What Is Your Worst Madonna Albums?

[steady75 9,566]

Hard Candy. What was the point? 
it’s just so faceless. Polished nothingness.  Her most phoned in record. MDNA is terribly produced in part but it’s almost the polar opposite. There’s a lot to unpick and the carcrash is kind of fascinating. There’s a story at least. 

 

[steady75 9,566]

All these True Blue Like A Virgin deniers.

She would not be here without those two titans. Make it make sense. There’s more Madonna gold in those two albums over two years than the last 20 years of her career. 
More hits and more sales. Legit loling at the erasure 

[steady75 9,566]

Madame X feels expensive and bespoke but it’s an outfit I rarely wear but I’m glad I have. It’s just not a comfortable record and I have blisters after wearing it. 

[lap 1,495]

Madame X, IMO, is her worst album ever. Sounds more like a bad soundtrack for a bad movie called Madame X than a Madonna's studio album. I couldn't care less about Madame X Tour either. 

[steady75 9,566]

1 hour ago, godx said:

It wasn't really until Erotica (arguably LAP) that she started to put a lot of effort into album tracks and aim for a solid body of work, which is a big part of what makes an album great.

True Blue has the best set of singles in her discography but also the weakest album tracks she has made. Like a Virgin is meh all over and its 2 redeeming singles are both polarizing with very little depth (artistry wise) or connection to Madonna herself.

Her best seller albums feel kinda random when you think about the quality. Erotica, Bedtime Stories, American Life and Madame X are some of her absolute best, yet were her biggest underperformers of their time.

Jimmy Jimmy is the only sub par track on True Blue and even then it’s full of charm and fun. Maybe you needed to live through it but the whole album felt like a giant step up in terms of theme and quality from the first two albums.
It was very much an album and not some singles and filler. Her first concept album in many ways and her 80’s Titan stadium album much of which went on to inspire MJ’s Bad. 

I also feel you have to include Into The Groove, Crazy For You and Gambler with the LAV album because I just can’t think of that period as anything but an era. 

[MDNA22 1,167]

MDNA, Rebel Heart and Madame X - they are way behind every album that came before . I think the move away from Warners had alot to do with it.  

Each of them are still good records but by Madonna's own standards they stand behind her others - they are just not her enough and all miss the magic that you feel on all her previous albums - I don't think she had much involvement in writing any of them and the production on MDNA and Rebel Heart was poor and the style she went for Madame X just made for a collection of good but unmemorable records.  Each of them have a small number of good tracks though.

 

 

[Fabiolous 5,489]

54 minutes ago, MDNA22 said:

MDNA, Rebel Heart and Madame X - they are way behind every album that came before . I think the move away from Warners had alot to do with it.  

Each of them are still good records but by Madonna's own standards they stand behind her others - they are just not her enough and all miss the magic that you feel on all her previous albums - I don't think she had much involvement in writing any of them and the production on MDNA and Rebel Heart was poor and the style she went for Madame X just made for a collection of good but unmemorable records.  Each of them have a small number of good tracks though.

 

 

She wrote every song on Madame X. Some songs almost entirely by herself. 

[deathproof 10,555]

19 minutes ago, Let'sGetUnconsciousHoney said:

She wrote every song on Madame X. Some songs almost entirely by herself. 

Not true lol.

[steady75 9,566]

Yeah I’m really cautious about saying Madonna soley writes her songs. She is a collaborative artist and enjoys the fruitfulness of other peoples input and perspective … if only to further solidly her ideas or utilise the friction between ideas to spark creative thought processes. 
She’s never really done much solo stuff. 

[Fabiolous 5,489]

33 minutes ago, deathproof said:

Not true lol.

What are you talking about? 7 songs on the album are written solely by Madonna and Mirwais, so that's already a 50% input at least. Now consider the fact that Mirwais doesn't speak much English. 

[deathproof 10,555]

4 hours ago, Let'sGetUnconsciousHoney said:

What are you talking about? 7 songs on the album are written solely by Madonna and Mirwais, so that's already a 50% input at least. Now consider the fact that Mirwais doesn't speak much English. 

What are you talking about?

Faz Gostoso is a cover.

[Fabiolous 5,489]

5 hours ago, deathproof said:

What are you talking about?

Faz Gostoso is a cover.

Yes of course. One song is. And it was changed dramatically since it's half in English. It doesn't make what I said about the other 7 songs untrue 

[deathproof 10,555]

1 hour ago, Let'sGetUnconsciousHoney said:

Yes of course. One song is. And it was changed dramatically since it's half in English. It doesn't make what I said about the other 7 songs untrue 

?

