What’s next? That Cher album with all the auto-tune?

Nov 08 2023 Author

Ethereal, lovely ambience

Feb 04 2021 Author

A little like OG Lana Del Rey. Cool electronica style.

Oct 27 2021 Author

Once such a daring and courageous beast, this effort seems rather lazy and insipid. Just throwing some EDM into the mix, because, well why not? Madonna reminds me of a wounded sealion gasping for air as it watches its pups be fucked to death by the predatory ghost of Sir David Attenborough.

Apr 25 2024 Author

I like this album - Madonna is going through her sleek, ethereal club phase and it evokes a wistful sense of nostalgia for my 90s life. Some wonderful songs on here, like "Frozen" and "Skin."

Jun 06 2023 Author

Madge’s last great album. I love the cohesiveness of it. It’s clear that every song is a part of this album, yet each has its own unique perspective and sound. The Eastern & Middle Eastern influences work well for me, giving the music a spiritualized edge. Madonna’s voice is in fine form and the production is unmatched. Complicated and catchy rhythms meld with super-rich bass lines and ethereal atmosphere to provide an elevated club sound unlike any other. Frozen is a highlight, with its lush strings, jangly percussion, and almost medieval chord structure supporting her cutting words to a cold, emotionless subject. Little Star, an electronica lullaby to her then-newly-born daughter Lourdes, is unexpectedly touching, yet retains much of the sugary fun that made Madonna a pop goddess.

Dec 27 2024 Author

I thought this album was a very soothing and sophisticated album. I really enjoyed the more experimental songs, and the pop songs were more interesting than one would expect in a pop album. The poppier songs were definitely a tier below, but the album as a whole was a solid listen. Top tracks: Diamond World/Substitution for Love, Shanti/Ashtangi, Mer Girl

Feb 06 2026 Author

Outstanding album. I got Music 11 days ago and the ambient electronica trip hop dance pop is still doing it for me. Once again showing why she's one of the best to ever do it. I have a feeling that if she were male and from the UK she would have 6 to 8 albums on this list.

Feb 02 2026 Author

I don't know what the FUCK a Candy Perfume Girl is, but I want Madonna to be mine. And whatever drugs she was doing in 1998, I want to take a lot of them. She's totally in the zone here. Frozen, the title track, and Shanti/Ashtangi stand out for me, but the whole album is great. There is a flow...an energy... almost conceptual...damn near perfect...dreamy mystic spiritual dance pop... beautiful... unquestionably one of her best. 5

Jan 30 2026 Author

Njen daleko najbolji album. Produkcija Williama orbita je apsolutno savršena, koliko je album utjecajam vidiš po tome što svake godine bude jedno do pet zapaženih ostvarenja direktno pod njegovim utjecajem

Jan 16 2026 Author

Pure brilliance. Best Madonna's album and one of the best in genre

Jan 15 2026 Author

I have to apologize to Madonna. I always thought she was more of an icon than a musician. I was dead wrong. This is some of the best art pop I have heard in a long time. The opening track, "Drowned World / Substitute", feels like a blueprint for a lot of FKA Twigs’s work. It pulled me in immediately. It is warm, pure, and powerful. The album weaves in some really beautiful cultural textures too. You hear Arabic leaning instrumentation blended with sleek modern synths on "Nothing Really Matters", then just a track later you get the Hindu inspired atmosphere of "Shanti/Ashtangi". That range over such a short stretch is impressive. "Frozen" gives me chills every time. It is easily the best song on the album and it makes sense that it became one of her most popular. The mix of violins, synths, and percussion creates something almost religious. This is a power album from a power woman. 9/10.

