jrmusicjournal

When I was a kid, one of the first cds my mom bought was The Immaculate Collection, one of Madonna’s first compilation albums among what would eventually be many. I would ride in the car to school while my mom would repeatedly play “Holiday”, her favorite Madonna song to this day. Funny enough, I never got sick of hearing it. That song became a staple in our morning car rides.

In 2005 when I was 10 years old, I saw the music video for “Hung Up” and in 2008, Madonna had become more mainstream to my age group, so she got more radio exposure from kids like me who listened in. It wasn’t until I got to high school when I started realizing how much Madonna had actually done in her career.

I was IN FOR IT when I started listening to and researching Madonna’s work in its entirety. I discovered there were songs that I knew but didn’t know they were by her. The fact that she had gone through so many reinventions really impressed me, and that is where my love for her really stemmed.

Madonna’s musical career has given us a roller coaster of emotions for THIRTY-THREE YEARS! I envy the ones who got to grow up watching her talent evolve, but I also realize that she is constantly evolving and that my experience is just as exquisite. There isn’t a Madonna album I dislike, so creating an “albums ranked” list took me forever to do. This ranking is purely my own opinion which is constantly changing. Every time re-listen to one of her albums I find something in it that makes me love it even more. But there is only room for one album in each spot, so without further ado, here are all 14 of Madonna’s studio albums ranked from my least favorite to my favorite of all time.

#14: Madonna (1983)

I know. I know some of you are probably annoyed by the placement of Madonna’s debut, the one with “Holiday”, the one that started it all. But don’t get me wrong, I like this album a lot. In a way, this is the album that transitioned mainstream music of the 70s into the 80s from disco to dance-pop. It truly changed the music scene at the time. The reason it’s last on my list is because reviewing Madonna’s discography as a whole is so difficult. While I appreciate this album wholeheartedly, it is hard to compare it to the rest when her career developed so drastically in so many different ways. Over time she obviously became more polished and her music had more meaning to it. While in the last slot, I still highly praise this debut and I know that the rest of her fan base does also.

Top 3 from Madonna: Borderline, Burning Up, and Think of Me

#13: MDNA (2012)

MDNA is definitely an album of its era. Having an EDM inspired album was all the rage in 2012. With the exception of a few wonderful gems, I’d have to say this album is her weakest lyrically. “Give Me All Your Luvin’” was cute at first but it wore out quickly, and sadly that’s how I feel about (most) of the songs on this album. I don’t feel they’re timeless. A few things I do love about it include the fun collaborations and features with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., and being that this album is post-divorce from Guy Ritchie, there are inspirations pulled from that experience, and they’re fantastic. One thing I love about Madonna is that even if her album is “trendy”, there’s still a story to be told, which describes MDNA perfectly.

Top 3 from MDNA: Masterpiece, Falling Free, and Beautiful Killer

#12: Hard Candy (2008)

I have such a love/hate relationship with this album. Once again, it’s another “trendy” album because Timbaland, although a brilliant producer, has a very distinct way of putting his stamp on everything he touches (rightfully so!) and I’ve also noticed this with Pharrell, who also helped with this album. We know a Timbaland or Pharrell track when we hear it, because they are all kind of similar, which is kind of how I feel about this album as a whole. But I have to say, the songs I love, I love them hard. I struggle with my feelings towards Justin Timberlake but even he had a positive impact on this album. Together they made an R&B-infused dance album that familiarized younger listeners with Madonna’s greatness.

Top 3 from Hard Candy: Heartbeat, Miles Away, and Dance 2night

#11: American Life (2003)

If I would have done this ranking five years ago, American Life would have been at the very bottom. I think I felt confused by how deeply experimental it is because I hadn’t heard anything like that before at the time. Now I see its experimentation in one of Madonna’s most identifiable factors: her unpredictability, which I will forever praise her for. With that being said, American Life isn’t for everyone. This album is about the illusion that greed and fame were a positive aspect of her career, and eventually realizing that she was being delusional all along. It’s about growing up and acknowledging that maybe you lost yourself at one point, but that it’s not too late to get back up. I think that message is beautiful.