[Renato Iodice 128]

With the exception of VOGUE, I'd say I'M BREATHLESS is her worst album.

[Madame Madonna 4,107]

Bedtime stories.

I like music videos from that album. "Secret, take a bow, human nature, bedtime story." I like the music video from this era.

But song itself? I only like Secret. the others are just meh for me. Even Take a bow is just meh for me.

This album feels like a collection of demo songs composed of dissonance.

So I always choose as the least favorite Madonna album as Bedtime stories.

 

[steady75 9,566]

American Life is a good listen as an album but has her worst singles run and campaign. Melody went to die on that record. I find this can happen a bit with Mirwais stuff. He’s loops and glitches tend to take up the bandwidth where the melody and chord progressions rises and falls should sit prouder. 

[steady75 9,566]

I’ll never forget tearing up when I first heard the opening verses of Medellin. I also loved watching the fan re action videos to it on you tube. You could see fans so relieved and overwhelmed at a dose of old school Madonna hitting the spot on those opening notes and first verse. That song is utter joy even if the chorus is under cooked (much of Madame X fails just to hit the g spot and climax) I do feel that the amount of dual language made it less playable for western radios 

[luluthecat 1,109]

3 hours ago, steady75 said:

I’ll never forget tearing up when I first heard the opening verses of Medellin. I also loved watching the fan re action videos to it on you tube. You could see fans so relieved and overwhelmed at a dose of old school Madonna hitting the spot on those opening notes and first verse. That song is utter joy even if the chorus is under cooked (much of Madame X fails just to hit the g spot and climax) I do feel that the amount of dual language made it less playable for western radios 

Awww I remember exactly where I was hearing it for the first time too, it was so nice to have a proper leak free premier!!

[brank000 2,145]

From me, "Madame X" is hands down her worst. I still can't listen to it from start to finish.  There are a couple songs on it that I don't dislike, but they seem to be lacking for me and aren't anywhere near the standard that I expect from Madonna.

[Sultrysully 2,865]

When I compare to other singer's catalogs like Cher, Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Kylie Minogue, Michael Jackson and Prince; there are no bad Madonna albums.   All of those singers have produced complete shit albums along side their other work.  Madonna does not have an album as bad as Michael Jackson's Invincible for example.  Not even close.  My least favorite Madonna album is Like a Virgin by far but it was a worldwide smash.  It just feels the least Madonna inspired work that she ever produced.   I like when a Madonna song/contribution/album  feels like it comes from her soul.  LAV felt produced.  

[Ayham 5,475]

As @Sultrysully said... no bad album from M, she did really amazing job with her career as a musician compared to other artists except MJ.

[RUADJAI 14,909]

10 hours ago, Madame Madonna said:

Bedtime stories.

This album feels like a collection of demo songs composed of dissonance.

Dissonance?!  Bedtime Stories as a whole feels like a warm hug. (with the exception of Human Nature) I would say its flaw is not having lyrical substance with the non-singles. If you want to hear real dissonance, listen to some Bjork songs. 

 

 

[Shoful 8,549]

I’ve probably posted in here before but I can’t remember. The only acceptable answers are MDNA and Like A Virgin

[Box_6111 222]

I like the fact that Madonna explores variations adaptations of pop and electronic music; however, Hard Candy is my least favorite album she has recorded.  It's more of a celebration of Justin Timberlake that her own true sound (I would love to hear a solo version of '4 Minutes').  Madame X is incredibly different, but it still has an element of 'Madonna' to it hidden deep within.  

[RUADJAI 14,909]

This is a hard question and sorry Im about to get a bit analytical...

My first instinct is to say True Blue. But if I look at the songs, there's no way. 6 of the 9 songs are ABSOLUTE favorites. I think it comes down to not experiencing the era as it happened. I'm pretty sure I bought the Immaculate Collection before I got True Blue so when I got True Blue I already knew 4 of the 9 in a more updated sound and in a different play order. I also think I saw Blond Ambition Tour before I saw The Who's that Girl Tour, so when I did finally see WTG Tour if felt meh. (I think I was also extremely confused because I didn't realize The Immaculate Collection was a greatest hits and I didn't understand why she kept putting her songs on multiple albums. Including You Can Dance)

With that all said... I'm going to choose Rebel Heart. I think it needed more love and a more clear direction both musically and lyrically.