It is interesting that True Blue, her biggest worldwide commercial success in terms of studio album sales, is barely mentioned here.

[Edited 5/16/20 15:15pm]

gandorb said:

It is interesting that True Blue, her biggest worldwide commercial success in terms of studio album sales, is barely mentioned here.

"Live To Tell" is the song that turned me into a Madonna fan.That's when I knew that she was more than just a cute pop singer."Papa Don't Preach" had a similiar effect on me.These are 'serious' songs.I like the True Blue album,but I think the albums that came after are stronger and more consistent.

gandorb said:

It is interesting that True Blue, her biggest worldwide commercial success in terms of studio album sales, is barely mentioned here.

[Edited 5/16/20 15:15pm]

I love True Blue.

I used to be into ranking the "mature" albums like Ray of Light and Like a Prayer high like a lot of this thread do too, now I'm starting to feel like it's like eating barbecue chicken with a knife and fork... kinda misses the point of a Madonna record in a way, no? True Blue feels more like that true blue essence of Madge music when I think of Madge music.

Bedtime Stories is still best though, that's right in the middle there in terms of approach... I'd rank them but I haven't heard anything after Hard Candy and thus feel underqualified for a proper rundown.

[Edited 5/16/20 16:40pm]

SoulAlive said:

gandorb said:

It is interesting that True Blue, her biggest worldwide commercial success in terms of studio album sales, is barely mentioned here.

"Live To Tell" is the song that turned me into a Madonna fan.That's when I knew that she was more than just a cute pop singer."Papa Don't Preach" had a similiar effect on me.These are 'serious' songs.I like the True Blue album,but I think the albums that came after are stronger and more consistent.

Yes, those two True Blue singles were a notch beyond what she had done before IMO. Yes, the whole album wasn't consistent.

SoulAlive said:

My Top 5 favorite Madonna albums 1) Ray Of Light 2) Erotica 3) Like A Prayer 4) Confessions On A Dancefloor 5) Bedtime Stories

All those are great albums.

I stopped being a Madonna fan after Like A Prayer. I still listen to 'Madonna' from time to time. For some reason it's the one that made the most lasting impression.

CherryMoon57 said:

I stopped being a Madonna fan after Like A Prayer. I still listen to 'Madonna' from time to time. For some reason it's the one that made the most lasting impression.

Great debut album, you should give her discography a chance, she's got great albums after LAP

gandorb said:

I am among the few who really liked Hard Candy, though granted it is not near the top of her releases. I also love some of the songs on American Life but the bad songs really made it hard to listen all the way through without skipping. MDNA the only studio album that I really don't like hardly anything.

Seriously? You don't even like "Falling Free"? I think that song is incredible and should have been a single.

Other tunes I really like on that album: "Beautiful Killer","Some Girls","Gang Bang","I'm A Sinner","Love Spent".

alphastreet said:

Re: Hard Candy.....Love the pharell tracks, but the timbaland and Justin ones were the standouts to me. They came close to capturing her early 80s r&b grooves

For me,it's the opposite I think the Pharrell tracks were a better fit for Madonna....and yet my favorite track is the Timbaland-produced "Miles Away",lol

It's all about dat "Voices". Pharrell tracks, as always, would've been better with Chad Hugo.

Just realized, was all her Guy Ritchie material only with Timbaland? All of those are fantastic.

[Edited 5/17/20 23:49pm]

SoulAlive said:

gandorb said:

SoulAlive said:

Seriously? You don't even like "Falling Free"? I think that song is incredible and should have been a single.

Other tunes I really like on that album: "Beautiful Killer","Some Girls","Gang Bang","I'm A Sinner","Love Spent".

Yes seriously, but I will give it another listen. I was so put off by the awful MDNA single that perhaps I didn't give the album a fair chance. That single to me was similar to when Prince led with My Name is Prince. A rather shocking decline from their respective traditions of strong lead singles.

never judge an entire album by the first single Record companies don't always choose the right song.If it were up to me,"Love Spent" and "Falling Free" would have been the first two singles.These songs are terrific.

SoulAlive said:

alphastreet said:

SoulAlive said:

never judge an entire album by the first single Record companies don't always choose the right song.If it were up to me,"Love Spent" and "Falling Free" would have been the first two singles.These songs are terrific.

Even girl gone wild or I don’t give a would have made a good first single

Those are good songs.

OperatingThetan said:

'Ray of Light' comes close lyrically, but for me she's never quite equaled the warm intimacy and vulnerability of 'Bedtime Stories'.

Rya Of Light it's more spirtual and introspective whereas Bed is more intimate and vulnerable and of course it's an r&b album with some hip hop and electronica elements Ray Of Light is full of electronica with not r&b to be found.

alphastreet said:

I hear a very slight hip hop influence in the song Swim

Swim what a great song, many of them have some hip hop flavor.

slyjackson said:

I dig all her 80's albums, pick any one from that era. From the 90's on it's hit or miss for me

Ray of Light and Confessions...

Best era Erotica / Bedtime Stories

Essential:

Erotica

Ray Of Light

Like A Prayer

Confessions On A Dance Floor

Really Great:

Music

True Blue

Madonna

Rebel Heart

Bedtime Stories

American Life

Worth a go:

Madame X

I'm Breathless

Like A Virgin

Hard Candy

Meh:

MDNA

Who's That Girl

For beginners:

The Immaculate Collection

alphastreet said:

I would add Celebration to the beginners list so that one is exposed to her post 80s work too

Definitely, I'm just still annoyed that when I bought it, the edits of "Erotica" and "Cherish" were awful Plus the credits are a mess. It gets bonus points for the unique mix of 'Lucky Star' and including 'Who's That Girl', though...

OldFriends4Sale said:

Best era Erotica / Bedtime Stories

I really enjoyed the Erotica era it was fun and wild!

give it up,do as I say

I'll give you love,I'll teach you how to.....