Top 3 from American Life: Love Profusion, Nothing Fails, and Intervention

#10: Madame X (2019)

This is hands down Madonna’s most complex work. I’ve listened through the album so many times and admittedly, I came to the conclusion that it just wasn’t for me. Madonna is notorious for experimenting and combining concepts but I felt stumped, like I was missing what I was SUPPOSED to be hearing. It turns out that I was. I read up on the album, from its inspirations to its development to its true meaning. “Madame X” is Madonna’s alter-ego, a master of all trades who is using her privilege to speak up for civil rights. She celebrates multiculturalism and accepts people from all walks of life. Madonna has explained that this album is an homage to music she has loved in the past, which would explain why there isn’t even a specific genre I would put this album in. Madame X is political, intense, not for the faint of heart, and so different from anything she has ever done in her entire career.

Top 3 from Madame X: Batuka, Killers Who Are Partying, and Looking For Mercy

#9: Rebel Heart (2015)

I have never questioned my love for this album. It has some of my favorite ballads and I feel like it’s reminiscent of her earlier work. From the first track “Living For Love”, Madonna exudes this really beautiful confidence that lasts all the way through. Coming off of MDNA which was partially inspired by her divorce, it was refreshing to see Madonna have a little more fun in this era. The songs are quirky, the collaborations are great, and the energy is high.

Top 3 from Rebel Heart: Ghosttown, Inside Out, and Wash All Over Me

#8: Like a Virgin (1984)

It only took two albums into Madonna’s career for controversy to spike. We’ve all seen the legendary MTV VMA performance of the album’s title track. That performance and this album as a whole are truly timeless. It’s essentially an extension of her debut in terms of post-disco dance pop music, but with more ballads. Like a Virgin is short and sweet with a legacy that has paved the way for countless artists and gave us the first true look at the daring Madonna we know today.

Top 3 from Like a Virgin: Material Girl, Angel, and Love Don’t Live Here Anymore

#7: True Blue (1986)

To this day I am still not over True Blue. There is so much to unpack with this album, but one of the most important things to note is that this album symbolizes Madonna’s first pivotal moment in her career. From classical music influences to a tribute to Latin America, this is Madonna’s first multifaceted album. True Blue is DEEP and incredibly moving, yet doesn’t stray far from the pop elements that Madonna had used in her first two albums.

Top 3 from True Blue: Open Your Heart, Live to Tell, and La Isla Bonita

#6: Bedtime Stories (1994)

By 1994, Madonna had faced so much criticism and backlash. She was constantly slut-shamed, she had become majorly tough, and with her seemingly never-ending scandals, fans were losing touch with the Madonna from her first three releases. Bedtime Stories was Madonna’s attempt to soften her image and get back in touch with the fan base she was losing. Still, Madonna’s growth as an artist wasn’t stunted by repositioning her musical elements. This was Madonna’s transition into womanhood. It’s a R&B infused pop album that’s equal parts romantic and sorrowful, with a punch that still reminds you that Madonna has an opinion that she isn’t afraid to express.

Top 4 from Bedtime Stories (I truly couldn’t narrow it down to 3. I just couldn’t.): Love Tried to Welcome Me, Sanctuary, Bedtime Story, and Take A Bow

#5: Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

More times than not, this is the album that Madonna fans call their favorite, which is beyond understandable. The album contains NO ballads because it was meant to play out as if you were on a dance floor. My favorite thing about it is that you can hear the transition from upbeat/fun to deep/dark from track to track if you listen to the songs in order. More than a disco-influenced electronica album, Confessions on a Dance Floor details the price of fame, redirecting your life, and reflecting on your past. It’s such a powerful album and one of my favorites to drive to, also!

Top 3 from Confessions on a Dance Floor: Sorry, Let It Will Be, and Forbidden Love

#4: Erotica (1992)

I think I could (and maybe will) create an entire blog post based on this album alone. The infamous Erotica is Madonna’s most adventurous and “taboo” album & era, to the point where people declared this the END of Madonna’s career. Aside from the album, Madonna simultaneously released her coffee table book, SEX, which truly caused an uproar. Both the album and the book explore themes of S&M, bondage, romance, and heartbreak. For years to come people would uncover the brilliance and versatility Erotica withholds. This is the era we meet Madonna’s alter-ego, Mistress Dita, who controversially sings to us about the pleasure of oral sex and losing friends to AIDS. She’s a revolutionary character who isn’t afraid of normalizing and exploring sexuality. This is NOT an album for the weak, but for those who want to dance. And fuck.

