Ray Of Light

One of Madonna's better albums, which would probably have been up there with *Like A Prayer* with a minimum amount of self-editing from the Ciccone diva. Nothing is really unpleasant in those William Orbit-produced songs (either downtempo or techno-adjacent), even if they also sound a little tame and safe overall. "Shanti / Ashtangi" is an electronic updating of sixties fascination with Indian gurus and meditative cults -- drawing from Madonna's interest in mystic new age stuff at the time -- that might sound ridiculous for some ears... but if you listen to it with your tongue firmly planted in your cheek, it's possible you spend a somewhat good time at least. The rest is less adventurous or risky from today's vantage point -- neither a good thing nor an utterly bad thing, I'd venture to add. In other words, the album was a milestone in Madonna's career, but it certainly wasn't one for music at large. Besides, it's a little tricky pinpointing how serious those songs intend to be at times. Like, are they pop ditties? Or are they grand statements that supposedly go deeper than what their glossy surfaces suggest at first glance? One notable exception, though: "Frozen", with its -- aptly glacial -- string section and its mesmerizing background vocals, was indeed a fantastic hit single. It's both sophisticated and accessible. And it's cinematic and inspired in ways most of the other cuts can't be. The thing is, there are at least 30 albums released in 1998 that are more essential than this LP in my "book". So I would lie if I said *Ray Of Light* has any serious chance of making the final cut in my own list. The fact that Madonna had already left a legendary imprint on pop culture during the eighties stands against this later album somehow. It might come off as a little "cold" to state it this way, but I'd rather use the slot here occupied by this record for one released by a band or artist that had something fresh or truly groundbreaking to offer to the world in those years (or even now). 1001 is a finite number after all... 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: 61 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 405 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 233 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 302 (including this one)

Some bangers but not something I would go for all the time.

Never listened to this music

William Orbit's production takes us through a variety of different EDM subgenres. There's particular emphasis on trip hop and downtempo beats, but some of my favourites are the more uptempo ones like Skin with its driving four on the floor beat. I also like Nothing Really Matters and especially Sky Fits Heaven, with its dreamy keyboard melodies and acid tinged synths. Amongst the slower songs, Frozen is a high point, featuring soaring strings and broken up beats. The Power of Good-Bye is another symphonic anthem and maybe the best pure pop song here. Not all the tracks hit, but the good ones are very good.

Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by Madonna, originally released in 1998. It's kinda hard to believe this is a Madonna album. I gotta give her credit, she always keeps up with the times. This album really focuses on that late 90s electronic production. There's some pretty cool triphop elements in here that again, would surprise you coming from Madonna. It almost gets experimental in places, with some middle eastern influence. Not a huge fan of the lyrical content on here, but the production is cool.

Madonna's last good album? Good in a artistic sense, but it's really William Orbit's Strange Cargo III part 2... Strange Cargo IV? Regardless, the last time Madonna moved my needle.

Definitely liked this more than I thought I would. I don't like a lot of what I've heard of Madonna's mid career, but this stands out as an exception. It has a great blend of alt pop with just the right amount of experimentation.

Didn’t expect to like this so much.

i wish i could give this 1.5 stars

Four songs into this, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying it, but the longer the albums went on, the more trite and desperate it seemed to get. I liked some of the trip hop elements earlier in the album.

Gave it a listen, regretted that decision.

Quando eu ouço falar de Madonna eu esperava ouvir algo completamente mais pop, aqui foi algo bem pop indie, uma coisa meio contemplativa kkkk não sei explicar.

This isn't anywhere near her best album.

😍

I remember when this came out. Don’t remember the songs. This opening track is great. This is a really good album. I do remember “Ray of light” once I heard it.

Can't say I've listened to a Madonna record, so this is a first. It's about as dreamy, poppy and ethereal as I might have imagined. Has some songs on it that I recognize and didn't realize came from the same release, and they're decent. I'll chalk this one up to experience, but likely won't revisit.

-i never knew madonna made a trip hop / electronica album.. pretty solid I guess? though im surprised i dont like it more considering this is like one of my favorite genres. the instrumentation is absolutely amazing in a lot of the songs though -Favorites are Swim, Ray Of Light, and The Power of Good-Bye

Some real bangers, but otherwise I love her Confessions on the Dance Floor more

Late Madonna...Dance Party Madonna. This sounds like a Sneaker Pimps album, like this should be playing over the credits of a Johnny Lee Miller movie. Ray of Light is the single. Maybe it was music that changed, not Madonna. She always just rode the pop/dance trends and it didn't matter what the sound was, she was just always club music. Nothing Really Matters is the best track so far. Shanti/Ashtangi would never happen today due to the fear of being accused of cultural appropriation. Although, maybe Madonna was big enough to transcend that at some point. I vaguely remember Frozen on the radio. There's a world music thread running through this album too. I wonder if this is when she made the move to the UK. There's a vulnerability about Madonna's voice on some songs that resonates (Mer Girl on this album). She's varied between sex kitten party girl and vulnerable lover throughout her career.

Beautiful album of hauntingly produced ballads by this remarkable singer. Deserves to be on this album accolade list.

6/10

Now I feel like an empowered raving middle aged woman in the late 90’s and I’m off to buy a cowboy hat! 🤠

frozen, like a mammoth trapped in the triphop permafrost since the ancient nineteen nineties

Madonna is a goddess of music.

Ehhh I guess when Madonna does electronic dance pop it's pure gold.. I mean it's not bad but is it really just a few singles with filler.

As a closet Madonna fan, I was glad when this record came out. And it has a couple of good tracks. But overall it’s not great. Her vocals are lacking. The tracks rely on the producer(s?) to create a contemporary sound.

I though the title track was good when I first heard it. Not a fan of the other singles or the rest of the album.

The title song is okay, I get why it was a hit. But I don't really like this album, I'm not a fan of her vocals over this era of electronic music. It's just not for me.

Surprisingly enjoyable. Ray of Light is a new favorite.

Madonna is an oddity to me. A monolith in music that has no shape or form in my mind. Nothing in this album is bad, nothing in this album is barely above alright to good, and nothing in this album will last with me. I still do not understand Madonna and I don’t know if more albums will solve this riddle (2.5/5)

Don’t like Madonna

All sounds the same. Like Madonna.

Madonna's delve into electronica. Greatly helped by William Orbit here, sometimes seems like she is just putting her stamp on his work. More subdued in spots than her earlier work. Definitely heard bits of this everywhere in the clubs in the late 90s.

Idk Madonna’s work outside of her hits. The only other album of hers I’ve heard is that soulless cashgrab country album that I gave a one-star review. This doesn’t feel as I would have expected a Madonna album to feel, but I really like it.

