Ray Of Light

This isn't normally my style of music, but there's a certain je ne sais quoi about this record. I don't THINK I'm saying that based on nostalgia, but I could be. When I was in my early 20s and freshly free of school for the first time, my roommates had it on repeat. So it definitely reminds me of that fun period of my life. But whatever. Some of the more techno-dance tunes on the latter half are forgettable, but overall, it's better than a 3. So . . .

Well... I turned this on expecting to hate it....and I absolutely did not. In fact, I thought it was really excellent. I had the thought that it sounded a bit like late 1990s Beth Orton (but with Madonna's voice), so I checked the production credits. And there it was: William Orbit. I suspect that's why I liked this album so much. Or, at least, that's what I going to tell myself to preserve my self-image.

Not enough hooks besides the title track to get me interested.

Why is *this* the Madonna album that belongs on this list?

2.5/5 - Listening to this was mostly a surprise to me, since I was unfamiliar except for the title track. There were a couple tracks I skipped after a minute or two because I think I got the point, but I definitely liked some of the others. This isn't quite a 3 based on my own enjoyment, but it feels like something you oughta hear once, so I'll round up.

I was actually dreading this album a little bit. Madonna is fine and a worthy pop entry here, but her late work? Seems like a waste of space on the list. So how did I actually end up feeling about this after listening to it? Well, I have a lot of thoughts but let me get this out of the way: it's a solid album. It's not going to blow you away, but it's not trash either. I scratch my head at the very polarized reviews on this site because this album seems perfectly...fine. What I will say is that I think this album succeeds in spite of Madonna or rather this album could exist as a pretty good electronica album without Madonna's vocals. Her vocals are fine, there's nothing wrong with them but she doesn't let loose and give us true the Madonna vocal prowess we're used to. This album feels like it could have had any generic singer with decent talent and it would sound roughly the same. And, Im not sure if Madonna wrote the lyrics or not, but that's probably my biggest complaint here. The pseudo spirituality punctuated by cheese (like what even is a candy perfume girl?) just doesn't work for me. And the electronic vibe is very chill and cool (possibly understated), but it follows a trend I've noticed a lot in pop music. They take what's popular in EDM a few years prior, recycle it by making it fit a pop mold with verses and catchy choruses, and attach it to a big name (Bieber's stuff in the 2000s nearly perfected this model). It's fine but, to me, it's not the most impressive stuff happening in music and not really something I'd say is worthy of making a list of the top 1001 albums of all time. So all in all, I was probably right in my original assessment that this is a bit of wasted space, but my dread was mostly unfounded as this was a perfectly fine mid-tier album to listen to. I definitely recognized a few of the singles from back in the MTV days, and they were mostly the best songs on the album but "Ray of Light" definitely stands above the rest. That song is a straight bop.

Steaming turd

Good.

"Madonna's magnum opus" my ass

Some great songs and William Orbit's production shines through, but there are some filler tracks on here that are very forgettable. I remembered this album being better!

I liked this album a lot too. Probably a high 3 like a 3.8

Favorite Track: Little Star

I fell asleep listening to this

3.5

I just watched Mic the Snare’s Madonna DEEP DISCOG DIVE on Nebula (not sponsored) a couple weeks ago and he had good things to say about Ray of Light, so I was pretty excited to get it as today’s assignment! This is actually the first Madonna album I’ve heard cover to cover and it was honestly the perfect place to start as an electronic music fan. Ray of Light could have easily been another generic ‘90s dance pop outing, but Madonna clearly approached this album with respect for the genre and the result is pretty exceptional. I listened to Ray of Light twice today and I honestly feel like it could go toe-to-toe with pretty much any other electronic/dance album from this era (excluding Discovery by Daft Punk). The first half of the LP is genuinely amazing and it only slightly loses its stride in the back half. I was fully prepared to give Ray of Light my first five star rating around the time I was six tracks deep, but I unfortunately did lose a little bit of steam toward the end and I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed tracks like "Sky Fits Heaven" and "The Power of Good-Bye" to the same degree as those first several tunes. But yeah, Ray of Light is a good one – catchy vocals, grooving beats, masterful production, tasteful experimentation and occasionally thought-provoking lyrics make the album an experience that I’m excited to continue reliving in the future! I’m also looking forward to checking out some of Madonna’s other stuff from this era in the future. Highlights: Drowned World / Substitute for Love, Swim, Ray of Light, Candy Perfume Girl, Skin, Nothing Really Matters, Frozen, To Have and Not to Hold, Little Star, Mer Girl

madonna is that artist that i admire, but i always find songs i know but never knew she made, this album encapsulates that very well.

Well consider me surprised. I was expecting this to be pure pop shite and I was pleasantly shocked to find myself truly enjoying this record. I believe William Orbits inclusion probably had a lot to do with what I loved about it but still. It is a bit on the long side though which lets it down near the end.

I know I'm far from the target audience here, but that still doesn't explain why every song is two minutes too long

This was a little bop man, I didn’t hate it. My first Madonna album and I’m not sure what kind of music she makes yet but this was cool.

Not that bad actually, but 1 hour was too much.

In an ever changing music movement, Madonna's 80/90 reign and style was becoming outdated as it went for pop to grunge to electronica. This album is the definition of a major artist reinventing herself and welcoming the changes of the music scene she was the queen of. This is where most artists struggle and their careers decline. Madonna being a smart, enbraced the electronica element which was an evolution of her music as disco was before her, she adapted and changed creating an album catered with those elements but for mainstream people and her fan base while captivating a new fan base at the same time a younger crowd who discovered her talent and her past as well making this one of the best comeback albums for any artist. On my take it is pretty good a little slow paced and to much puppy love crying for my taste from a more mature woman and artist. She (or whoever wrote the lyrics) must have fallen for someone and hthat someone was not having it. Maybe a little cringe for my idea of what Madonna stood for in the past and her no apologetic fuck that lets move on attitude. She also included a japanese speaking track to appeal to a bigger international market doing a brilliant move with the advertising opportunities in Japan it was a brilliant marketing move Still a good album and in context for the time its a masterpiece.

I mostly enjoyed this even if it wasn't something I would have normally picked. I usually find layered beats and electronica soulless, but Madonna breathes nice life into it. It's a vibe and I caught it on a complimenting rainy day. Not my favorite but not a dud.

Not my thing. 2.5 stars

101/1001 Madonna - Ray of Light Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I get what this was going for by infusing elements of the dance scene with a glossier poppy sound and it works. However, it does end up sounding a bit samey, especially at over an hour and 15.

As far as post 80s Madonna goes this one is alright. 3/5

Not awful but also not something I'd willingly listen to again

It's fine, but Madonna does other styles better, and others do this style better than Madonna.

This is my Madonna. The Global Madonna. The sung straight to camera while a long exposure shot of a traffic jam speaks to me Madonna. It’s the Madonna with the controversial (or at least conversational) Kabbalah bracelet. The one they called “Madge” and whose marriage to Guy Ritchie healed all rifts, unifying 90s culture while readying it for the new millennium. This Madonna, my Madonna, is also the apotheosis of the postmodernist artistic tendency to bricolage – and bricolage hard. To the ears of a 9 year old, this was what the future sounded like; it was what MTV looked like; it was what “cool” must feel like. For all intents and purposes it was the first significant cultural announcement I can remember living through – a multimedia, multi-strand cultural takeover that dominated the collective five senses for at least its allowed fifteen minutes. Hearing this album in 2025 invites especial appreciation of its legacy. Immediately, there was Pure Shores (which shared a producer in William Orbit); but in the intervening quarter of a century we’ve had Taylor Swift, FKA Twigs, Ariana Grande, Chapel Roan, Sabrina Carpenter … diverse talents each indebted to something of Madonna in a different way. Songs like the title track, “Frozen”, “Little Star” and (personal favourite) “The Power of Good-bye” feel fresh; production choices that feel like they should have noticeably aged just … haven’t. That’s the paradox of Madonna I guess. She was the zeitgeist three or four times through her career – to the extent we can’t talk about late 20th century pop culture without eventually talking about Madge; the various Madonna’s are as useful a periodising concept as any list of popular genres – but still the songs feel timeless. My Madonna moves faster than a speeding Ray of Light – yours?