Top 3 from Erotica: Waiting, Words, and Rain

#3: Like a Prayer (1989)

Said to be dedicated to her late mother, Like a Prayer is perhaps one of her widest-known works. The discussions that need to be had within this album are still relevant today. It’s about mourning loss, establishing faith, and feeling empowered. To me, this is an album where Madonna stays true to herself despite some disputes from True Blue. Saturated with elements of funk, gospel, and soul music, it was the perfect album to end the decade before her major transition with Erotica. Like a Prayer serves as a perfect bridge between good girl to good girl gone bad, creating an image of the “in-between stages” of our lives as we grow older. Aside from being “important”, the album is just fun to listen to! You can dance, cry, and let loose with it.

Top 3 from Like a Prayer: (aside from the obviously iconic title track) Till Death Do Us Part, Promise to Try, and Pray for Spanish Eyes

#2: Music (2000)

Speaking of backlash, I know that’s what I’m going to get from about 90% of the people who read this based on this choice alone. I have fought tooth and nail for this album to get the justice it deserves, but I am unable to convince most Madonna fans that Music belongs higher on the list than Confessions on a Dance Floor or Erotica. Maybe it has something to do with my own personal taste, or maybe it’s because the title track makes me nostalgic for my childhood. Whatever the case, I stand for the fact that this album deserves way better. Music is a funky and eclectic album that combines so many different genres from electronica, folk, country, and rock – genres that you wouldn’t normally combine – and it worked out BEAUTIFULLY! I can listen to this album all the way through without skipping, which can be rare for me. Thematically the album reminds me of True Blue in the sense that Madonna reflects on her career up to that point, and accepts the fact that she will always change but fragments remain of the decisions she’s made along the way. It’s fun, sexy, emotional, and way ahead of its time.

Top 3 from Music: Runaway Lover, What It Feels Like for a Girl, and Gone

#1: Ray of Light (1998)

“I traded fame for love without a second thought” is the chilling opening line to my favorite Madonna album, Ray of Light. This album is about spirituality, reinvention, and most importantly, family & becoming a mother. This is hands down Madonna’s most passionate album, released six years after Erotica where she was criticized for coming on too strong. I’d say this is also Madonna’s biggest musical transition in her entire career. It’s touching to listen to Madonna sing how motherhood has transformed her thinking and finally feeling human after so long of just feeling like a celebrity. Ray of Light also closes the final chapter of her tumultuous marriage to her ex husband Sean Penn, and coming to peace with it ending. Lastly, Madonna speaks about her mother’s burial site & becoming one with nature. Everything about it is truly so sentimental! I love this one so much because this is Madonna in her purest and most vulnerable form. It’s an emotional ride from beginning to end but most of all it’s beautifully crafted and has a legacy that will last forever.

Top 3 from Ray of Light: Drowned World/Substitute for Love, Nothing Really Matters, and To Have and Not to Hold

#10 Let There Be Love (Lotus, 2012)

Do you remember in the early 2010s when all of the pop artists made “fist pumping” music? Unfortunately, I do. Upon someone’s first listen to Let There Be Love, it probably immediately registers as one of those. The reason that I like this song though is simple: it’s FUN. Despite being a “period piece” of the early years of the last decade, Christina’s one-of-a-kind singing style paired on top of the electronica infused dance track makes for an inevitable feel-good moment. This song is sexy, energetic, and best played loud. End of story.

#9: I’m OK (Stripped, 2002)

Making a complete pivot from Let There Be Love, we go back 10 years earlier to Christina’s sophomore album Stripped, perhaps her most controversial and important to date. Placed in the last part of the album, I’m OK is a sensitive and heartbreaking song where Christina reflects on the physical and emotional abuse from her father. While the song doesn’t include the signature Christina Aguilera “howl”, her breathy, almost whispering voice goes hand in hand with the acoustic guitar and violins playing in the background. In the song she praises her mother for her strength and elaborates the impact of her childhood on her life as an adult. Christina has only performed this song live one time because of its vulnerability, but it still stands as one of my favorites.