Dec 25 2025 Author

Of course it is rated Five Stars even after all these years it Madonna 🩷

Dec 27 2024 Author

I've always liked this album. The collaboration with William Orbit really did Madonna good musically. Before, the music was too disco-like for me. Frozen is one of my favorite pieces. Listening to the album, I remembered some songs that I had forgotten. It's nice that these memories are fresh again. 5/5

Jun 26 2024 Author

Mein Lieblingsalbum von Madonna. Ein Meisterwerk in jeder Hinsicht: tanzbar, wild, nachdenklich, überraschend und insgesamt ein Knaller.: "Ray of light" "Frozen", " The Power of good Bye"

Jan 24 2024 Author

Awww yeah! I do not give a flying fuck what anyone has to say. This is fun. And I love it.

Jan 24 2024 Author

This was GREAT! I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Added and will be listening again

Apr 19 2023 Author

With a slight dipping with Bedtime Stories and American Life, Madonna's run of albums from Like A Virgin through to Confessons on A Dancefloor - near twenty years, is pretty well unmatched putting her up with critical darlings like REM and Prince. Like A Prayer and Ray of Light are the Everest and K2 in this range - I have a personal preference for the latter as I love the William Orbit wooshes and wibbles that provide the distinctive soundworld of this album. As ever the question is take the singles out and what's left. The answer is a lot. I'll even forgive her a bit of karmic nonsense with the om shantis and everything. This album is almost 25 years old which seems crazy as it still sounds contemporary.

Feb 03 2023 Author

disco maduro de madonna? fuck I'm in

Sep 28 2022 Author

Very surprised how good this was. Sound very trippy

Oct 20 2021 Author

ну бест оф зэ бэст оф зе бест!!!! виллиам орбит лучший

Jan 29 2026 Author

This is potentially the high water mark of Madonna's entire career. There are plenty of more well known singles from other eras of Madonna, but this might be the best entire album. She’s more of an artist on Ray of Light than the previous pop princess, or the sad weird quasi-Brit she transformed into later. 4.5⭐️

Jan 26 2026 Author

Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this and also in how different it was from the other Madonna songs I’m more familiar with. The Ray of Light song is a banger, testament to Madge’s ability to keep reinventing herself and remaining relevant. Would definitely have this playing at home for a dinner party or for a general relaxation vibe.

Jan 23 2026 Author

It's unfortunate that I only ever heard the titular song before and wasn't exposed to this album earlier, because I loved it! Madonna's voice here is wonderfully balanced and controlled, I really dig the eastern-flair on several of the tracks, and as fan of EDM there's nothing here not to love.

Jan 22 2026 Author

This is great. Just pure joy. What a pop record should be. Very much sleek car showroom dance pop but executed perfectly. I wonder if I was around for this release I would've felt the same about it as I do about Brat, in that it takes all the stylings of dance music and polishes it down to pop sensibility, but unlike Brat I don't feel any personal sense of loss attached to this because I can't even imagine nightlife in 1998. I think repurposing club culture in a buoyant market is a different act to the stagnation and neglect of 2024.

Jan 21 2026 Author

Something’s having an age in incredibly well, but overall an extremely by vibey project

Jan 16 2026 Author

The musical direction on this album from Madonna was a real surprise to me, I did not expect such a variety of influences and a tone quite as atmospheric. I have to say, I really enjoyed it. The standout “hits” are fantastic, but the rest of the album has a darker, ambient vibe to it that is a far cry from the pop classics you come to expect. There’s one major gripe I have though - it’s too bloody long, most of the songs could be cut in half and still be as impactful. I’ve every confidence this would be a 9/10 album for me if it was 45 minutes long, rather than 65.

Jan 15 2026 Author

I knew of one or two songs off this album before listening and really wasn't expecting much, but I actually thought this was cool as hell. A major departure from most of her previous work but I feel like she crushes it. Ray of Light is a lot more reserved and less in your face than most of Madonna's discography, at least the parts I'm more familiar with. Instead of hornily observing Madonna from afar, I get the feeling from this album that she wants you to join her on the dancefloor and just cut loose. AND I FEEEELLL LIKE I JUST GOT HOMEE

Jan 14 2026 Author

Listening session: january 13th, while commuting to internship and while getting ready for bed Listened to before: listened to some songs before, but not all Thoughts: I’m more familiar with Madonna’s older work so I was surprised that this had so many electronic elements Favourite tracks: Frozen, The Power of Good-Bye & Drowned World/Substitute for Love

Jan 12 2026 Author

Madonna almost always hits. This isn't my favorite, but still quite good.