Better than I expected!

My first Madonna album. Certainly not one of her mot well regarded albums, but one I was decently familiar with from growing up. I enjoyed it- it has a unique sound and a couple of good hits. Sometimes bordering on cheesy, but the vibes are solid. Overall- good album. 3.5/5

This album is a real time capsule of the late 90s pop soundscape. That’s DEVASTATING because it sounds terrible. Overproduced, muddy, but worse the songs themselves are just boring disasters.

Remember when Madonna moved to England, faked an accent, and released a Moby knock-off album? I forgot all about it until today. Look, this isn't a bad album. But it certainly isn't good, and I have no idea why I would NEED to listen to it before I die. Influence 1 (album-specific). Hits 2. Quality 3 (surprisingly high). Blending musical genres is typically a great idea. Blending anything with pop is typically a terrible idea. 2

It’s quite a pleasant surprise how much I have liked the Madonna albums on this list. Really wasn’t expecting that to be the case. Without all the image changes etc stuff up front and just listening to the music. This has a nice slightly trippy electronic feeling. 4 Star

Want my favorite Madonna album, though everything I read was praising this as her best work ever. I prefer the more party pop style over this trancey kinda sweeping beats style.

Highlights: Frozen

Really not for me this one.

While I can get behind the inclusion of an album like this (It's Madonna and she's doing something different than usual) it's not a groundbreaking sound or anything. It's certainly a vibe, but no song really stands out. Pretty mediocre.

Not her best

Cracking record, really enjoyed rediscovering it

Better than I expected, I liked the production a lot.

I think I slow danced to Power Of Goodbye in middle school. Gets an extra star because of the title track but overall not sure why this mid-career Madonna album is on the list.

Музыка: 7/10 Разнообразие: 7/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 5/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 6/10 Итог: 6.4

Not a big Madonna fan

Surprisingly poor. Unimaginative, derivative, bullshit. Makes sense that this was a high bar for a decade that idolized Zach Morris.

I loved Immaculate Collection growing up but never really got into her "newer" stuff (yes, I know this is over 25 years old now). Excited to listen to this properly beyond the singles I heard at the time. The blend of pop and electronica is right in my sweet spot. Starting off with Substitute for Love, I was struck by the beautiful lush production. Looked it up and it's William Orbit so that tracks. I recognised the singles but listening to them in the context of the album gave them much more meaning. Definitely one to relisten to. How did I miss this first time round?

It was Madonna and it was just okay for me

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.

Not bad, but not special.

I am not a Madonna fan. But-this album is impressive. Her growth is shown from the original Madonna album. The original was impressive because it was a new sound. But this album shows a rich voice and sound that came with age and experience. I enjoyed it a lot. Hats off to Madonna’s Ray of Light.

Madonna goes downtempo. A great collection of artsy, chilled out pop music. Get some nostalgia from this as well as it was huge when I was a kid and my parents used to have it on regularly. Frozen and Ray of Light are wonderful pop songs. Madonna's best era.

There are a few good songs on here but as a while the album is slow, boring, and too long.

Nothing here of much interest. Unremarkable voice with Unremarkable songs.

Better than I expected. Apparently this Madonna lady can sing a bit

This was everywhere back then. There are many hits, they are good, they are catchy, but the rest is forgettable and generally, it’s not a genre for me

This self-indulgent project sounds like hack karaoke performed to the SSX Tricky soundtrack. 1.5 stars rounded up - It's not completely irredeemable, but it's pretty effing bad.

Generally, a nice experience. Some memorable hits that still work, the rest is not far off, just a filler here and there.

Pretty fun to listen to with some weird moments to make it interesting. Catchy songs.

I remember enjoying this much more when it came out in 1998. The dance beats and soundscapes definitely date the album to the late 1990s club craze. There’s about 20-ish minutes that are worth listening to, including revisiting “Frozen,” which I haven’t heard in 20 years and the reason why I probably purchased the album in the first place. The remaining 47 minutes sound pretty much the same.

This is the epitome of 90's pop electronica

Enjoyed this more than I expected.

Standouts Swim

How?

Ray of Light was the tulipmania of the late 90’s. We all desperately tried to convince ourselves it had value when it obviously had none. “Madonna has reinvented herself! She’s like David Bowie!” My brother in Christ, she hired William Orbit to add some bleeps and bloops to completely generic pop songs, tied a red ribbon around her wrist and started speaking in a fake British accent. Everyone acted like Ray of Light was this major cultural happening, but it was just a standard pop album with better marketing. A pretty okay standard pop album, but nothing deserving being compared to Madonna’s golden era. It wasn’t a reinvention; it was just really effective branding with a trance beat. Only the things you love can break your heart, and I love Madonna, Like a Virgin, True Blue and Like a Prayer. This list including two late-period clunkers while only Like a Prayer represents Madonna’s actual artistic peak? That is heartbreaking.

2.5, rounded down

I get it. The reinvention of Madonna for the 00s. Fair play, Madge kept herself relevant and she hasn't turned into the Cronenburgian body horror avatar yet. To me it's just more bland pop with hip-hop/electro lite beats. Aspects of this are like diet-Bjork. Best Tracks: Ray of Light; Frozen; The Power of Goodbye

This better than I was expecting. Trip-hop and techno vibe rather than just straight pop. That said, I kind of lost interest by the time it got to Shanti / Ashtangi. So that means I can handle about 7 songs before I check out. Felt forced to listen to the back half - Frozen was really overplayed when this came out, so no real desire to revisit it - it's not a bad song, just a little underwhelming compared to its popularity.

Great memories. Thanks

It's kind of appropriative in Madonna's mysticism era ("Shanti / Ashtangi" whoops) but it was also the late 90s, and the album does in fact slap.

I guess this is when she started down the electronic path of music. Not great.

Album No. 0029 on my list. This is the first major pop album on my list (or, to be more precise, the first album by a major global pop artist). Although I knew the album and one or two songs (the ones that probably everyone knows), I didn’t have many expectations. After listening to it, I have to say: it was surprisingly good! You get the big hits (“Frozen”, “Ray of Light”, “The Power of Good-bye”), you get some more experimental, avant Garde songs (“Mer Girl”), you got your EDM songs - all very nice. 4/5 stars!

maybe madge’s last decent album 3.72

Describing Madonna as a singer doesn't really do her justice for several reasons—I see her more as a style icon who is deeply rooted in the 80s. This makes her change in style and image, which she achieved in the late 90s and which is evident in “Ray of Light,” all the more admirable. However, I don't particularly like the rather dark electro style of the songs, and I don't think it suits Madonna's voice, which is unmistakable but not overly distinctive. It's worth a listen, but it's not much better than I remembered.