Liked it more than I want to admit

Average pop album from old woman who's desperate to stay young. Ray of Light is still a fantastic song.

I've never heard this album and that is embarrassing. When she goes--this is the album people will point to.

Kind of wild this came from Madonna, good for her.

I kind of just don't like Madonna as a concept.

This was pretty dumb and nothing really memorable at all for me.

She has no depth to her voice and the songs on this album match her energy

Ok.

I much prefer young, fun, pop Madonna over pretentious sounding emotional mature Madonna. But I can't say this is bad. Some of it even catchy.

Ethereal feel Overly poppy dance tracks Not worth a listen

Was never a big Madonna fan, except maybe when at the clubs in the mid 80's, but this is a really good album. Kind of a techno trance sound. Would be good for background music.

i was pleasantly impressed by this album, having started it with minimal expectations. the pop albums i have previously rated have gone no higher than 2/5, but madonna managed to break that mould. in some respects, this album felt like listening to one long song, that changed and modulated gradually. the album’s mix of techno-pop, psychedelia, ambience, and any number of other genres flowed really nicely. her vocals on this album are first-class, and are a refreshing move away from her traditional pop style. it’s a great background album, creating its own relaxing, gentle atmosphere. one of her greatest works.

Beautiful album. I was not familiar with this Madonna album, but I really enjoyed it. The only song I knew was Ray of Light.

Also better than Daft Punk

A solid album by Madonna, but only one really stood out to me. Nothing Really Matters being that one. Shanti/Ashtangi I thought was a really cool showcase of her singing with an obvious cultural influence. Overall, wouldn’t play this album front to back again but am glad to have listened to more Madonna to better understand her influence past Material Girl, Like A Virgin, and Hung Up

It’s pretty good, but not really my style. I did like some of the lyrics, but for the most part this album was pretty blah for me. I liked the relative curveball of Shanti though. I think I would prefer to listen to more of her earlier stuff first, because I feel like I don’t have the context for this.

This was a complete opposite of my recent (yet sparse) reviews where I was excited going in to the album, then let down. This one I was real self conscious about listening to while at the gym and quickly locking my phone before anyone could see the album cover. The way each song starts is kinda cringey and cheesy but boy I’ll tell u what, once the “beat” drops in each song, I was kinda jammin. Don’t really know any Madonna stuff other than like a prayer but I thought this was a good affirmation that she is super talented even though I didn’t know any of these songs.

To me this just feels like Madonna interpretation of various parts of the 90’s. The singing is like Celine Dion and the production is like The Prodigy. It’s like someone put “make me an edgy late 90’s album but with dramatic, heartfelt vocals” into CHATGPT. It’s like a boomer’s interpretation of late 90’s music. It’s like Disney trying to make Star Wars or Amazon trying to make LOTR. You can’t adapt it if you don’t understand the subject matter. I am interested in hearing more Madonna on this list for her earlier stuff. This is far from her best though, and should not be on the list.

Little Star makes me feel like I’m playing a low budget Dreamcast game. One great song, one decent song, and that’s about it.

I was really excited for this album after listening to the title track "Ray of Light". A dance club beat with Madonna belting it out at the top of her lungs! What's not to love? But then the rest of the album fell a little flat for me. The club beats stayed, but Madonna's singing was slow and low on every other song. Her singing never really matched the music for me. I was hoping for up beat, but instead got slow and dramatic.

What was most noteworthy to me was how the album comes full circle; when you reach the end the restart is almost seamless. Ray of Light, I think, still stands as a solid dance song. Unfortunately, this listen showed me that I'd misheard lyrics all these years. Always thought she was saying "And I feel/And I feel like a disco ball." Honestly, I like that better than "...like I just got home." I hear the influence on Olivia Rodrigo. This doesn't really do it for me. I actively dislike Candy Perfume Girl and Little Star. And I don't like how her eyes on the album cover follow me everywhere.

I really don't want to listen to this one, I don't like Madonna at all

Good dance album

No thanks

A shimmering plate of psych dance pop.

Madonna goes spiritual. This one isn’t as immediate of a pop gem as her 80s and early 90s work, but it does grow on you.

The first time I listened to this I was a little underwhelmed, but I've come to appreciate the more chilled out vibe and electronic sound. That being said, the tail-end of the album does drag a bit and feels a tad overly long at times.

Only her 7th studio album and it might be her Pepper! A good listen. I’ve always liked the title song Ray of Light and wasn’t familiar with the rest of the album. Solid effort to reinvent the genre.

Madonna's big come back album after a few years break, more dance beats and 90s influence but it definitely launched her to legend status. This is one of her best and works well when paired with follow up album Music, still not my favourite album of hers that is Like A Prayer but this has some bangers on it in the form of the title track, Substitute For Love & Frozen.

Wow, i havent heard the song ray of light in yonks. Quite good still even though it isnt peak madonna. couple of other good tunes like frozen, power of goodbye and nothing else matter. Remaining tunes are quite downbeat. Almost like zero7 vibes. You can really feel the electro vibe from william orbit. I much prefer early madonna if im honest. However, i do appreciate she tried a different direction. Couple of good tunes but overall this album is just way too long. If this was cut down to 30-40 mins it would be much better. Not bad overall. Low 3 from me.

I love all of Madonnas eras but I’m more partial to her earlier work. That being said, this is a great album. 25 years into her career she was still producing chart topping and memorable music. I saw her on her recent tour and several of these songs made the cut and with a career as long as hers, that says a lot.

I have been wrong about Madonna for 25 years, that was amazing actually . I was surprised by how good this was. I don’t really like the Ray of Light song so much, so I didn’t have high expectations of it, but it’s downtempo and really well put together. I think sometimes we don’t give albums a fair shake when the artist is a media spectacle. Lesson learnt

An interesting late 90s electronic time capsule

Really didn't like it - it feels like it was designed to play in a very crowded fancy club that people go to just to say they've been. Not a fan

I had only heard the titular track "Ray of Light" prior to this. This is an interesting Madonna album, especially if you're coming straight from her mega-hits from the 80s. I also did not know this album was that critically acclaimed. There is quite a bit going on with this album, as it melds different genres and represents a new direction for the former "Queen of Pop". "Candy Perfume Girl" literally sounds like something that a band like Garbage would've written and performed. Most of the album is centered around electronica and techno-pop, with singles such as "Ray of Light", "Nothing Really Matters", and "Frozen" leading the way. The rest of the album slows down, offering more of a downbeat and tender sound. It's unusual to me to see this album considered by many to be Madonna's magnum opus. Like many I'm sure, when I see Madonna I hear her early career pop-oriented sound rather than this. I get that most artists tend to branch out as their musical career goes on, but this album eliminated any momentum it had the longer it went on. It's really only the singles that could be labeled as techno-pop, as the rest of the album slows to a crawl. Points for trying something different and daring to be deeply emotional, though.