Jan 11 2026 Author

album with slow songs. i like it.

Jan 09 2026 Author

Honestly, far better than I expected it to be! Some good classics on here, and I would give it a 5 star rating if it weren't for how bad Little Star is...

Jan 09 2026 Author

On hyvä. On siinä nykyartisteilla tekemistä

Jan 08 2026 Author

Heel erg leuk, heeft echt een slehcte ochtend geflipt naar goed ook. Love it!!

Jan 08 2026 Author

Pvetor griffoni? Flamby guye?

Jan 05 2026 Author

About in line with what I've heard so far from Madonna as in being surprisingly epic for "pop". Also, did I just get proselytized to for an hour about Kabbalah?

Dec 31 2025 Author

Enjoyed this a lot, great 90s house beats

Dec 29 2025 Author

omg its the peter griffin drinking redbull song this is dope af i love 90s downtempo electronica whatever the fuck. great album people on this site have no culture or class.

Dec 26 2025 Author

A better album than her others

Dec 03 2025 Author

did not know Madonna had game like this

Sep 17 2025 Author

If you go through my review history, you can see that I often bemoan reviewers focus on the 'story' rather than the music. But indulge me for a moment... In her 1994 album Bedtime Stories, Madonna retreated from her increasingly sexual image and it's accompanying sparse 'erotic' sonic palate. The title track is the most obvious example of this, she recruited post-Debut Björk and Nellee Hooper to create an track filled with the sounds of acid house and 90s electronica music filled with the abstract lyrics that Björk "had always wanted Madonna to say". Millions were spent to create the accompanying music video, an experimental art-film chock full of religious imagery shot on 35mm and screened in cinemas. The song stalled at 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. So, after starring in Evita (probably her best leading performance), 4 years later we got Ray of Light. In comes William Orbit, another top young British electronic musician and producer. It should be more of the same, right? Madonna struggling to match the tone of her trendy new collaborators. Wrong. The tone of the album is incredibly familiar to anyone who listened to the UK charts in the Y2K era, an instrumental version of Pure Shores by All Saints could be slipped in halfway through and no-one would notice. The key difference is that this time we get a glimpse of what Madonna Louise Ciccone would want to say, not what Björk Guðmundsdóttir would like her to say, or the words the carefully curated popstar Madonna would say. And the music serves it perfectly, leaving space for her show her much improved vocal control. That's not to say that this wasn't a rebrand, the stripped back denim wearing 'crunchy' Madonna that appears on the cover and associated media is just as deliberate as the lace and leather years. But in letting her thoughts on motherhood and newly developing spirituality take the focus, she managed to make her most daring work since Vogue. Just a shame her thoughts about the Iraq war weren't nearly as profound.

Jun 28 2024 Author

There are albums that stylistically I think I’ll like, but they prove shallow and unmemorabke. Then there is an album like this that I wouldn’t seem to match my tastes as well but it draws me in. Truthfully I need to give the latter half more time, it didn’t feel as strong, but the first half is strong. Also, randomly… I could picture mashing this up with Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light.”

Jun 26 2024 Author

I enjoyed listening to this album again. It starts off a little meh for me but then builds and really hits its stride in the middle and then tapers off. Some clever new style for her in some of those middle and ending songs.

Jun 26 2024 Author

Surprisingly liked this. Waay more than I was expecting.

Jun 21 2024 Author

A terrific album, exploratory, interesting, and you can still move along to it.

Jun 20 2024 Author

Dance albums don't usually age as well after 25 years as Ray of Light.

Jun 14 2024 Author

Really nice production

Jun 14 2024 Author

Very different! Distinctly late 90s. Quite enjoyable for sure, great way to help unwind.