So this is, in my humble opinion, Madonna's most underappreciated period of time in her musical career. This is a very weird time for her based off this album and the album that follows this one (Music). They both feel so desperate and bold that even though they kinda fall flat on their face as a whole, they both have moments of accidental renaissance. For the album music, it was the song called "Don't Tell Me" which felt like this desperate country pop hit that was never a hit but I found hilarious and super endearing. Well this album is alittle different than that. I don't know the origins of the "early 2000s future sound", but I'd imagine that since this album came out in '98 you could make the argument that she started that movement with this album (I obviously don't remember if the backsteet boys and nsync came out before this but they definitely were all going for the same sound aesthetic). Honestly I don't truly believe this album belongs on this list AT ALL. But i can admit when I find something is entertaining even if it is for the wrong reasons, like this album.

I prefer her earlier works. ★★★

I remember being pleasantly surprised when this album came out, as it felt refreshing for a popstar like Madonna to make downtempo-ish music.

Madonna past her prime for sure. There is some decent dance music in here, but other than that I don’t need it much.

I just could not find myself enjoying this. It's too 90s pop. I understand that Madonna was highly influential to other solo artists and to pop in general, but that doesn't make me like the music any more. 2/5

Pretty alright, dance music with Madonna's singing. A 3 star overall for me.

I did not expect to enjoy this album much at all. I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of interesting EDM-style sounds and Madonna's voice over top. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

Not something I would consider special, and the context doesn't really add a depth that makes this album more enjoyable. Sounds like a pop dance album.

It’s fine. I felt nothing in a positive way. 2.5/5

I remember loving Ray of Light by Madonna when it first came out—I thought it was a brilliant album, and I was excited to revisit it today. On re-listen, it still holds up in parts, but the record is let down by its length. From Frozen onwards, the quality dips noticeably, with tracks 10–13 adding very little. They’re slow, overly drawn out, and, frankly, dull. That said, the album does contain some real highlights—Drowned World / Substitute for Love, Swim, Ray of Light, and of course the hauntingly brilliant Frozen. Overall, a good but uneven record that starts strong and then fades badly. For me, it’s a 3/5. Favourite track: Frozen—a powerful, haunting classic. Least favourite track: Everything after Frozen, especially Shanti / Ashtangi, which really doesn’t work. Album artwork: An iconic Madonna cover.

This is not that good of an album. I can just listen to Moby instead and actually be fulfilled.

Fine album, but just not my thing. I don’t really have a problem with Madonna’s normal stuff, but I did appreciate the change up in her sound in this album. That’s really all I can say though. Not a huge fan of electronic music, and I thought some of the lyrics were off. Personally didn’t like it much.

im tripping bro me gusto esto, es el segundo album creo de Madonna que escucho y me sorprende como experimenta

Surprisingly interesting

Yet again she proves she is rubbish.

This one really surprised me. Never listened to a full Madonna album before. This is far more experimental than I would’ve expected. Came very close to lifing this. It’s a mix of pop and house music. Loses me with the last 3 songs because it overstays it’s welcome, but that's still a good hour of good music.

I really like this record. I used to listen to the singles back in the day and, in reality, it never really left me. Listening today, from first to last track, it seems I missed a pretty good album. There's something to be said about a talented star finding the right colaborator and putting some of her best work in their career.

This albums is exactly the thing that I began to fear during this time of music. While it was still in the 'physical' era it represents the "CD" first approach clocking in at about 68 minutes that is only available on a CD if this would have come out when Vinyl was the most popular medium it would prolly have had 20 minutes of songs cut, they would have had to figure out a way to get to a great 40ish minutes of music instead of 68 of meh. The album outstays its welcome. I really enjoy Madonna's early work. The only track on here that I will remember is Ray Of Light and I think that is mostly because that was on heavy rotation on the radio.

...

Я давно прям не слухав пані Мадонну альбомами щоб гарно пам'ятати дискографію, але мені здається, що цей найкращий. Дуже стильний альбом, відповідає своємо часу, консистентний продакшн по всьому треклісту. Фроузен відсилає до дитинства. Якщо б не супер зайва Shanti/Ashtangi та слабенька закривашечка Mer Girl, то це була б легка 5.

Ідеальний поп-альбом. Я взагалі не всі періоди Мадонни люблю, але вражений тим як вона змінювала свій стиль і музику протягом кар'єри.

Dad- 4 Mom- 8 Mike- NA Lori- 3.5 Michael- 4 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 4.88

Ihan kuunneltava lopulta mutta konemusiikkipainotteista Madonnaa, niin on huonoin Madonna sanoisin

Heard a familiar sample. Good album would be interesting to listen to prior releases to understand more of “how we got here”. Interesting sounds, some does seem to be reused on occasion but it doesn’t hurt the album overall. Very dreamy.

Meh.

Very nice playlist, I've heard the song "Frozen" many times and had no idea it was from Madonna!! She obviously has an amazing voice but nothing in the playlist I'd listen to regular :)

#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.

Such a great dance album. A late 90s return to form for Madge.

ok sound - nothing memorable

I'll be honest, I was not expecting to enjoy Madonna. The slinky Trip-Hop groove and restrained vocals on "Drowned World / Substitute for Love" were an immediate surprise that made me look forward to the rest of the album. I also didn't realize I already knew "Ray of Light". Great track! Overall, I adore the synthesis of various dance music styles, Madonna's powerful vocals, and the neat little experimental flourishes they manage to sneak in. Admittedly, the lyrics can be trite or dumb in the the way pop lyrics often are ("Candy Perfume Girl"), but Madonna commits with great vocals, and the production and musicianship more than make up for it. This is an absolute time capsule of what 1998 felt like, and I love it for that. WOW.

I listened to this album this morning and was pleasently surprised at first, as the first two songs were somehow calm and matched an early morning mood. But overall, the album is mostly lackluster and has mostly superficial and disappointing lyrics that might have led to 90s wall tattoos (that were regreted after). Madonna was probably never the best singer and her voice feels too pressed, e.g. in the higher notes of the title track. But I am open to give it another try with records from different, less esoteric, phases of her career. Highlight: „Frozen“ is probably the best song and the string arrangements are a nice change of scenery. The same holds true for „The Power of Good-Bye“.

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

Producers and musicians working overtime to make Madonna relevant. Most dated compression and voice is still buried in the mix - that's very telling about the vocals. What the fuck is with the racist song? I went in with an open mind musically but after one song it's clearly just generic, nothing, reactive music. Also in general Madonna is a shit person and fuck her for what she said about Sinead O Conor.

I legitimately thought the opeing track was over 10 ten minutes, I went to check and I was at 4 minutes of the 5 total minutes - this album is off to a great start /s. No one thinks of Madonna as an amazing artist, does she have some iconic songs, absolutely. Can she carry a tune, very much so. I have never heard her name brought up in any conversations about top or favorite artist, and I grew up when Madonna was at her peak. To me, Madonna is one of the biggest look at me posers in the music biz. She tries to capitalize on what is popular at any given moment in her 40+ year career. She yearns for the spotlight and always comes off as disingenuous. She gets good production because she has the money to pay and is willing to shell it out because the payoff for her is to be part of the zeitgeist. Her music is not out right bad, it is just not what I would deem as "real," there is no real soul behind it, it is talented producers and musician helping an aging, albeit talented, vocalist stay relevant and it comes off as just that. There was another comment that said "Hello fellow youths!" That is the perfect meme to Madonna post 1990. 4.8/10 143/1001

Decent listen but not sure why I would need to listen to the entire album before I die.

So this is Madonna’s trip hop, trance, electronic album and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There are some absolute bangers on here but it is also let down by a few weaker tracks but in the whole it’s very good.

