Madonna Albums Ranked (rated from worst to best)

Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, USA on August 16th 1958. She moved to New York City in 1978 to become a dancer. After performing as a drummer, guitarist and singer in a couple of bands (“Breakfast Club” and “Emmy”), she signed to Gotham Records as a solo singer in March 1981.

She has gone on to become one of the most famous singers of the modern era. She has been given the nickname of the “Queen Of Pop”, a title she has earned with her long service to the pop music industry.

Table of Contents

Best Madonna Albums Of All Time

Madonna has released 14 studio albums and as always we will rank them as we see them from the rest to the best.

14. American Life (2003)

Released on April 21st 2003, this was Madonna’s 9th studio album. It has been described as a “folktronica and Eurotechno album influenced by acoustic music“.

It is a concept album focusing on themes from the American dream to materialism. It has also been described by some music critics as being “hard to listen to and confusing”.

There were 4 singles released from this album which were; “American Life”, “Hollywood”, “Nothing Fails” and “Love Profusion”.

“American Life” peaked at number one in 14 countries including; France, Germany, Italy, Canada, The US and the UK.

13. MDNA (2012)

This was Madonna’s 12th studio album which was released on March 23rd 2012. The album features guest rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj and is mainly an upbeat album.

It was recorded during 2011 at various studios including; Studio At The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Sarm West Studios in London, England, UK, MSR Studios in New York City, New York and 3:20 Studios in Los Angeles, California.

There were 4 singles released from this album which were; “Give Me All Your Luvin’”, “Girl Gone Wild”, “Masterpiece” and “Turn Up The Radio”.

“MDNA” topped the album charts in many countries worldwide and Madonna set a new record for the most number one albums by a solo artist in both Australia and the UK.

12. Madame X (2019)

Released on June 14th 2019, this was Madonna’s 14th studio album. The album features guest artists including; Maluma, Swae Lee, Quavo and Anitta.

There were 2 promotional singles released from the album which were; “Future” and “Dark Ballet” as well as 4 singles that all reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart which were; “Medellin”, “Crave”, “I Rise” and “ I Don’t Search I Find”.

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart making it Madonna’s 9th number one album in the US.

It also topped the album charts in Argentina and Portugal. As well as peaking at number two in the album charts in Australia, Canada, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, the Netherlands and the UK.

11. Hard Candy (2008)

Released on April 19th 2008, this was Madonna’s 11th studio album. It was her final album with Warner Bros. Records and includes collaborations with artists including; Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Nate “Danja” Hills and the Neptunes.

This album is mainly a dance-pop album which incorporates hip hop, disco, electropop, R&B, electro and funk.

There were 3 singles released from this album which were; “4 Minutes”, ”Give It 2 Me” and “Miles Away”.

The album peaked at number one in many countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, the US and the UK.

10. Music (2000)

“Music” is the 8th studio album released by Madonna on September 18th 2000. The album incorporates many different genres including; dance-pop, funk, house, electronica, rock, folk and country.

There were 3 singles released from this album which were; “Music”, “Don’t Tell Me” and “What It Feels Like For A Girl”.

The album debuted at number one in the album charts in more than 23 countries around the world and it was her first album to top the US Billboard 200 chart since “Like A Prayer” in 1989.

9. Rebel Heart (2015)

“Rebel Heart” is Madonna’s 13th studio album which was released on March 6th 2015. This album features guest vocals by boxer Mike Tyson and rappers; Nicki Minaj, Chance The Rapper and Nas.

It is primarily a pop album with influences from the world of reggae, 1990s house and trap music. With some acoustic tracks and some incorporating a gospel choir.

There were 4 singles released from this album which were; “Living For Love”, “Ghosttown”, “B*tch I’m Madonna” and “Hold Tight”.

The album peaked at number 2 on the US and UK album charts but made the number one spot in many countries including; Canada, Australia, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain.

8. Erotica (1992)

Released on October 20th 1992 this was Madonna’s 5th studio album. The album was recorded in New York City while Madonna was also working on a book and film projects.

There were 6 singles released from this album which were; “Erotica”, “Deeper And Deeper”, “Bad Girl”, “Fever”, “Rain” and “Bye Bye Baby”.

“Erotica peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart making it her first album not to make it to number one on the US album charts.

It did reach the number one spot in Australia, France and Finland and the Top 5 in several countries including; Canada, Japan, Germany, New Zealand and the UK.

7. Madonna (1983)

This was Madonna’s debut album which was released on July 27th 1983. It was reissued in 1985 and retitled “Madonna: The First Album”.