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.”

Not even my favorite Madonna, and I really don’t like Madonna.

I do appreciate Madonna trying to hamfist her way into any and every genre to varying levels of success. This is a miss, the weird kinda-electronica doesnt quite match her voice, also the lyrics ring pretty hollow and overall its just boring.

2 stars because the music video for Ray of Light is pretty cool. Shoutout the Kabbalah!

Music without point or purpose

Just like I remember it. Probably a little over produced and over hyped....just like the original Madonna.

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"

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.

Surprisingly liked this. Waay more than I was expecting.

boring

Definitely my favorite Madonna album, though most of my favorite Madonna songs are elsewhere. I remember being super surprised at hearing this album, as I was already post-college and not really paying any attention to Madonna at this point. I did listen to William Orbit, and this collab was shockingly good. Props to the master of staying relevant through generations.

Could have good songs on this one, probably Madonna’s last decent album, do you need to listen to it before you die? I don’t think so.

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

i’m in love with the power of goodbye but so many of these songs would just benefit from being shorter. i think almost all of them are over 5 minutes and are slow especially in the second half, nothing to hold my attention to. First half though, if i heard that in the club id definitely be grinding on someone so it really wasn’t all that bad. top 3: the power of goodbye, sky fits heaven, drowned world / substitute for love

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

Some fun parts, other parts kinda sleepy and wandering.

Booo! Hissss!

Looking back on 90' pop-electronica is like looking back on chrome from sci fi in the 50's/60's. You understand why they might have thought that was the future at the time but know also why it didn't pan out. You are also happy it didn't. The best way I can describe this album is boring, literally the opposite of what Madonna represents within pop culture. Ray of Light was the only song that stood out, it was also the only song I knew coming in and i now see why. I hope we get another Madonna album because this one wasn't it.

There was like one song i liked. It was too slow and long for me to stay interested when the songs never reached heights worth caring for. Her voice is good and I can appreciate not sticking to her earlier styles but this just wasn't it

Not what I expected. I liked it more than I expected but still not really my personal jam mostly.

Really nice production

Its aight

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

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.

Surprised by the minimal electronica. Perhaps I would like an instrumental version even better?

NO

Some good songs. I have a beef that her voice sounds like a little girl's sometimes, but I can live with it.

Madonna kurottaa korkealle..

I suppose that the restraint, song lengths (shortest being 4:27, with an average song length of over 5 minutes), and the general production style (Middle Eastern sounds, and the general electronic instrumentations, etc.) served as some sort of Artistic Statement™ for Madonna, at the height of her popularity. I can only shrug at this though, because the restraint mostly results in a flatness, and, consequently, in the feeling that the songs are overlong, given that they never build up towards any sort of cathartic climax or culmination (individually or collectively). I like Frozen and The Power of Good-Bye well enough (particularly Frozen) but for the most part the album just sounds like it's doing a variation on the same boring song that it starts out with.

My heart sank when I saw this as I'm not a Madonna fan. An easy 2 but lets listen. I've upgraded to a three as the William orbit music has held up well and I found her voice quite strong.

I quite liked this. The slower tempo and more contemplative lyrics are not what you might expect from Madonna and her voice is showcased beautifully. I like the trip-hop / electronic production too. Not sure it has enough quality to justify the running time though, feels a bit dragged out.

Album is off to a really strong start with Drowned World / Substitute for Love. Not at all what I was expecting, in the best of ways. Similar can be said for Swim, which borrows a very 90s downtempo electronic beat effectively. I wasn't able to focus as much as I would have preferred, but did listen through twice. This is the first Madonna album I've ever listened to and was truly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I liked the way that she embraced the 90s electronic and wrapped her voice around the instrumentals. All around solid and unexpectedly enjoyable. 4 / 5

Fucking hell that was painful. I don't like Madonna. Why are people waiting for this person to come out 3 hours late and sing this trash live... 1.5 stars and hoping I never have to listen again...

I have never really listened to Madonna, but I didn't expect the 90's techno beats. I really enjoyed the first song. Although the middle of the album has fallen off a bit, one thing remains consistent and that is her voice being fantastic and I like the beats. Sky Fits Heaven was another good one. After all was said and done, meh. Thought we might have had a sneaky 5 at the beginning

This has some crazy electronic sounds going on in the background which I did not expect at all. I looked back at my last review of Madonna and this one is pretty much the exact same. It started out pretty hot but then faded off terribly. Candy Perfume Girl and Skin both stunk and the fact they were back to back was not good. The singing in Little Star annoyed the hell out of me. This one went from a 3 to a 2 really quickly because they last few songs were just awful.

I enjoyed Like a Prayer when we listened to it last year, this one is starting off way different. Definitely has that 90's electro sound to it. Did not expect this out of Madonna tbh. Really loving Ray of Light. Heard some great covers of this. Sky Fits Heaven is a banger. Had some great moments in the songs I mentioned but then hated songs like Little Star. High 3

Lentíiiiisimo. Un 2.

Необычный альбом в духе Enigma. Но кроме одной композиции особо он не запомнился, хотя в целом он создаёт очень приятное впечатление.

I appreciate what she was trying to do but at least on my first listen this was not executed well. The electronic stuff is too soft and the lyrics are too corny and the album is way too long. High 2.

I think Ray of Light is a really good song. The rest of the album is fine but a little too much electronica for me.

While it might not be my favorite, this album definitely has a cohesive sound. Pretty ambitious for Madonna to release this, as it doesn’t seem to have any obvious pop hits to my ear but obviously it was a massive success for her.

Big fan of this in the day. Doesn’t really stand the test of time.

I’m generally kind of ambivalent about Madonna. I like some of her songs but generally don’t seek out her music. So color me surprised when I listened to this and loved it? This isn’t even a genre I enjoy in general, let alone from Madonna, but this was amazing. A super cohesive album, and while on the longer side with songs on the longer side too, it never overstayed its welcome. So many great artists fall into that trap, but Madonna figured out how to perfectly toe the line here. “Drowned World/Substitute for Love,” “Ray of Light,” and “The Power of Good-Bye” were my favorite songs, but I found something to enjoy about every song on this album. Was not expecting to love this as much as I did, but I’m so glad this came up on this list and forced me to give it a chance.