The title track is still great, and the rest of this is...fine. It feels much longer than an hour.

This was a little better than I thought it was going to be. Hadn't thought about Frozen and The Power of Good-Bye in decades so those were interesting sense memories. It's a fine album but let's not pretend it compares with her classic 80's output. I have to deduct a star because listening to this I was reminded of how when I was 15 in 1993 my friend and I were thrilled the box office girl sold us tickets to Body of Evidence thinking we were going to get all your 15 year old boy ya-yas out only to be subjected to the most boring movie I have ever seen. #neverforget

Boring 2/5

It’s interesting. Pop takes on electronic music and it’s not terrible. Album definitely has some spots that are a little redundant, but this wasn’t the worst thing I’ve heard on this list. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again

ehhhhhh. Not my style at all

Madonna’s music is the least interesting part of her. Seven albums is six too far.

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

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.

Is Madonna's trip-hop record the most "Late '90s" album ever made? Could be worse, wish it were more engaging and shorter.

honestly, a pretty good album.

I really like 80’s/early 90’s Madonna. She lost me by this record.

Not familiar with this side of Madonna (stopped paying attention after Erotica) but this was a pleasant surprise, really liked this. Recognized two tracks (Frozen and The Power of Good-Bye) so must have heard those some time. Not all tracks are the same quality and some are a bit long but all in all very enjoyable. Will be listening to this again.

The point where I lose interest in Madonna

shanti/ashtangi might be the worst thing she's ever done; at least american life embraced the inherent comedy of her billionaire buddhist schtick. the english lyrics here don't fare much better (candy perfume girl would be embarrassing for anyone to sing, let alone a 39-year old). the production still sounds pretty good, but the songs don't hold up well enough to bother unless you're a big madge fan

The Good: We’re not left in the dark! The Bad: Turns out it is midday… The Ugly: This album should have been left in the darkness…. I was never a Madonna fan. However, during her Material Girl period, I, and countless of my fellow teenage morons, all wished our girlfriends would look like her… We can’t deny the fact that Madonna has been able to adjust her image to stay important, or even trendsetting… Jean-Paul G would not have a live were it not for Vogue. Yet, do I need someone like Madonna to tell me about the importance of spirituality? The ray of light, in so far as to this 1001 album list, is that we get to read some wiki on a daily basis to see why an album is on a list, or what might be special about the album… and in this case, it seems that Madonna had been using the training she had received for the Evita musical, and it is apparent as hell… no need to have a little ray of light shine on the fact that the voice is annoying, like listening to a musical that one is forced to listen to. The album did produce several hits, and they are instantly recognizable, as the production on the album is really well… so, just because of that, I will grant Madonna 2*… while crossing my fingers that I don’t have to listen to another album by her… though, I believe that I am missing at least 1...

I honestly expected to like this more, but ended up with the urge to listen to Tori Amos instead

Madonna slays per usual this time with an excellent dance vibe. Truly the queen of pop.

Pretty quintessential 90s sounds, not my favorite era but pretty easy listening. Some interesting linguistics for better or worse, low 3

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

If ever an album highlighted the reason why the singles were chosen for release, it’s this one. “Frozen”, especially, is the standout and still sounds amazing, but I’ve always enjoyed “The Power of Good-Bye”, as well. Whilst the rest of the album is cohesive, with William Orbit’s fingerprints all over it, the album tracks just sound like filler compared to the singles.

I have a tendency to open the day's album on Amazon Music and immediately check the length. Even for an artist I've heard of and like, I'll see an running time of over an hour and my heart will sink a little bit. This is 1 hour 6 minutes long and that's a lot of mystical Madonna. That being said, I actually enjoyed this in more of a background music kinda way. I knew far more of it than I expected (given I never owned the album) but I guess releasing 6 singles from a 13 track album will have that effect. I would definitely pick 80s Madonna over this, but that's my inherent uncool rather than any slight on the record. 3/5

not my thing

Ray of Light and Frozen are the only half decent songs on this album. The rest is filled with songs that are too long for how mediocre they are.

Ooh this was cool and unexpected. Think I need to give it another go round to do my due diligence but yeah enjoyed more than I thought I would

A great album from Madonna, I feel it really demonstrated how good a singer & songwriter she could be, not just a pop singer. Of course it helped having William Orbit behind the controls, but loved the different styles that were adopted.

I like her mellow songs

This is the album where Madonna stopped screaming for attention and started whispering cool things in your ear instead. There’s some serious chill energy in here. It doesn’t punch you in the face with hits, but it does flow in a way her earlier albums never quite managed. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Nothing Really Matters - Frozen - The Power of Good-Bye

I loved the album immediately. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-ray-of-light-by-madonna?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Relax and yoga

Album 8 of 1089 and i’ve found my first (previously unheard) 5⭐️ album 💖 this is such a bit of me, i already really liked the title track and Frozen. it captures the essence of chill pop/electronica/trip hop that really resonates with me and i can hear the way it’s influenced later projects that i love. i added every song to my spotify which is a big feat for me. i sometimes find Madonna’s voice a little off/it doesn’t always click but on this album it does 94/100 faves: Sky Fits Heaven, To Have and Not To Hold, Frozen least faves: skin and candy perfume girl if i had to pick

As with most Madonna albums the worst songs on here are still really good and the best songs are very good. Its different from her earlier albums but not in a bad way, it just fits the time period it was created just as her earlier work.

Ok she paid William Orbit to come up with it but it is my favourite album of hers . A real musical shift and a consistent quality.

Unlike “Music”, Madonna feels like herself here; she’s not chasing trends. The whole thing feels very of it’s time, and, like many of its era, the length is a problem.

Ugh, I knew Madonna would turn up at some point. This was better than I expected with a couple of okay tracks, but each song that sounded ok at the start becomes a Nervensäge of electronic beats with strangely thin hollowed out vocals.

For me, this is peak Madge. I know that's probably not true for the vast majority, but I was too young (and bluntly can't buy into the camp fun of it) her early singles, but I will always remember her coming back with the swift one two of Frozen and Ray of Light. The former especially is a real totem of the late 90s for me. It's beautifully sung, which isn't always what you associate with Madonna, but she really gets superb light and shade into it.

I don't know, everything that I listened to from Madonna sounds so regular... 3 stars is enough.

The last time I heard Madonna and thought “not bad” was this. It’s a bit like Kaye Bush lite in spots, which is to say…not bad.

Madonna certainly had her finger on the pulse of the moment. While I wasn’t crazy about this album when it dropped (vivid memories of changing the radio station when the title track would come on), I have come to appreciate Madonna as an artist in my old age and this music feels like it has taken on a new life for me at 43. This not only captures late 90s pop, but it does so authentically and with panache.

It is decently catchy, but it lacks the bangers I was hoping for from her

I love Madonna's 80's work. I hate late 90's electronic music. I didn't like a single song here. 1 Star.

It's a good listen but it doesn't evoke much emotion.

90s classic

Have never actually listened to a Madonna album before, just greatest hits compilations. Sad to say it kind of blows :(

Madonna at her best. A stinking pop album. Try not to tap your feet...

hurt

Yep

Anyone who grew up in the 80/ 90's knows Madonna. She was a household name, prolific and maybe even somewhat controversial, yet still "the queen of pop" to be sure. This album has been said to be her best. I would be merely mildly pressed to deny that but I know her whole catalog. Maybe? As a specifically representative single album... I am not sure. But what I am sure of is that this IS a great album She may not be the greatest actor... but when it comes to music she sure knows what she is doing!