Jun 14 2024 Author

This could be Madonna’s best album, or at least top two. A different sound from her that really showcases her vocal abilities outside of her earlier synth pop style.

Apr 24 2024 Author

Surprised by the psych production on this record. A lot of psych sounds panned to one ear or alternating back and forth. I had no idea Madonna had an electronic psych record. Dude the title track goes HARD!!! The vocals sound dated to the 90s but the instrumentals/production doesn't. Honestly it makes sense that most people wouldn't really like this record. It's weird and not an easy listen but honestly it's right up my alley. I also love the eastern sounds on this record.

Apr 11 2024 Author

When this album appeared I questioned whether anything from Madonna should be in the list of "must listen" albums. "Ray of Light" was a surprisingly listenable recording. I found I loved the electronica and middle eastern musical themes that appeared. The song "Swim" was a notable surprise and "Ray of Light" is a terrific song. Madonna also stretched vocally on this album, to her credit.

Apr 05 2024 Author

Ray of Light is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. This electronica, techno-pop album may be her most adventurous/experimental as it contains influences from ambient, trip hop & edm in general, Middle Eastern music, and psychedelia. It's credited with bringing edm elements into the mainstream, as well as shining a light on South Asian culture. Madonna's vocals were also amazing on this album since she underwent fresh vocal lessons before production. Critically acclaimed, it's considered Madonna's magnum opus and is one of the best-selling albums by women. Ray of Light won 4 out of 6 Grammy nominations at the 1999 Grammy Awards. It's been certified platinum or multi-platinum in 27 countries including Australia (3x), Canada (7x), averaged 7x platinum in Europe, Japan (2x), and USA (4x). This adventurous album was great to listen to. According to Madonna herself, it's the "quintessential Madonna album". With mixings of pop and edm, the music provides something for every listener. I was enthralled with every bit of this album, and I'm glad I had the chance to listen to it. Highly recommend this historical piece of music.

Dec 29 2023 Author

It feels too easy to say that Madonna makes music for the girls, gays, and theys, but that doesn’t make it less true. I wish I had been in a dark room with a sparkly top to get the full experience

Sep 22 2022 Author

A different side of Madonna that I had not known until now. Pulling inspiration from the rise of downtempo and trip hop sounds over in the UK, Ray of Light is a definite departure from her usual dance-pop that got her famous in the first place. This is a bold and rewarding move for her, in my opinion, as she utilizes her voice in a way that compliments the new electronic production. Producer William Orbit is equally deserving of praise, as his work in Downtempo on Strange Cargo 2 and 3 helped paved the way for the sound on Ray of Light. For how well-executed this album is, it still feels marred by tracks that could have been cut. "Shanti / Ashtangi" showcases Madonna's passing interest in Hinduism at the time, pulling from Indian pop in a way that feels more like co-opting than honoring. "Candy Perfume Girl" feels like it could have been a cut from an earlier Madonna song that was touched up for the downtempo sound. It leads to things getting overly long. The overall product is stunning regardless. I am fascinated by this move from Madonna, and have a lot of respect for her as a result. Absolutely worth being on the list.

Feb 16 2022 Author

Blown away by this one tbh. I like a lot of Madonna's big hits but found the couple of albums of hers that I'd listened to a bit samey and inconsistent This was a massive departure from anything I expected, the opening track set the scene so perfectly- sounded like Enya singing over a Trent Reznor instrumental. Then there's some exploration with trip-hop and big club bangers, with some fantastic sounding synths and a really wide range of instrumentation and grooves. It tailed off slightly for me towards the end, and did start to feel its length, but the mysterious and slinky closing track was another highlight. All in all a great album, very different to what I was expecting, and definitely something I'll revisit

Feb 06 2022 Author

Still remember that after a sequence of rather mediocre albums -say anything after Like a Prayer and this albums- and a string of singles that were good but not great (except This Used to Be My Playground but that was with Shep Pettibone again) ..suddenly ..Frozen was released and after that: the Ray Of Light single and then Substitute of Love and the Power of Goodbye.. in short: the best 4 pop singles of the 90s, seemingly out of nowhere. So bought the album but felt a bit disappointed as it was made in the same way as in the 80s: great singles (*****) some (very) decent albums tracks (***/****) and some filler (*/**). Think True Blue or Like A Prayer. Still feel the same after listening to it again today. The 4 singles and the William Orbit contributions are as fantastic as ever, just like a couple of other tracks, but overall it falls short to be of 5-star, just like True Blue and Like A Prayer (to compare, for me, her first album and Like A Virgin are both 5-star).