Channeling acid electronica, Kabbalah, and motherhood, Madonna’s 1998 reinvention stripped away the controversy of her past and became one of her most unexpectedly successful albums ("a mystical look at the universe and how small we are"). " Source: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/madonna-ray-of-light/ (accessed on June 1, 2024).

Some more classic Madonna, good pop for her time, some of the music is more timeless than others and holds up. 3.0

first listen if i wasn't driving while listening to this i could have fallen asleep to it easily

Woahhhh no one told me Madonna made an art pop album with triphop beats!? Love it!

Wow! Usually when a pop singer has a good voice they draw all the attention from the music to it, which is good for singles, but makes the whole album sound the same (and often boring). Here I think they found the perfect balance Shanti / Ashtangi sounds like a LocoRoco song

started out strong but fell to a 3

I don't think trip hop is for Madonna

40. Years. Old.

Utterly generic.

Pretty good

Pretty good, but it's still no Like a Prayer.

I actually bought this when it came out. Cant for the life of me figure out why I did, possibly some form of psychological trauma manifesting as audio self injurious behaviour.

Meh

Drowned World/Substitute for Love Swim Frozen

Maybe not my favourites of all Madonna songs but I found it easily listenable so it’s a 3* from me.

When this popped up, I remembered how much I hated that Ray of Light song and was fully prepared to hate the album. As it was I didn't hate it, just disliked it and was prepared to give it 2 stars. Then 'Little Star' came on and I thought - nah, 1 star.

Thoughts before listening: Late 90s Madonna with an attempt to modernize her sound with more techno inspired musical style and introspective lyrics. The song "Ray of Light" is an all time great pop song, and in general I'll probably like this album more than I would one of her earlier releases. Review: This came out at the height of my music listening days and I'm kind of surprised by how much I recognize. Nothing quite rises to the highs of the title track, but this is fine. I will say though that the length is a little much at over an hour. These songs all kind of blend together as they utilize very similar beats throughout, and I found myself getting bored. I didn't really like this style of music 25 years ago and I don't really love it now either. 2-stars

Another album that just screams 90s. I've heard many of these songs, at least 'Frozen' and 'The Power of Good-bye', but I had no idea it was Madonna who made them. Doesn't feel like a Madonna album - it's a bit too tame. Even though I think much of the text is quite cheese or pretentious, I have to say I dig the overall feel of the album. Lots of nice electronic elements with mellow sound scapes, strings, and so on. It might be nostalgia, but I think most of the songs are pretty good for what is. It definitely doesn't feel fresh or modern, but that's ok. I think I will have to give this a weak 4 actually. I don't know if it's nostalgia, but I think it's overall quite decent. I also feel like I'd rather listen to this again than pick up many of my 3 star albums.

This was actually pretty cool, there is quite a unique sound to this album which i enjoyed. It's 90s, some drum'N'base and while some of the effects are a bit overdone it is still very enjoyable. The highs are quite high, I had completely forgotten about the back to back songs "Frozen" and "The Power of Good-Bye", both great songs. I think the lows can be quite low too. I for some reason connect this sound with movies about people finding them selves in India/Nepal or that general area. I wondered why? Maybe some movie used it? Anyway the main offender of this is "Shanti/Ashtangi" which is such a terrible song. All in all a good album with some duds thrown in. Strong 3.

Maybe it was because I had really low expectations of Madonna, especially outside of the 80s, but I thought this album was filled with bangers! The first song alone stopped me and I found myself going back every 2 to 3 songs to heart them. It reminded of a Madonna-ized version of Kate Bush's The Red Shoes. An enjoyable pop with a slight twist to it.

Ok, with a couple of great songs - Frozen and The Power of Goodbye. Sounds expensive, well produced, designed to be a hit, and slightly dated. 3 🌟

A few nice pop hits but too much electro

3/5

First half was great but kind of fizzled out on me. Great 80s dance beats. I would give it a four, but it's like more of a 7/10 for me.

Trip hoppy

Madonna's seventh album, "Ray of Light" is the magnum opus of her long career. After several moderately successful albums in the 1990s and the film Evita, it was questionable whether she would be able to reinvent herself or whether her career would hit a deep pit. Well, she reinvented herself and came back with a fantastic album. She took voice lessons for Evita, and on this album her singing was never better than it had been before. Also, "Ray of Light" was produced by William Orbit, who created stunning sounds that still feel fresh after 25 years. This album brought electronica into the mainstream, but also drew inspiration from many different styles (trip-hop, psychedelia, pop, trance, eastern influences). The hits are outstanding, especially Ray of Light, and the music videos for them were also ahead of their time (Frozen, Nothing Really Matters) - but there are plenty of great songs even besides the hits (Swim, Candy Perfume Girl, Shanti Ashtangi, etc.). Meditative, atmospheric, pulsating, captivating - and it's probably her most honest album since the birth of her daughter seemed to have matured her a lot. Although I'm not a big fan of pop, my childhood was this album and I remember that I was captivated by the hit songs, especially the video of Ray of Light. I hope it's not just nostalgia talking when I say it's still an outstanding pop album today. Maybe a little too long at 66 minutes, but still a very coherent and balanced album. Overall it deserves a 4.5 rating, which is 5 rounded up.

cool

I remember well when this album was released - or rather, how the tracks ‘Frozen’ and ‘Ray of Light’ made quite an impact on young and old alike. The best thing about it was, really, seeing how Madonna reinvented herself and managed, once again, to stand the test of time. That’s why I give it a 4 As for the album itself, the singles mentioned are the best bits; the rest tend to fade into the background amidst the tedium and the sort of music you might hear playing in some dimly lit bar

ouch that's pop and it sucks 2 stars

Almost in spite of myself, I think this is magnificent; William Orbit’s soundscapes - with nary a musical instrument within earshot - married to Madonna actually sounding like a singer resulted in a milestone in electronica. Now, this is not the kind of stuff that I would / could listen to for more than a track or three but I was beaten into submission. “Frozen” is both beautiful and brutal, “Shanti…” is hypnotic, while the title track sounds like it was fuelled by the stuff von Braun pumped into the Saturn V. Peak Madonna.

I never listened to this album. First track was good, second track reminded me of Beth Orton who I love. Seems Madonna did it first. Ray of Light is back to Disco Madonna, the 'And I Feel' part reminds me of some other song. I started paying less attention.... pop drivel with some nice effects. Some yoga talk with a dance beat, go figure. The production values are excellent, all the extra sound effects are great. Popping from right to left. My speakers love this album. Headphones would be awesome. Little Star has a bunch of sonic layers. 3+* doesn't exist.

This was better than I expected it to be, but still didn't love it.