SOOOO 90s. Love it

This was great. I love this 90s techno era, and Madonna’s voice and the eclectic instrumentation make this an extraordinary take on the genre.

I always liked her music. This was really good.

- hatte ich -100 Bock drauf, dementsprechend konnten meine Erwartungen nur übertroffen werden - war insgesamt moody und ganz entspannt, aber ist einfach nicht mein Ding - gibt aber nichts zu meckern, also ist das schon irgendwo bei 2-3/5

Boring

Ugh

Not bad for late period madonna but not really my style.

Had ik niet verwacht, maar ik vind dit best leuk. Er is werk besteed aan de beatjes en de andere begeleiding, er zitten intrigerende nummers tussen en hoewel ik verder niks met Madonna als persoon heb, moet ik toegeven dat ik dit wel vijf, zes keer heb zitten luisteren. Het is gewoon goed gedaan, hoe je het wendt of keert. Weet je wat, laat ik niet moeilijk doen.

Als je rond 1980 geboren bent, kon je niet om deze dame heen. Het was één van de grootste artiesten. Maar na 3 albums mag ik toch wel concluderen dat dat niet door haar zangkunsten kwam. De hits zijn groot geweest, dus ik snap de notering in de lijst wel (in elk geval beter dan het album Music). Maar verder is er toch weinig onderscheidend aan deze schijf? Het is vooral niet vervelend om naar te luisteren.

Is het vernieuwend? Nee Is het de beste elektronische plaat? Nee Is het de beste triphop? Nee Kan Madonna zingen? Nee Is dit het beste uit de 90s? Nee Is het beter dan Madonna eerder heeft gemaakt? Nee Voegt het iets toe aan de snoblijst? Nee En toch is het prima om te luisteren. Het is beter dan al haar albums die hierna kwamen (voor zover ik dat weet, want ik heb die niet allemaal geluisterd. En nee, ik ga dat project niet voltooien. Ook al ben ik al een aardig eind op weg, nadat ik die 80s albums bij een vorig album vergeleken heb). Er zitten nog wel een paar aardige hitjes tussen. Het ademt ook onmiskenbaar de 90s, met de elektronische invloeden en de triphop, maar ook wat industrial gitaren. En hoewel dit allemaal al eerder en beter is gedaan, zit het wel degelijk in elkaar. Niet alles is even goed, er zitten ook een paar gedrochten bij. En sommige geluidseffectjes storen me soms. Maar over het algemeen, is er niks mis met dit album. Ik luister dit liever dan veel andere albums uit deze lijst, dus verdient het minimaal een 3. Een 4 zou veel te gedurfd zijn, want het duurt natuurlijk wel iets te lang met ruim een uur.

It was fine, not my thing though.

So talented. Nice dance music.

This was a genuine surprise. It’s definitely background music - Very period specific to the late 90s in the techno/rave style and not what I expected from Madonna. The lyrics were garbage but the production really carried the record.

madonna what was this please apologize

I would argue that this is Madonna's finest album. A culmination of all her previous efforts, a mature release, and one that she only emulates in records after this one. Loved it.

Her best work apparently

**This** is Madonna's magnum opus? Which, with a question like that, I gotta make clear: I don't think this album is bad at all. Just, I don't know, in a world where her 80's material still exists, I'm not sure if I'd be saying this is the best thing she's ever done, ever. Like, I'll admit my bias with Madonna: I'm primarily someone who understands her music through THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION. "Lucky Star", "Holiday", "Crazy For You", "Like A Prayer", "Like A Virgin", "Like A Papa Don't Preach"... **That's** the Madonna I know and love — y'know, the "Material Girl" material. It's bright, poppy, cheekily provocative... All'a that. I have a great time with it. And I realize, that couldn't have been her forever. Madonna is one of those artists who's famous for reinvention, and this album came out 14 years after LIKE A VIRGIN. She was much older, with kids and a fascination for Kabbalah... It only makes sense her music would mature with her. But just 'coz I understand it, y'know... I mean, to me, "maturity" is going from eating Fruit Loops to eating Raisin Bran — and I would never dare eat Raisin Bran. And this being an electronica album, too, produced by William Orbit and everything. I think I've realized something about how I feel about electronica in relation to pop music. Like, when you take electronica on its own, like on Orbit's STRANGE CARGO III album, I'm all for it. I like the ambience, the atmosphere, the chill vibes... It's good wallpaper music, and I mean that as a big positive. But then you take Orbit's brand of electronica and try to make pop music out of it... It's just that I have different expectations for pop music, and these downtempo, trip hop beats are far from what I expect. Again: they're not **bad**. But outside of the title track and, like, "Frozen", while I can jive with these songs to an extent, I don't find myself particularly excited by them — y'know? Like, at least the title track pumps up the energy and is the most outwardly danceable thing here. Meanwhile, "Frozen" and, sure, "The Power Of Good-Bye" have melodic elements I really gel with... And actually, I wanna throw in "Mer Girl" for being a hell of a closer. Woof, it ends the exact way I wanted Don McLean's AMERICAN PIE too, and I was right: it's a hell of a whopper. (Funny to bring up Madonna and "American Pie" so close together...) Everything else kinda just blended together a bit to me. Like, it absolutely does not help that this is a late 90's album and the thing is an hour long with songs averaging, like, five minutes each or whatever. You can't tell me none of this could've been trimmed, right? As well, I'm left thinking about the music Madonna would make after this album — or the very little I'm aware of, anyway, which basically amounts to AMERICAN LIFE... And, like, let's be 100, AMERICAN LIFE is a bad album. It has Madonna rapping out soy lattes with double shot-ays. The only hit on it is the damn Bond theme, and it's the worst one any of those movies ever had. But I can't lie, I do think I find a bit more appeal in these songs over the ones here? Just because they're leaning more folktronica dance pop than new age trip hop like the songs here are... I mean, maybe my problem is just that I'm actually not that fond of trip hop after all, but either way. So, pffm, I'unno. Maybe I'm dumb for preferring big, stupid pop hits over these subtler songs. 'Coz, y'know, this might be the most serious album Madonna's ever made — again, there's no rapping. It's aiming for a level of serious artistry I don't think any of her other albums have ever tried for, and clearly it worked. It was a commercial hit, and, again, it's referred to as her magnum opus. I can totally hear where that's coming from. But, my tastes, at the end of the day, are my tastes. Maybe I could have been in a better headspace for this, but honestly, I don't know if that would've helped too much. It's far from bad, but it's also a bit out of my reach. Like, come on, THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION's right there.