Aug 17 2021 Author

lazy disco-y lushness

Apr 22 2021 Author

Madonna at one of her peaks. Is and was a good sound

Jan 24 2021 Author

I forgot just how beautiful madonnas voice is. I grew up on OG Madonna and when this album came out, it was “weird” but so Madonna :) I didn’t listen to it much because I was so nostalgic for her old stuff. I realize now just how ahead of our time this sound was. It fits way better into today’s music. <>.

Apr 27 2021 Author

The album where Madonna remade herself and brought EDM to the mainstream. Solid stuff. Best track: The Power of Good-Bye

Jan 02 2025 Author

Madonna must've heard "Dummy" by Portishead. This album proves this assumption. But it's nowhere near as fantastic as "Dummy". "Substitute for Love" is my favourite song off "Ray of Light" After that, it slowly becomes a boring listen. 3 stars for "Ray of Light".

Sep 25 2024 Author

The title track was definitely a guilty pleasure for me at the time and I have a lot of respect for the fact the Like A Virgin and Isla Bonita girl came up with this in 1998... and had a massive hit with it. Frozen is brilliant as well, but while the overall vibes are good, I'm a little disappointed to learn that the singles are its best moments. So while 70% of this is new to me, nothing is quite as exciting a discovery as I'd hoped. Still, the production is excellent and overall I'm glad it's included as it's definitely a snapshot of the time and a testament to Madonna's versatility, something that probably doesn't get talked about enough.

Jun 09 2021 Author

Good memories from MTV in the 90's https://youtu.be/SnUu2E1pjm0

Mar 10 2022 Author

Just look how quickly rich and gauzy becomes "deep" and "meaningful", the shorthand for which is--sigh--an Indian song. I note William Orbit is credited on that. It appears not even the best artists were immune to 90s ambient wank.

Apr 27 2021 Author

i can appreciate it but i'd never listen to this kind of music willingly. also no 13-track album should be over an hour

Aug 19 2025 Author

#677. Man, do you guys remember when Madonna saw Britney and Christina in the 90s and delusionally thought "I'm still relevant and as hot as these girls even though I'm literally middle aged" and then we all had to endure this cringe personified try to reinvent herself for a generation that didn't want or ask for any of that? Pepperidge Farm Remembers. And shit man, she's trying to do it again, but now she's these kid's grandma's age and she looks like an alien. All Madonna albums are on the lower end of the scale as far as quality goes, but this one seems to be particularly trash. If you have the opportunity to check out this album, just don't. 1/5: terrible.

Dec 22 2024 Author

Formulaic pop that left me cold. Awkward sounding with a techno-esque/EDM beat applied to vocal lines and melodies that really don't suit them. "Here are some songs... make them 'club'". Madonna has a great voice but it is wasted on this. Was going for 2/5 but the longer I listened... 1/5. It loses a point for wasting the talent of her voice.

Jan 26 2026 Author

good album

Dec 20 2025 Author

Madonna's best album, legitimately a 90s trip-hop masterpiece

Dec 18 2025 Author

My favorite album from Madge. This album came out with a bang at the time and really was peak Madonna.

Dec 11 2025 Author

This was one of the first albums that E and I agreed on for road trips.