Madonna albums after 1992 are very mediocre in comparison to her earlier albums! I'm not too sure why this album even made the list Another album where I find myself asking, \"why do the songs have to be this long?!?\"

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."

Eu entendo a fama, mas desgostei muito desse popzinho sem sal

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.

Reviewed this early on: Really cool and interesting album. Its kind of a mixed bag of singer-songwriter, rave / techno, eastern music, into a really cool pop mix. I'm most impressed with Madonna's voice. Its super unique. I like how real and mature it sounds, its of mystic but not cheesy. Overall, really cool and fun to listen to.

A very solid album from Madonna with some of her more interesting music and production choices. It starts out really excellent in its first three songs. Drowned World / Substitute For Love is a great opener with music that sounds not unlike music Lana Del Rey is putting out over twenty years later. Then the title track is one of her better hits I think. Unfortunately, I found the rest of the album to be a little boring. It’s not bad, but fades to the background faster than expected from the Queen of Pop. I think the album is interesting musically and gets off to a tremendous start, but the last 3/4 of the album doesn’t stand out much to me and has a few skippable tracks.

Some great songs and a lot of filler that I feel no need to revisit. The last song Met Girl is particularly beautiful while other slower ones are forgettable. While I feel it is adventurous it’s no as though many big discoveries are made.

Good album. It is interesting to hear pop music incorporate a bit of DnB/UK electronic music.

This is getting a 4/5 for the music and a 2/5 for the lyrics - I wished someone else got a hold of these tracks and wrote something better bc, while this album sounds like a very cathartic process for Madonna, I found myself getting bored of the lyrics halfway through each song. Skin is 5/5 for me, wish she’d just sing more about fancying someone in a club lol (this is what I think it’s abt anyways) Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find an album that’s like this by someone else

A bit insipid and insignificant . A few oldies are a bit better

Good

4st

It sounds VERY 90s put a beat on something and call it a pop song. Lead single is still a banger. 2.5.

Liked the Y2K sound, but the cheesy faux-spiritual lyrics and overly dramatic orchestral openings to every song got to me by midpoint. All the songs sound the same.

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.

First Madonna album I've listened to. That was good.

Definitely one if not the best that Madonna has made

solid album with good and valid songs. some club disco songs that i liked less also stretched and without much cointent imo. 2.5/5.0 ive enjoyed it but theres a few skippable songs for me personally

I really don't understand the appeal

I'd give this 3.5 if possible.

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.

Mid

So far I am not digging this because all of the songs sound the same. Also, I am scared of albums that are this long.

I can't stand Madonna and was fully ready to give this 1 star. But the production is actually really cool and there are some real bangers on here.

A solid dance/pop album.

Ja. Kann man hören.

Well this one really surprised me by its mood and feel. Sounds like Madonna was listening to Massive Attack and their ilk and took copious notes...amd that's a good thing. I can't imagine any other Madonna album, and I don't think I've ever listened to any Madonna album the whole way through, holding my interest thge way Ray of Light did. So very enjoyable. 4 stars

Oh this is a rather dull album.

Best Madonna album!

Hörenswert.

A more ethereal album than the others she’s had on here, but it was still good. A few on here I’d heard before too which was great.

Speaking of female singer-songwriters who go by just one name that I'm not really into, our third from Madonna. Like "Music," there's an element of "is she too old to be doing this," but it's not as pronounced. There were definitely a few songs I enjoyed, and this felt like a more chill, subdued experience. I couldn't really say which I prefer more between this and Music, but maybe a slight edge to this one because I didn't skip any songs. Another decent album from an artist I always assumed was legendary - am I missing something? Favorite tracks: Ray of Light, Nothing Really Matters, Little Star. Album art: Just a wind-swept, off-center picture of Ma Donna (Mother Donna?). Nothing special to it really, but the background color and overall saturation gives this a nice warmth. 3/5

Apparently a childhood album

B- Drowned World/Substitute For Love 3 Swim 3 Ray Of Light 3 Candy Perfume Girl 3 Skin 3 Nothing Really Matters 3 Sky Fits Heaven 3 Shanti/Ashtangi 3 Frozen 3 The Power Of Good-Bye 3 To Have And Not To Hold 3 Little Star 3 Mer Girl 3 Madonna, I didn't know you could ball like that.

Gross. Not pop. Not upbeat. The guy is an obvious attempt to add SOMETHING for the radio. The cultural appropriation is up front in every track. This sucks in almost every way.

its okay but 1001 Best album? naaaaaah fam.

great!

I guess William Orbit felt he needed to include her singing

Worst first song on an album I’ve ever heard

Ok until Madonna sings.

I thought this was going to be my first listen. However, I soon realized I have actually listened to this album a ton... My mom used to have this CD and play it in the car when I was very young. It was pretty cool to teleport back to 20+ years ago Once that wore off, I found this incredibly boring... sorry mom :(

I feel like people just pat this one on the back for Madonna doing something different. If it wasn’t her name attached and was someone’s debut I doubt there’s nearly as much acclaim. The electronic elements were cool at the start but even they couldn’t save this album and didn’t sound that different throughout. If that is all that’s special about this album, why not just choose an electronic album that is actually innovative and sounds good from the same time period? I hate these pop albums during the height of CDs that carry on far too long. Rating: 1.8

Another album I wanted to like but just can not do it. There are some highlights like finding the title track isn't just sung by Peter Griffin after a Red Bull. But most of the album just really drags and it isn't what I would listen to Madonna for. This is apparently her highest rated album amongst music critics but not for me. It isn't bad enough for a 1 star but I can't give it more then 2 as I never see myself going back to this. Stand out songs Ray of Light Nothing Really Matters Frozen

I respect Madonna for having the gumption to make a whole pop record founded on trip-hop and electronica in a time when that idea wouldn't have been on anyone's radar. And she pulls the ambitious effort off really quite well, with lots of futuristic tracks on here. 7/10

good tunes

The album isn't so great but Madonna is. It feels like a slog toward the end but those first three numbers, I kinda felt like I'd been missing something. But then I remembered how much everyone wanted dance music in the late 90s and I can't get with that. Ray of Light is a strong song.

Madonna goes electronica, with predictably underwhelming results. What's the fascination with her anyway? A few good songs and a mediocre voice have sustained a remarkably successful career. Imagine burning a copy of this on CD-ROM back in 1998 - a very special and powerful feeling, doubtless. 'Shanti / Ashtangi' is cringeworthy, I have a strong feeling of secondhand embarrassment for all involved. I feel tainted for merely listening.