Madonna proving she still had it in the 90's with some kickass electronic instrumentals. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. One of two present on the list, this is my first full Madonna album, and really, my first proper dive into hearing anything she made after the 1980s (I guess “Vogue” came out in 1990, but shh). Granted, I’ve never been that big into Madonna, but I know her place in music history, and just how damn brightly her star was shining at her peak. For my first Madonna album, I have to imagine this is a bit of a style shift, but it’s a style shift that certainly works for 1998. It’s a bit dated to the era, sure, but it’s dated to the era in the best way. Sort of like how “Jagged Little Pill” is a quintessential example of 1995 production, this feels like the electronica trends of the late 90s finally being thrown into a high-profile situation and nailing it across the board. A lot of these tracks must’ve felt even cooler to listen to in 1998, and it’s no surprise to my ears why this had the acclaim it did. Once again, I feel justified in saying that “Walking Wounded” by Everything but The Girl just didn’t go far enough in how it integrated electronica into pop, with Madonna’s effort here lapping that album in spades. Her vocals glide on these tracks, and the lyricism is often pretty damn good to match. Excellent production work across the board here, especially on William Orbit’s stuff (Ray of Light is indeed as good as advertised, thanks Weird Al). My only real knock production-wise is the length of the album. A number of these tracks could’ve been trimmed down to avoid some of the repetition, no matter how good the vibes were and how much space a CD had. So, why the 4.5 then, and not a flat 5? A few tracks just bounced off of me, that’s all. Part of it is fatigue from the length of the album, part of it is that sense of repetition creeping too long, and part of it is just “the beat was too plain”. Realistically, I don’t have any major problems with the album. It’s a really good listen, no matter how “dated” it might feel. If you’re not the type of person to already feel predisposed to electronica like this (I’m avoiding video game music comparisons like the plague on this one), then it may very well just bounce entirely off of you, and I suppose that explains the average on this being less than a 3 on the site. A bit undeserved to my ears, though I guess a 38-year-old who wasn’t as present in the 1990s suddenly coming back into full swing by riding the electronica wave might be a little bit “how do you do, fellow kids” to some. Ultimately, I just really enjoyed this – smart songwriting with some lovely tributes to her family throughout, great production work, gliding vocals, and if nothing else, 66 minutes of chill enough beats to do whatever the hell you want to, whether that’s studying, driving around, or belting out the chorus to “Ray of Light” on a whim. It didn’t all click, and the album does feel a little long, but it clicked enough where I feel just fine bumping this up from a 4.5 to a 5. Good stuff, Madonna.

Boo

Yeah, this takes me back to late high school.

Great and beautiful woman

Best ever

It wasn't great.

Madge's masterpiece. A sweeping, glitch-lined stunner that sat perfectly alongside the likes of Björk and Portishead. Practically perfect in every way.

3.5

la reina che

Really enjoyed this, feels like a white woman version of Love Deluxe

Definitely not her best work.

Not my favorite Madonna album, but I still liked it. She has a beautiful voice. I didn’t recognize any of the songs on it.

Seriously? Nothing against this album, just surprised of it's inclusion here. For all intents and purposes, this is a pretty middle of the road album that doesn't really do much to stand out from everything else the late 90s adult pop rock genre. To set the scene, this was a year after the debuts of Meredith Brooks and Natalie Imbruglia, the same year Jewel and Alanis Morissette dropped their second albums, Sheryl Crow's 3rd album, Cher's "Believe", Goo Goo Dolls dropped their mega successful "Dizzy Up The Girl", and Sheryl Crow released her 3rd album. Not that any of those albums belong on this list either, but the whole year in pop rock was just about as copy/paste as it gets. For the most part, this album is pretty dated and same-samey with the exception of the title track. None of it is bad, it just gets tiresome after awhile. To steal a line from the write up from the book from which this site was born, "At 67 minutes, it could have used some judicious editing"

I wasnt expecting this to be a alternative pop record i thought it was a fun pop record but first listen i give it a 3 but i do think its good i think it just needs to rub off on me towards the end the feel of the album was rubbing off on me so i will be spinnning this i might be higher than a 3

90s to the extreme. Just okay.

Amazing pop

I remember this album being a big deal when it was released, and I remember the music video for the title track also being huge. I have not thought about it much since then, and didn't have super high expectations. I had no idea this was going to be so electronica and techno heavy. I didn't realize Madonna ever went that way. It's a vibe for sure, and her voice sounds great. More interesting than I was expecting just because that aspect was so unexpected, but still not for me by any means.

Musically, it all sounds like a club remix of an original I've never heard. It is almost cartoonish how stereotypical this point of her career was. 40 year old wealthy white lady "discovers" Kabbalah and yoga- can't stop telling everyone about it.

Another it's okay, I wouldn't skip it but also wouldn't seek it out album.

Just a fine Record by Madonna.

Nice listen. I grew up with the old school Madonna and this is a nice addition to her catalog. 3.5

4.5

This is Madonna's spiritual techno era, and I'm here for it. It is a bit long, but multiple strong singles, good variety, and superb production throughout.

Much better than expected. Didn't blow me away but I didn't hate it

Madonna in her hippie dippie "I'm not religious, just spiritual" era. Probably the best of the 3 albums I've gotten from her doing this challenge.

Dance/EDM schlock. Not my jam. Ray of Light, the song, is okay. The rest of it is meh.

The closest to new age Madonna ever came. Stranger than the hits might have led you to believe.

Really good vibe, nice sound, overall great. 4 stars

I did not like this album. There were some songs with production I liked better than others, but overall a drag.

Hey, I remember a few of these. Genuinely fun electronic-pop.

Ray of Light was great, but not my jam for the other tracks.

drowned world- she sounds like the grandma from encanto. 4 swim- what. 4 ray of light- 4 candy perfume girl- 4 skin- 3 nothing really matters- 4 sky fits heaven- 3 or 4 shanti- 3 frozen- 3 the power of goodbye- 4 to have and not to hold- 3 little star- 3 mer girl- 3 this is a really nothing album. it sounds like she had to drop this because rent was due

Airy vocals, instrumentation was a mix of electronic and ephemeral pop

I’ve never gone out of my way to listen to a Madonna song before today and from what I have heard here and there down the years I’ve never understood her appeal. After listening to this I still don’t get it. The title track and Frozen are good enough songs but nothing special and the album as a whole I found kinda dull. Top Track - Frozen

Jeg er blevet meget mere bekendt med den type elektronisk musik, dette album er inspireret af, på grund af den her liste😅 det trækker den op på 4 for mig, for jeg synes faktisk det er rigtig velproduceret. Når det så er sagt er alle numrene lidt for lange og teksterne er lige banale nok

MEGET bedre end den anden Madonna vi havde og lød ikke som jeg forventede. Troede det var cringe 90er elektronisk men det er jo ret fed 90er elektronisk. Lang men egentlig også ret divers

This sounded very 90's.

Не дослушала. Не в моем вкусе

Pretty bland. Usually gays like stuff that's fun and exciting. What do they like about Madonna?

For someone used to the Material Girl's early work in the 1980s, Ray of Light was jarring. By 1998, Madonna's old style was old hat, she had made forays into acting with the quirky Desperately Seeking Susan, terrible Dick Tracy and Shanghai Surprise, the heartwarming A League of their Own, and surprisingly wonderful star turn as Evita. The old Madonna was done. Instead of her usual techno-pop dance music, Ray of Light embraced the nascent EDM movement. Guided by early EDM innovator and Torch Song alumnus William Orbit, Madonna headed off into a new and modern (at the time) direction on the dance floor. Even by EDM standards, this album is impressive, lacking the usual stereotypes of the genre. Instead of constantly dropping the bass to inject emotionality into otherwise sterile beats, Madonna deploys emotive vocals - even screams - swirling rhythms, and percussive bass. It is an EDM album worth LISTENING to off the dance floor. Her follow-up, Music, was similar but lacked the punch and pizzazz of Ray of Light. This was her last truly great album, but it was genuinely great.

Mid-donna

Fine

My hopes were up a bit after the last album I got from Madonna on this like (like a prayer) and how critics generally praised this release. Honestly, I found it pretty mundane, and derivative of other artists in the 90s electronic and trip hop space I'd rather be listening to. Some good moments (especially in the beginning) but all around a pretty drab listen. 2/5

Pretty much all sounds the same and too electronics sounding for my taste.