Dec 04 2025 Author

The title track is easily the strongest, but this whole album was a lot of fun - Madonna (and her production team) are firing on all cylinders here. The electronic aspect is ethereal and hypnotic in all the right ways. I listened on a long drive and this album helped me lock TF in

Nov 28 2025 Author

Can’t believe I’ve never listened to the full album before, loveeee

Nov 19 2025 Author

As a fan of 90s dance music, I loved this album. Madonna shows us exactly why she stayed relevant for so long in an ever changing pop scene. The ethereal vocals, high energy beat, and soulful lyrics make each song a treasure. Vibes of pain and longing mixed with hopefulness hit you right in the heart. A truly wonderful album and definitely worth your time.

Nov 19 2025 Author

wahrscheinlich das album der neunziger! toller sound!

Nov 17 2025 Author

Great pop album, dont get all the hate for it, which is probably for the wrong reason. It was quite experimental at the time and i like how she stepped away from the more simple hits in earlier albums. 4.5 stars

Nov 16 2025 Author

I wasn't expecting this at all, but I've got to say, it's excellent. An intriguing fusion of 90s euro-trance, trip hop and downtempo; it's clearly ushering in influences from the likes of Massive Attack, Portishead, Culture Beat, Goldie, Björk, Ace of Base etc. but it somehow manages to blend all of them into something unique and thoroughly engaging. One of my all time favourite bands in The Gathering released "How to Measure a Planet" during the same year, where despite the album's generally more prog rock-oriented leanings, Ray of Light surely must have been on their radar to inspire their shift in direction towards similar forms of electronic which are showcased here. There is a mystical, even spiritual thread running through a fair portion of the album, most pronounced in a track such as "Shanti / Ashtangi", with drips and drabs of Middle Eastern instrumentation on a track such as "Skin". The album also has a very personal feel to it, with themes ranging from the birth of Madonna's daughter and of struggles such as heartbreak, but delivered in a more sophisticated manner than your typical pop fare. I can't believe that a Madonna album has been one of my favourite discoveries along this process so far, but here we are. It's going to be purchased.

Nov 12 2025 Author

26 years on it still manages to sound totally unique. It's like a journey through a dreamy, chrome-covered utopia from a distance future.

Oct 23 2025 Author

#156/1001. My favourite Madonna album, easily. For me everything that came after is her trying to reach this album mixed with trying to reach the 80s mixed with trying not to get old. All the electronics start sounding the same, a bit too new agey - for me the album is not really experimental - unless of course if you compare it to her previous work or what was happening at the top ten at the time. But yes, we did have electronica artists in the mainstream, and also artists like Björk and Beck creating big hits mixing electronics, pop sensibility and weird shit. Or artists like Prince -while not heavily using electronics - still constantly redefined what a pop song / hot 100 hit might sound like. But the beauty and genius of Madonna and Orbit in this album is that you mix a quite a simple song and melody and layer electronics, instruments and all droning and circling around the main melody, creating a sound which is meditative, easy to approach, interesting and at times instant dance floor classics.

Oct 21 2025 Author

Well... damn. This album is so good and it was such a huge departure for her. I didn't appreciate it enough when it came out but I can sure appreciate it now. 5 stars. I want to buy this on vinyl.

Sep 25 2025 Author

Cracking record, really enjoyed rediscovering it

Aug 18 2025 Author

Vibey, not what I expected from Madonna, good background music.

Aug 09 2025 Author

Surprised how good this was. Deviation from Pop Stupidity works when you're an artist.

Aug 08 2025 Author

Some albums are great and others are excellent timeless masterpieces. This one is of the second group, being a testament of Madonna proving for the seventh time (and not last) why she is the Queen of Pop. This album comes from one of the most reflective and creative times of all of her career, for which she went deep into the electronic music and meditation, rediscovering herself and giving a new perspective and dimension to her career. Ray of Light is a diverse yet very cohesive album, with great pop songs. The pop genre dives into lots of textures and fantastic lyrics in this record, that would shape the genre for future generations. This album is not just pop, it's electronica, rock, a bit of folk, and, overall, Madonna at her best shape.

Aug 04 2025 Author

Truly a great album. The blend of Madonna and William orbit’s production is pure pop perfection.