Love her

Title track carries

So it's kind of impossible to ignore the cultural appropriation that permeates Ray of Light. Putting that somewhat awkward truth aside, this album has some catchy tunes, and the dark, slinky, trip-hop influences and sonically interesting tones throughout are awesome. The layering of these songs is really pleasing to the ear. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Ray of Light the album, and can understand why critics and many Madonna fans (and the Queen of Pop herself) still consider this her greatest record. Interesting factoids from Wikipedia: *Following the release of her compilation album Something to Remember (1995), Madonna started taking vocal lessons in preparation for her role in Evita (1996). She would also give birth to her daughter, Lourdes, later in 1996. These events inspired a period of introspection. "That was a big catalyst for me. It took me on a search for answers to questions I'd never asked myself before", she said to Q magazine, in 2002. During the same period, she embraced Kabbalah and started studying Hinduism and yoga, all of which helped her "step outside [myself] and see the world from a different perspective". Madonna felt that there was a "whole piece" of her voice left unused, which she decided to utilize for the album. *Madonna herself has considered Ray of Light the most fulfilling evolution of her career, with her referencing it as the "quintessential Madonna album" in a 2013 Reddit AMA. Standouts: Drowned World/Substitute for Love, Swim, Ray of Light, Nothing Really Matters, Frozen, The Power of Goodbye

Before listening to this album I never liked Madge. Now I like Madge a bit - good show.

Ik heb het geprobeerd maar sorry, niet voor mij dit.

It was extremely brave of Madonna to release an entire album of PlayStation 2 boss fight anthems a full three years before anyone on the west had access to a PlayStation 2. Four stars.

madonna's 7th studio album i think was the last of her great era. she's unfortunately past her prime now, or maybe I'm just saying that because i haven't heard enough? i dunno. madonna swaps her usual dance pop style for a really trippy and atmospheric techno new age sound, and she pretty much nails it. beautiful vocals and uniquely produced instrumentals that haven't aged a bit.

Horrible.

Decent electronic pop... but definitely not my jam

Even the hits "Ray of Light", "Frozen" and "Power of Goodbye" don´t convince me at all. The rest is not remarkable and therefore the whole album is much too long.

Enjoyed the techno beats but at some point it all sounds like the same spacey ballads

I feel like this album is here in the sense of Madonna's evolution, but on its own it's just ok., feels like a product of its time. I hear some things I enjoy. I also think it's from the time she worked on the Austin Powers soundtrack, a song I adore. Highlights: ray of light, frozen

i'm surprised how much i liked this...

Madonna forever. Nice album.

2.5

That was great. Awesome marriage between rock and pop

I'll be honest, I have a massive blind spot when it comes to pop and Madonna in particular. This was a decent slice of late 90's pop that I dreaded listening to but actually ended up not hating

Ok beats, bijna air achtige instrumentaties op Swim, vocals volgen wel niet perfect Ray of Light BEGON mooi maar wat is deze beat opeens, chorus wel catchy, maar mix zit niet bijzonder goed? Bass super muddy, sommige synths pijnlijk hoog in de mix Skin heeft redelijk tacky lyrics, beats zijn te 90's, ik moet dit skippen Vieze synth op Shanti, is heel cringe

I liked this more than I expected to, would be good work background music. Spotify gave me dancing on my own after the album ended which was an added perk

Instrumentals are cool and vibes are good but this album is fine

Better that like a prayer. Not my shit tho. British house vibes.

Takes a few singing lessons to expand her range to an entire octave. Gets (a quasi) religion. Has a kid. Becomes extremely boring.

Why?

Very good album. Not like the Madonna that pop

This was just alright nothing to write home about.

She has a good voice, but most of this was really boring. There were some tracks that the vocals just didn't seem to go with the music. I can't see how anyone would say they really liked any of these songs. 2/5

A while back I had a Britney Spears album come up and said that my perception of 90s pop albums was that they have a couple of strong singles and then all filler. I was surprised Spears’ wasn’t like that. This one lives up to my assumption. It’s over an hour long and 80% of it felt like generic club beats. Giving it an extra star to differentiate from Spears though, because at least listening to this one doesn’t feel kind of criminal or something.

I liked the album more than I thought I would. The single, Ray of Light, still grates on my nerves.

Hope I'm going to enjoy this. After over an hour of Red Hot Chilli torture yesterday, this time it's over an hour of late 90s dance Madonna. I imagine it's going to sound somewhat dated 25 (eek) years on. I added Has To Be into the queue on the book's recommendation. It was alright. I'd probably drop Swim. I would drop Candy Perfume Girl. Skin is good. Nothing Really Matters is meh. The singles are all great, Frozen is, as someone else said, one of the best singles of the 90s for sure. I actually hadn't made the connection that it was an actual sample of this used in All Saints Pure Shores, another great pop song. I didn't enjoy this album overall as much as I'd hoped in the end but I didn't not enjoy it, so down the middle we go.

There were a couple songs in the beginning I really enjoyed but by the end I was p sick of it. 2.5

Mir zu Electric-Musik-Style: Das können andere besser.

4.55

This is just a solid mid 90s trip-hop album. The first half is stronger, with the back half dragging a bit. Sort of like a Massive Attack album turning into the Sneaker Pimps. Rounding up to a 4.

I know Madonna is a major icon to so many people, but this album was just a snoozefest for me. That's not to say I don't appreciate her works, this album was just a dud for me.

Never liked Madonna. Overexposed, and I hated her thin nasally voice. The only thing good were her producers. These songs are pretty good, but I have to listen to her voice. Also hated that she was everywhere and I couldn't escape her. YUK

Frozen has some elements of her prior music special. Sorta the soft melodic humming. Then there are some really uptempo songs that work less well. It seems there's a formula to getting into the nightclub playlist that she's following. It's an expansive album at over an hour.

I definitely get an appreciation that this is tonally different from prior madonna work.. it has an ambient, electronic, mood that washes through many of the tracks, making it sound more mature. The good news is that Frozen is an amazing track and potentially my favorite Madonna song of all time... unfortunately, nothing else really lives up to it. I like The Power of Good-Bye and Nothing Really Matters, but there really is a lot that seems like filler... a bit aimless and boring.

I always knew that Madonna pretty much reinvents herself every 7-10 years in reaction to whatever is popular at the time but I didn't realize that she did it so well in the 90s. This is a generally solid electronic, pop, and 90s psychedelia album that I felt was a kind of jack of all trades of Portishead, sinead o connor, and [insert any 90s electronica artist here]. I started to get a little fatigue about 40 minutes into the album but none of it was bad except for that weird buddhist song that hasn't really aged well. Ray of light was really good though.