9/10. When I was 4-6 years old, Madonna was my idol. I used to listen to her all day, and watch her performances in awe. At night, I would try to imitate her, and sing her songs (made-up thingamajigs that sounded like Madonna to me, to be more accurate). While there were quite a few songs on here that I haven't heard in over a decade, many of them were still so recognizable to me. Also, it's just a really good album. I like it! :)

Mehhhhh, didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. Still not my favorite genre. 5/10.

Some bangers on here, and some awful music too. Ray of light and Frozen are the quickly recognizable tracks and make you want to sing while driving. The upbeat techno was a pleasant surprise and clearly lead the way for a lot of electronic pop today. But songs like Candy Perfume Girl, Ashtangi, and Little Star almost had me turning off the album prematurely. Great singles, not a great album.

No.

Pre-Napster, you had to pay $18 for this turd of a record, which might have two songs you care about.

It's interesting, but the entire album sounds like a remix album. Like some house DJ made a bunch of songs, and then remixed them with Madonna's vocals. It's not off-putting, but it doesn't sound natural, if that makes sense. I don't really like Madonna, but I do tend to like - or at least appreciate - things that are weird or unique - and this album is certainly weird/unique. I also tend to like dance music, so I don't hate this. Ultimately, I think this was a fun one time listen, and I think I understand why it's included. I'm going to give it 3 stars because it's definitely fine, and I wouldn't be mad if I heard the occasional song in the background, but I'd never actually search it out for another listen.

This album came out in 1998. And I don't think I've ever heard anything so 1998-core in my entire life. So is it derivative or just part of a trend? Either way it's as bland as Dido eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream in a beige room. Ok the track Ray of Light actually has some bounce but it can't save the album.

I was surprised by my fondness for this album. Not in my usual wheelhouse, but I was taken by it at times. The effervescence of the pre-millenium distilled and evaporating into shiny floating desktop background clouds.

Amazing sound palette and vibe, she's a queen and this was SUCH a great era, I love this album

Why do I feel like Maddona fits in the category of "the name of the artist is bigger than the music itself?" (Probably because I am 24...) Anyways, Experimental Madonna. Way better than "Music" Madonna. It'll do.

A bit better than her other albums on the list, but it's still pretty boring.

1st songs were really good, then it became an annoying dance album

1,6/5

A bit long, but enjoyed it overall. Standout songs: Drowned world/substitute for love Frozen The power of goodbye

Some surprisingly good synth/electronica. Madonna, I was unfamiliar with your game

Wanted to like this one so bad but I think I just can't match its energy. Madonna does so so many cool things on this album but it far overstayed its welcome both in album length AND frequently song length.

Unexpected sound for Madonna, but an enjoyable one! It did start blending together about halfway through, and didn't need to be an hour and change long, but still pleasant.

I rolled my eyes whenever I saw that today’s album would be Madonna but it was actually really good! If I didn’t know who it was, I would’ve thought it was a random chill indie artists. It surprisingly went by really fast considering it was an hour long. Really enjoyable listen with good vibes.

What surprised me here was the production, which absolutely SHINED and complemented Madonna's voice beautifully. Lots of musical details - like the little guitar riffs all throughout Skin - make this a very fun and textured album that will be great to revisit. Standouts: Skin • Nothing Really Matters • To Have and Not to Hold

This is such great stuff from Madonna that gets bogged down by a lot of filler. When it's good, it's great, but it never really becomes fantastic and it does have a bit of a samey feeling overall.

eh just bland

The complex production of William Orbit, breaking electronica into the mainstream, and the emphasis on spiritual themes on this album were the fanfare of her coronation. Madonna on album seven had finally bloomed into her final form: She's the Queen of Pop 4.5/5

Very long, very self-indulgent, not good

Didn't expect to it enjoy it but I did. Frozen really reminded me of Pure Shores by All Saints, which I also like.

Frozen is a solid song, but nothing else on here is worth a mention.

Came in with high hopes. Did not enjoy this at all.

Never been a huge fan of Madonna and this didn't really change my mind. Super late 90s sound and it kind of sounds like everything else from this era. Lots of electronic production all throughout that is... not good. 4/10

This is as much a William Orbit album as it is a Madonna album. Solidly fun electropop. Some of it reminded me a bit of Beth Orton in places, perhaps because of Orbit producing both. The title track is really good IMO.

The type of music does not really match with her voice in my opinion. It’s also a tad too long.. Frozen is good, but only because I recognized it

First time really listening to her stuff and this album revealed three things. 1) Madonna doesn't have a vocal range 2) her and the producers heard trio hop for the first time and decided... Yeah let's try that but mix in some big room techno dance feel/ small bits of dnb 3) after half the albun I was hoping every song was the last. I will concede that some of the vocal production/ manipulation was a fun listen.

Dull (apart from when she started talking in sanskrit which just confused me)

Ray of Light is the sound of reinvention done right. Trading in her earlier pop sound for shimmering electronica and spiritual introspection, Madonna dives headfirst into ambient textures, trance beats, and personal reflection without losing her pop instincts. Tracks like Frozen and the title song feel expansive yet intimate, layered with swirling synths and beats that pulse with life, while still offering some of the most emotionally resonant performances of her career. The production—helmed by William Orbit—is lush, futuristic, and incredibly detailed. Songs like Drowned World / Substitute for Love and Swim build slowly and beautifully, showing a patience and maturity that wasn’t always present in her earlier work. There are a couple of moments where things stretch a bit long or blur together, but overall, this is Madonna stepping into a new era with ambition and surprising vulnerability. A bold, stylish pivot that still holds up.

In Substitute For Love, Frozen, Power of Goodbye and (especially) Ray of Light this has some of the best ever Madonna songs (rarefied air) But there’s a lot here that feels a bit directionless. Trim 2 or 3 tracks off and shorten a few others and this would be so much better

1.5/5

I’d never really heard much Madonna before, but I really liked this unique blend of Electronic music and Singer-Songwriter. Favorite Track: Skin

Really wish half stars existed instead of full stars. Would be higher, but I'm not going to round up.

I’ve never been much of a Madonna fan but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this album. 4

Madonna яка мені справді сильно подобається це звісно ж альбом Like a Prayer (1989). Після нього я лише чув від неї різне сміття, яке вона наробила у нульові, коли прагнули наздогнати свою минулу славу. Щодо цього альбому 90-х - він пройшов повз мене, хоча пісню Ray Of Light я звісно що чув безліч раз. Сказати що після детального прослуховування цього альбому я отримав якесь велике «відкриття»? Та ні. Не дивлячись на те, що він часто подається як «відродження» та найбільш виважений та «зрілий», він мені здався просто «нормальним». На ньому, «загартована» материнством Мадонна, спокійно та без «галасу» виконує пісні із вайбом, популярного на той час, трип-хопу у стилі Massive Attack. Також, не без впливу продюсера Вільяма Орбіта тут доволі відчутний вплив техно музики. В цілому, це все за що можна похвалити альбом. Можливо для творчості Madonna він і став якимось особистим проривом, але для світу популярної музики в цілому, він не сказав нічого. Мало того, враховуючи які шикарні трип-хопові речі вже подарувала на той час Бристольська сцена - цей реліз є нічим іншим як кон'юнктурою, що намагається мімікрувати під «трип-хоповий арт поп». Єдиним дивним треком тут може здатися Shanti/Ashtangi, але якщо ви чули до цього сольні роботи Орбіта - ви зрозумієте звідки в нього ростуть ноги. З усім тим, «лаяти» альбом також особливо немає за що. В рамках мейнстримної попмузики, що не претендує на якісь відкриття - це доволі гарний альбом під який можна із задоволенням розслабитись теплого літнього вечора.