#8: The Voice Within (Stripped, 2002)

The Voice Within is nothing short of incredible. This beautiful piano ballad has sent chills down my spine more than once. Being the final single released from Stripped, the song had a lot to amount to, given that the first four singles are still praised to this day (which says a lot about the album as a whole.) Luckily, Christina knew what she was doing by releasing this song about acknowledging your worth and trusting yourself as the final single, which played out like a happy ending in a story among all of the tracks combined. Oh, and there’s a choir in the song also. Need I say more?

#7: Back in the Day (Back to Basics, 2006)

Remember when I mentioned the versatility illustrated by Christina from album to album? Back to Basics is the perfect example of that, specifically the song Back in the Day. The album itself is an homage to music stemming from the 1920s-1950s and this song does it perfectly, giving credit to the artists of those decades who began the transformation of music as we know it today. It’s a fantastic mix of blues, r&b, and modern pop that you literally can’t help but to dance along to. Though it was never released as a single, it holds a special place in my heart as the song that epitomizes the meaning of the album.

#6: Get Mine, Get Yours (Stripped, 2002)

Obviously I can’t get enough of this album, but there really is so much to unpack from beginning to end. I think the single choices on Stripped were incredible, but I have to say, Get Mine, Get Yours would have fit in there perfectly. The first time I decided to sit down and listen to this album in full, I was blown away by how sexy this song was and totally bummed I hadn’t heard it sooner. Basically, Christina doesn’t want to fall in love, but she’s persistent on having a good time with somebody in the bedroom. Portraying both her beautiful vocal strength and sweet, seductive whispers against the funky R&B music was sheer genius in the production of this track.

#5: Genie In a Bottle (Christina Aguilera, 1999)

This is the song that started it all, and I am convinced that it’s one of the best debut singles of all time. To this day, whenever this song comes on, EVERYBODY is singing it. Genie In a Bottle is a legendary pop/r&b dance track that would inevitably launch Christina into stardom. Upon its release the track reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as in other countries. Rightfully so. I think almost everybody in the world has heard this song one way or another, but if you haven’t, it’s self-explanatory in the way it became such an iconic piece of pop music culture.

#4: Elastic Love (Bionic, 2010)

I have to start by saying Bionic did not get the recognition it deserved. Critics saw the album as influenced heavily by Lady Gaga, and I can see that comparison, but the album represents the transformation from girl gone wild to becoming a mother. The reason Bionic is so phenomenal to me is because once again, Christina had experimented in a genre of music that completely strayed from anything she had done before. Elastic Love must be played at maximum volume. The combination of the heavy drums, the throbbing synths, and Christina’s robotic vocals makes for an excellent and ambitious dance track. Fun fact: M.I.A. assisted on this track, if that tells you anything about it at all.

#3: Infatuation (Stripped, 2002)

At this point, you should just listen to Stripped in its entirety, but even if you don’t, you need to at least visit the masterpiece that is Infatuation. This is hands down my favorite song from the album. Symbolic of her Spanish heritage, the song tells the story about falling in love with the boy her mother warned her to stay away from. Her voice on this track is so beautiful, once again switching from breathy vocals to the boldness that has become her trademark. With everything on the song combined, it practically feels like a movie, telling a story we all know a little too well.

#2: Unless It’s With You (Liberation, 2018)

I’ll be the first to admit that it took more than one listen for Liberation to grow on me. Initially, I felt like more could have happened after a six year hiatus. The more I listened though, the more cohesive the album became. I truly believe this album highlights some of her best vocal abilities, but the closing track Unless It’s With You is what pulled me in. This song is…. so gorgeous, and criminally underrated. There’s something about the love ballad against the piano wrapped up in her voice that is so dreamy and comforting. I want this song played at my wedding. Hands down.

#1: Reflection (Christina Aguilera, 1999)

This. THIS song still blows me away every single time I listen to it. Christina Aguilera was in the very early stages of her career when she covered this song, which was originally written for the Disney movie Mulan. This is the song that would foreshadow the success of the rest of her career. Her vocals in this song sit right with the other top-tier female vocalists like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Everything about this song ensures that it will remain her most iconic and touching ballad during her career and long after it’s over.