I've never been a big Madonna fan, so take this all with a grain of salt. I'm a big fan of 90s/00s dance music but every song on here felt very similar - other than the title track, it all kind of just felt like new age inspired dance tunes with breathy vocals. Not that interesting or danceable and Shanti/Ashtangi felt weirdly appropriative. All in all, I would give some of her earlier albums a try but this one is not one I would come back to.

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

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

I appreciate it more than I like listening to it. The genre pivot / reinvention. Definite vibes of the late 90s/ matrix era. Sounds/ songs that have been buried deep within my brain that I recognize but would never pick out.

Boooooring. I couldn’t even make it through the first track without dozing off.

Bah, two okay songs and a lot of pretty average stuff.

Not expecting a lot here, last Madona album to come up here didn't really wow me. I was a little surprised just how far down she is in the mix here, I thought she was a spotlight voice. Then again, I think I had a similar comment on the last Madonna album here (Music). The sound is overall lush, certainly well produced from a music standpoint... but the vocals are too far away. Overall, I like this a little better than Music. But it's really nothing special. And LONG. If these were 3-4 minute songs, it would be better. But each songs repeats for 5-6 minutes, which is simply monotonous. Since it exceeded my (low) expectations, I'll go 3/5

Real good samples in here for modern club remixes. I like the upbeat songs most. Really good EDM production. The slow songs and the lyrics I don’t love. A little cringe

Strangely enough, I have never listened to a Madonna album. This was easy listening at its best.

It's fine. Very late-90s-easy-listening-esque. Sounds a bit like Lana Del Rey's music, but leaning into bluesy melodies and harmonies more often. Madonna's music throughout this album isn't particularly exciting, but it's fun to listen to and the songs are executed smoothly and earnestly. It's inoffensive and doesn't take many risks - at least, viewing it through a retrospective lens. The quality of the track listing is a little inconsistent. The first three tracks - Drowned World, Swim, and Ray of Light - are pretty darn great, introducing a variety of moods and instruments to the table. Candy Perfume Girl is goofy and passable. Skin is less passable, for having an uninteresting atmosphere and weird lyrics, and we run into this problem with later tracks such as Frozen and Little Star.

Probably the most mature album of Madonna's I have heard. Obviously it's William Orbit that did it. His production took this to a whole other level. But Madonna trying to sing differently was a big step forward. I really enjoyed this album, although the last song kinda dragged it down a bit. I would definitely recommend it as one of her better albums if people wanted something of hers to listen to. Top songs: "Ray of Light," "To Have and Not To Hold,"

This album has a very trippy vibe - stellar Madonna vocals (and lyrics) but also some very slick techno production. I remember when this album came out and rightly put Madonna back on the map. But I never listened to anything beyond the singles Ray of Light, Frozen, and The Power of Goodbye. They are all very good, but the real gems are the opener Drowned World / Substitute for Love (trance-like beat and Madonna's vocals pierce the soul), Swim (more slick beats), Shanti / Ashtangi (very cool Indian sound) and Little Star (what a beautifully written tribute to her daughter). Two other good but not quite as good songs are Candy Perfume Girl (reminds me of Garbage) and Mer Girl (a little disturbing but something eerily captivating about it). Not quite a 5, but a very, very good album. Kudos Madonna.

Continuing my "damnit, Madonna's not actually bad??" tour - this is a pretty good album. Not a five - far too repetitive, but definitely sounds very good. Favorite tracks: Drowned World/Substitute for Love (very cool chill opener), Swim (caught my attention every time I listened), Sky Fits Heaven, The Power of Good-Bye. Wish the album ended on Little Star, a nice song for her newborn daughter, because the lyrics on Mer Girl definitely bring things down ("And I smelled her burning flesh / her rotting bones / her decay" ...eww).

Couple good songs (leadoff and title tracks), or at least parts of the songs were kinda cool. The rest is too over-produced for my taste.

1.4 - Honestly got a bit annoyed listening to this. Not sure if that's cos I was feeling generally irritable, but felt like it was random sayings over techno-pop.

Quite generic new age ambient. The title track for example is driven by tactless pulsing synth lines that make the song a generally unpleasant experience. Its aged badly and all sounds quite cheesy, but I think there are some decent undercurrents here - you can hear the influence for instance on All Saints' Pure Shores. Skin is intense. We've gone from a beach in Thailand to a Berlin rave. Nothing Really Matters tries to pull us back to SE Asia, but Sky Fits Heaven wants to stay in the cloob. Frozen also sounds so much like Pure Shores - they were really riffing from this album. Fave Tracks: Little Star 2.4/5

Frozen is a tune. Bit of a mixed bag.

Madonna's return to the limelight. Complete shift in look and sound. Some tracks are a little heavy on the Kabballah she is now into but some great dance numbers as always.

I mean, this sounds fine. I can see why plenty of people like it. But I couldn't wait for this to be over. Every song overstayed its welcome, and they weren't that welcome to begin with. Good for Madonna for evolving her sound, and good for the people that like to listen to this. I'm sadly not one of them.

So Ray of Light and Frozen I remember from when it was first popular. Overall good pop album. Dated sounding, but solid.

It’s an ok album

Hmm not sure on this one. Yet another album I’ve never heard all the way through. Half of it was wannabe ‘dance music’ vibes and she must have made this when she was in one of her cultural appropriation phases and joined Kabbala or whatever it was. Not my fave.

I don't know, it's fine but the Electronica style production got to be a bit much

Another returning artist. Nice. I wasn't really a big fan when I listened to "Music" by Madonna all the way back in October. I thought the singing was fine but nothing else stood out. Fortunately, "Ray of Light" is a significantly better album. The singing is still solid. Not much else to say about it. The writing is probably better. I don't really remember much about that other album's writing, so I can't exactly compare that much without looking up the lyrics for the songs in "Music", which isn't something I feel like doing. The sound is definitely what makes this album better. It's a lot more cohesive and the direction on what this album wanted to do is much clearer. One problem that both albums share is that they both drag. Every song on "Ray of Light" is 4 minutes or more. I don't think these songs needed to be as long as they are. Overall, I definitely understand why this album is on here and it's a significantly better Madonna album, I'm still not the hugest fan overall. High 3/5.

Holy snooze fest this is just LONG. At first I really liked the electronic sound of this album but lost interest really quickly when there was no variability and nothing that engaged me. I was also clocked out by track 11. If you're going to make a 66 minute album at least give me a reason.

Madonna's Ray of Light is a standout album with infectious singles, masterfully produced by William Orbit. Its introspective and spiritual themes contribute to its reputation as her magnum opus. The album's successful fusion of electronica and pop played a pivotal role in bringing the genre to the mainstream, showcasing Madonna's enduring influence in the music industry. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 5 STAND OUT TRACK - Drowned World / Substitute For Love

favourite song: candy perfume girl fun album! very good songs and lyrics all round just very good!