Nunca fui demasiado fan de Madonna, no le pongo un 1 porque hubo dos temas que me gustaron pero el resto bastante flojo a mi gusto.

A fun listen

Thank you

This isn't a good album. Madonna changed pop music and this album made some car commercials. It's not there lyrically, it's just bland techo pop musically, it's just not good. Huge wiff with this one. I don't understand why it's on the list. She has so many better albums, I swear this one made the cut off her name alone.

Real talk: I was 18 when this came out. Ray of Light was all over the place, and I was not into it. I liked techno at the time, Prodigy, the Chemical Brothers, stuff like that. I loved the soundtrack to the Matrix and Fight Club (all a little after this if I recall without looking it up). Listening to the album now, being older and less judgmental about the "cool" factor (I've since realized just how uncool I am and was), I can see that this album was probably kind of a big deal. Every track isn't knocking my socks off, but after the disappointment of Todd Rundgren in yesterday's album, this is a delightful thing to get, listen to, and appreciate for what it is. Still not really my jam, but less vapid than I expected it to be. That said, it got more annoying the further I got into it 2.5/5

Lyrically this album was ass, but the production is really good and makes it listenable.

Actually quite enjoyed most of the songs, well written and produced. Liquid bass and pop is however not really my cup of tea, hence the 3 star rating.

man i truly do not get this one. it's not that i don't like madonna. it's not that i can't appreciate electronic music. i just feel like this album is so flat and uninteresting. quite frankly, it's boring! the highs here are so mid and the lows are low. who the hell is going to madonna for eastern influenced music anyways? not only that, the production sounds so lifeless and dated in a bad way. madonna's vocals are not great and do not stand out at all. this could have been anyone singing these songs. if you played me most of this album out of context, i don't even think i would recognize that this is madonna's voice. i genuinely do not know what i'm missing. maybe you just had to be there. i'm glad she tried to branch out. it doesn't work for me. a lot of this album feels like it should be played at a clothing store circa 2002. the gap chic

1.5

This electro-pop-whatever version of Madonna is...not good. I remember when this came out, and it wasn't good then either. "Ray of Light" was also played to death. The song "Frozen" is passable, the rest of it I'd be fine never hearing again.

Not half bad.

Horribly boring. Madonna washed up in the 90's. Favorite songs: Frozen, Sky Fits Heaven, Swim Least favorite songs: Candy Perfume Girl, Skin, Shanti/Ashtangi, Little Star, Mer Girl 2/5

Not her best work

What a lovely surprise to hear her more laid-back songs for the first time. Lovely sound, interesting lyrics, lovely dreamy poppy sound. I think I'll come back to this one. I do however feel like the production is carrying this just a smidge more than she and her voice are. 4/5.

I listened to this album a lot when I was a kid. I liked Ray of Light, and it's still an okay dance jam. Candy Perfume Girl freaked me out back then too. It's a pretty boring album and the songs are too long. Most of her vocals feel strained and emotionless. The lyrics are kinda poetic but most of the time they don't say anything, it's just like a "philosophical" word salad. I definitely don't think anyone needs to hear this before they die 😂 was it influential? As far as I know, not really. Maybe it introduced a lot of white people to new age spiritualism and self care? 🤷‍♀️

Dig the title track. And enjoyed the last two. Had my fist bumpin at times

This is kind of a funny album. Parts of it sound like the soundtrack to a Disney movie, and then the instrumentals on some songs, like Skin and Nothing Really Matters, sound like the soundtrack to a 90s cyberpunk video game. And while most of the lyrics seemed very bland and nondescript, we have the very metal "And I smelled her burning flesh / Her rotting bones / Her decay" on Mer Girl.

Never heard her before, it was decent but didn’t really love it

what Kent and LB said

I'm not sure what I expected from Madonna but one hour of thumpy club beats wasn't it, lol. This album is holding twice the tracks it needs to and they are all twice as long as they should be.

Can't do it, can't get through this album.

I only ever heard the title song from this album, it was good but this was never my favorite Madonna albums, although I do see the appeal of it to people!

Not much time today as I have to travel to collect my new car. But fear not I know this album well. It is also an album which I will play regularly in my new car. People who know me are shocked when they discover I like Madonna not only musically but on the evidence I’ve heard and read also as a person. It was this album which really made me notice her. I had been intrigued by her earlier hits but this album oozes quality from start to finish. Really accomplished by an artist at the top of her profession. I just about have all of Madonna’s albums but this one is by far and away the best musically. I’m very much a Prog Rock man and 90% of my listening time is consumed by Prog but the remaining 10% will have a fair smattering of Madge. Strange but true. Now off to get that car! 5/5 29/4/25

Aptly titled album

No thanks

Did not enjoy this. Slop music. It’s a waste of her beautiful voice to be on these tracks.

I was expecting more of a younger album for Madonna. I do remember when this was released. So far a little mellow for me. third track it starts picking up. a little more dance/pop as I suspected to be. I remember track 3.

Anyone want to talk about how the song Ray of Light is basically a rip off of Sepheryn by Curtiss & Maldoon?

High school memories. Crazy to hear Frozen and Power of Goodbye again. Madonna's voice is great with this style of music. However- would the album have gotten much attention if if hadn't been Madonna?

Although I dislike electronica in general, this album is pretty good. My 2nd favorite Madonna album on the list. Nice rhythms and the vocals kept me listening. She has a great voice.

I still think 80’s/ early 90’s Madonna albums are better. I enjoyed the album but other than the tracks that were released no bangers

jostain syystä lisää tätä ilmeisesti, ollut konsistentti kolmonen jahas. mitä madonna poppistara tekee seuraavaksi? mitä vittua tämä lutka sekoilee.. ekspertti sanoo: jotain hullunkurista varmaan. lue lisää iltalehdessä, seuraavaksi: voiko konflikti palestiinassa tulla päätökseen ennen kesää? ekspertti sanoo: ei.. ei voi.. perkele kyllä tkeee mieli korottaa, annetaaanko palkankorotus, oisko kolmosesta neloseen.. tähtiä saa palkaksi niillä ei ruokaa osteta mutta rikas penikka kuitenki nii ei vrmaa tarvikkaahs. vittu tääkki on kolme ei ruveta valehteleen.. sky fits heaven

Brought back memories.

Pretty good. Very nostalgic. Also fairly boring at times

Blinding ray of light

Better than I expected, probably (more electronica, downtempo, and ethereal), but still kind of a boring and overlong album; one I’m not likely to revisit. Favorite: Frozen

I guess it makes for decent background music, constant drum beat that's quite ambient actually.

Complete

Day468 - ray of light is a good fun song. the rest of the album is kinda weak

drei bis vier

This is definitely very ethereal and a trippy listen. I like the song Shani/Ashtangi. One of my yoga instructors, Frank, always says "Shanti Shanti Shanti" at the end of our classes.

7/10. Actually not bad, I think some tracks of this did get a bit samey or boring but the highs for me were quite high. This album definitely offered more interest than I expected and some tracks, for example, 'Sky Fits Heaven's were kinda up my street. Didn't have quite enough energy in it for me to carry it on to a 4 star score but definitely enjoyed this.

This was okay, but also mostly forgettable. Wouldn't turn it off if it came on, but not an album I'd ever seek out again. 2.75/5

I was not excited for this after Madonna - Music (2000). However, it's quite a bit better than that. I still don't love it, but it's listenable. 2.5/5

This album wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Not really my thing, but not terrible.