The album has a synthetic disco sound which is predominantly upbeat.

There were 5 singles released from this album which were; “Everybody”, “Burning Up”, “Holiday”, “Lucky Star” and “Borderline”.

The album peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart in the US and number 6 on the UK album charts.

6. Confessions On A Dancefloor (2005)

This is Madonna’s 10th studio album which was released on November 9th 2005. This album takes its influences from 70s disco, 80s electro pop and up to date club music.

There were 4 singles released from this album which were; “Hung Up”, “Sorry”, “Get Together” and “Jump”.

The album peaked at number one in many countries around the world including; the UK, the US, Portugal, Australia, Canada, Israel, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Brazil, Belgium, and many more.

5. Bedtime Stories (1994)

This is Madonna’s 6th studio album which was released on October 25th 1994. It is primarily a pop, R&B and hip hop album and Madonna worked with the Icelandic singer Björk on the track “Bedtime Story” because she was trying to break into the British club music scene.

There were 4 singles released from this album which were; “Secret”, “Take A Bow”, “Bedtime Story” and “Human Nature”.

The album peaked at number 2 on the UK album charts and number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

4. Like A Virgin (1984)

Released on November 12th 1984, this was Madonna’s 2nd studio album.

The album was recorded at Power Station Studio in New York and produced by Nile Rodgers who had worked with Chic and more recently David Bowie’s 1983 album “Let’s Dance”.

There were 5 singles released from this album which were; “Like A Virgin”, “Material Girl”, “Angel”, “Into The Groove” and “Dress You Up”.

“Like A Virgin” became Madonna’s first number one album on the Billboard 200 chart and set a record for the first female album to sell more than 5 million copies in the US.

It also peaked at number one in many countries including; New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

SEE ALSO: Angel Guitar Chords & Lyrics

3. True Blue (1986)

“True Blue” is Madonna’s 3rd studio album which was released on June 30th 1986. The album marks a new style from her previous recordings in that she incorporated classical music to try to attract an older audience.

There were 5 singles released from this album which were; “Live To Tell”, “Papa Don’t Preach”, “True Blue”, “Open Your Heart” and “La Isla Bonita”.

The album was a worldwide success, peaking at number one in 28 countries including; Australia, Canada, France, the US and the UK.

SEE ALSO: La Isla Bonita Lyrics & Chords

2. Ray Of Light (1998)

“Ray Of Light” is Madonna’s 7th studio album which was released on February 22 1998. It is predominantly an electronica and techno-pop album which incorporates many genres including; trip hop, ambient, psychedelic and Middle Eastern music.

There were 6 singles released from this album which were; “Frozen”, “Ray Of Light”, “Drowned World/Substitute For Love”, “The Power Of Good-Bye”, “Little Star” and “Nothing Really Matters”.

The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number one in many countries including; the UK, Switzerland, Singapore, Norway, Canada and Australia.

1. Like A Prayer (1989)

Released on March 21st 1989, “Like A Prayer” is Madonna’s 4th studio album. It is a pop album with rock, R&B, gospel and funk influences.

There were 6 singles released from this album which were; “Like A Prayer”, “Express Yourself”, “Cherish”, “Oh Father”, “Dear Jessie” and “Keep It Together”.

The album was an international success peaking at number one in 20 countries around the world including; Argentina, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, the US and the UK.

All Madonna Albums In Chronological Order

Album	Date
Madonna	1983
Like A Virgin	1984
True Blue	1986
Like A Player	1989
Erotica	1992
Bedtime Stories	1994
Ray Of Light	1998
Music	2000
American Life	2003
Confessions on a Dance Floor	2005
Hard Candy	2008
MDNA	2012
Rebel Heart	2015
Madame X	2019

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best selling Madonna album?

The best selling Madonna album is “The Immaculate Collection” which was a compilation album released in 1990. The album has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.

What is the newest Madonna album?

The newest Madonna album is “Madame X” which was released on June 14th 2019.

What is the first Madonna album?

The first Madonna album is “Madonna” which was released on July 27th 1983.

What is Madonna’s most famous song?

Madonna’s most famous song is “Like A Virgin” which was taken from the album of the same name.

When did Madonna start?

Madonna started her singing career in a band called “Breakfast Club” which was formed in 1979 in New York City, USA. She was also drummer and guitarist for the band. She was signed to Gotham Records as a solo artist in March 1981.

What genre is Madonna?

The genres ascribed to Madonna are; pop, dance and electronica.

Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review.