Great stuff, brings back memories of me as a 12uy old. Wouldn't listen to it for long now, but certainly well aged songs.

Better and more substantive the one expected, and of course very well made, produced. A spiritual practice and motherhood seem to have added some depth. The better material is front loaded. "Substitute for Love" is sneaky-affecting. "Ray of Light" a banger, with a great false-front opening, from whence comes much of its power, specifically the leap from the quiet/mellow first bit to the driving/infectious hook that dominates the balance of the song. "Nothing Really Matters" shows the lady not trying too hard and working effectively in mid-tempo mode. The lullaby of club music at the end is a bit treacly (though not terrible). The raga, which is not terrible, is pretty weak chai, even accounting for direct cultural appropriation; might she have been angling for a role in a Bollywood pic?

Actually bloody loving this

I like poppier, more upbeat Madonna, and I remember Ray Of Light being ever present on MTV when it first came out. This is atmospheric and basic electronica - easy to use as background music at work. Meh.

It's STILL not as good as Temperamental by Everything But the Girl... It's not too shabby though. Might come back to this, 3.5 for now

Great album, probably one of the better female pop records on this list, this album is psychedelic pop meets techno, and honestly as my first intro to Madonna's music I was very pleasantly surprised. Great production throughout the whole album, and although I might not revisit this album too many times (not a big fan of pop), I think it certainly earns its placement on this list. 3.5/5

I loved this album when it was released and spent many summer afternoons listen to it. It holds up surprisingly well and Madonnas voice sounds better than on any of her previous albums. Solid production.

2. Porquería electrónica.

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. It's kind of haunting sounding and not poppy.

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

Classic late 90's dramatic sitcom music

Aw I thought I was really going to like this. Unfortunately anything that’s in this genre that isn’t a mega-mega hit immediately feels like filler to me. You only really know how bad filler feels when you’ve fallen for a hit single on Z100 then gone off to Sam Goody to buy the album for something like $20, which is a lot to a kid. Eventually you end up listening to that filler crap and sometimes grow to like it in a horrible stockholm syndromish way. Yet it ultimately never shakes the stink of buyer’s remorse. I’m open to exploring and learning about this other stuff more now that we’re past this economic container of a pop album. Maybe Madonna cared way more about singing in Hindi for example, than about the one dance hall staple on this record. And maybe there are other textures she and her producer collaborators explored in those other songs. I can’t tell if I am capable of drawing much from that well yet.

Really cool and interesting album. Its kind of a mixed bag of singer-songwriter, rave / techno, eastern music, into a really cool pop mix. I'm most impressed with Madonna's voice. Its super unique. I like how real and mature it sounds, its of mystic but not cheesy. Overall, really cool and fun to listen to.

Noget af det kedeligste pop/electronica jeg nogensinde har hørt. Forstår ikke rigtigt hvordan hun (eller, den her type musik) var så populær engang. Men I guess hun heller ikke bliver talt om så meget længere

Never liked Madonna. Ever. This was big at the time, but aged very poorly.

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

Madonna sucks

1.5 i remember at least one of these songs being overplayed on the radio

Should Madonna be on this list? Probably. With this album? Certainly not.

Very dated pop music - like mall store music.

I was bored with this album when it was released but can see how others loved it.

This is lift music for people who think they are better than lift music. Boring, bland, beige album, although Ray of Light is an absolute cracker, and saves the album from being one star.

Great production on some of the less disco tracks, especially the opener. If this album was more of that it would be fantastic, but as it is it’s a bit of a mixed bag

De va nog kova! Kunde varit en halvtimme kortare thou

Yeah okay. I don't have too much of an opinion about this. It's just really not for me. I didn't hate it at all. It's just not really my tastes. It was pretty different than I thought it would be. And I only recognized the title track and the power of good bye so it was mostly all new to me. And like I said it did some things I wasn't expecting from a Madonna album. I can definitely see how others would like, again it's just not for me.

Was very interesting - had a lot of electronic stuff and stuff It was unique

Con la voz característica de Madonna, canciones con ritmo, muy bien producidas y desprendiendo optimismo. Buen disco

Was ok. Always sceptical of Madonna but was alright

A really good pop album!

I do like this album and it has everything to do with a certain William Orbit. In fact I consider it more his than hers but that's my opinion. It shows how important a producer can be. Some great tracks on this and a good vibe for chilling or dancing.

Olen yllättynyt! Koska pidin koko levystä. Jos koskaan on aivan viimeisen päälle mietitty ja tuotettu kokonaisuus, niin nyt. Virheettömyydestä jopa miinus. Pikkusen irvistin amerikka-aksentti-shantille, mutta se nivoutui kummasti Frozeniin (joka on upea). Spotify on nyt tyytyväinen, kun sai mut vihdoin kuuntelemaan tän levyn, kun on sitä mulle viimeisen vuoden yrittäny suosituksissa tunkea. You know me

Joogatunnit ovat saaneet artistin valitsemaan liian seesteisen, tasaisesti rullaavan soundin, ja levyn sävelletyistä elementeistä olisi voinut koostaa parempia kappaleita. Nothing Really Matters iskee oikeaan paikkaan, ja esimerkiksi Skin on yllättävällä tavalla onnistunut. Mutta valitettavasti niidenkin tulisi olla puolitoista minuuttia lyhyempiä kuin Madonnan hengellinen vakaumus näyttää vaatineen.

2/5. Madonna definitely has a powerful and rich singing voice, but I’m just baffled at her love for whatever alternate language she has become so fond of. It’s just flat out strange to me. Also, I thought every song was just so soft and really masked her singing voice at times.

Stop atfer one song. It wasn't that enganing

Big time cool vibes here. Favourite songs: swim, nothing really matters, ray of light (Austin powers duh), frozen, the power of goodbye (love these last two songs especially wow). I don’t know this might almost be a 5

Very good for a “my life’s really hard cause I’m famous” album

Surprised how much I liked this - reminded me a little of Bjork

Madonna’s vocals are the least interesting part of this album. The electronics are fun, but nothing groundbreaking that I haven’t heard before. Way too long for what it is.

Sounds quite British end of the century, the album is average but the singles really stand out. Maybe the last truly influential Madonna album

Meh

A surprisingly good Madonna album? I never thought I'd see the day where I completely liked one of her album.

Didn't blow my mind but was a good album

66 minutes of boring self indulgence. Released to universal acclaim? They can keep it.

Better than I anticipated 3,5/5