Ray of Light
Encyclopedia
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna
, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records
and distributed by Warner Bros. Records
. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard
and William Orbit
in developing the album. Following failed sessions with other producers, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with Orbit. The album incorporates pop
, dance-pop
, and electronic
music. The recording took place over four months, but experienced problems with the Pro Tools
arrangement by Orbit as well as the absence of live bands.
Upon release, the album was lauded by contemporary critics as a masterpiece. Reviewers complimented the album for its mature, restrained nature and commended Madonna's musical direction, calling it her "most adventurous" record. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from six nominations. Commercially the album was a success, peaking at number one in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the US Billboard 200
, the album debuted and peaked at number two. With global sales of 20 million copies, Ray of Light became one of the most commercially successful albums of the 1990's.
Five singles were released from the album. The first, "Frozen
," was an international success, as was the second, "Ray of Light
", which won several awards for its music video. Madonna has performed songs from the album on each of her world tours since its release. Due to its impact on popular music, Ray of Light has been included on a number of best albums lists, including Rolling Stone
magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
".
by J. G. Ballard
. It was primarily produced by Madonna, William Orbit
, and Patrick Leonard
. The album featured a new musical direction for Madonna as well as personal lyrics about motherhood, fame, love and spirituality. Madonna's vocal range spanned through higher notes, because of the choral training she underwent during Evita
. Madonna began writing songs with Leonard in 1997, the first time the two had worked together since "I'll Remember
", three years earlier . Unlike her previous albums, Leonard's song writing collaborations were accompanied by very little studio input. Madonna believed that Leonard's production "would have lent the songs more of a Peter Gabriel
vibe", a sound that she did not want for the album.
Madonna began working on Ray of Light in May 1997, meeting with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had previously worked on her 1994 album Bedtime Stories
. The two wrote a few songs together before Madonna decided the collaborations were not going in the musical direction she wanted for the album. According to Edmonds, the songs "had a 'Take a Bow-ish' kind of vibe, and Madonna didn't want, or need, to repeat herself." After abandoning the songs she had written with Edmonds, Madonna turned to musician Rick Nowels
, who had previously co-written songs with Stevie Nicks
and Celine Dion
. The collaboration produced seven songs in three days, but did not show the album's future electronic musical direction. Instead, Madonna took her collaborations with Nowels and Leonard to British electronic music
musician William Orbit
. Madonna had been a fan of Orbit's work, and loved the "sort of trancy, ambient quality" he gave to the songs he worked on. She began working with Orbit after he had sent her tapes of musical snippets he was working on, which were usually eight or sixteen-bar phrases and stripped down versions of tracks that would later be heard on the album. Madonna would listen to the samples over and over again until they inspired her to write lyrics. Once she had an idea about a song's lyrical direction, she would take her ideas to Orbit and they would expand on the original music ideas. "Mer Girl" and "Ray of Light" are the only songs on the album that Madonna did not compose with her collaborators. For "Mer Girl", Madonna wrote only the lyrics, while her creative input to "Ray of Light" was limited to adding/changing a few lyrics.
in 1997, the longest Madonna had ever worked on an album. For most of the recording process, only three other people were in the studio with Madonna: William Orbit
, engineer Pat McCarthy, and his assistant engineer, Matt Silva. The recording process was initially plagued with machinery problems, as Orbit preferred to work with samples, synth sounds, and Pro Tools
rather than live musicians. The computers would break down, delaying recording until they could be repaired. Orbit recorded the bulk of the album's instrumentation over the four-month period. Orbit recalls playing the guitar and having his fingers bleed during his long hours in the studio. After some errors in her pronunciation of Sanskrit shloka
s on Ray of Light, the BBC
, London, arranged for Madonna to take telephonic lessons to learn basic correct pronunciation of Sanskrit
words from eminent scholar Dr B P T Vagish Shastri
. She then made the necessary pronunciation corrections on the album.
". Roni Sarig, in an editorial review for Amazon.com
, stated that Ray of Light "is her richest, most accomplished record yet." He was most impressed by Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity which had become stronger since her voice lessons for the film Evita
(1996). Spin
magazine declared Madonna's new album to be her "most radical, mask-free work." Rob Sheffield's review for Rolling Stone
was mostly positive, but he did point out the weak aspects of the album. Sheffield called the album "brilliant", but was critical of Orbit's production, claiming that he "doesn't know enough tricks to fill a whole CD, so he repeats himself something fierce." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
from Allmusic called Ray of Light Madonna's "most adventurous record" and her "most mature and restrained album." In his review he gave the album four out of five stars. David Browne
of Entertainment Weekly
gave the album an A-, noting "For all her grapplings with self-enlightenment, Madonna seems more relaxed and less contrived than she's been in years, from her new Italian earth-mother makeover to, especially, her music. Ray of Light is truly like a prayer, and you know she'll take you there." Writing for Melody Maker
in February 1998, Mark Roland drew comparisons with the music of St Etienne
and Björk
's Homogenic
album, highlighting Ray of Lights lack of cynicism as its most positive aspect; "It's not an album turned on the lathe of cynical pop manipulation, rather it's been squished out of a lump of clay on a foot-powered wheel. Lovingly teased into life, "Ray Of Light" is like the ugly mug that doesn't match but is all the more special because of it." Music critic Robert Hilburn
from Los Angeles Times
wrote, "One reason why her new 'Ray of Light' is the most satisfying album of her career is that it reflects the soul-searching of a woman who is at a point in her life where she can look at herself with surprising and prespective." Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe
said that Ray of Light is a remarkable album. He stated, "It's a deeply spiritual dance record, ecstatically textured, a sumptuous, serious cycle of songs that goes a long way toward liberating Madonna from a career built on scavenged images and cultivated identities.
albums chart on the issue dated March 21, 1998, selling 371,000 copies in the first week. It was the biggest first-week sales by a female artist in Nielsen SoundScan
era, at that time. However, the album was not able to top the soundtrack album
of the motion picture Titanic
, becoming Madonna's fifth album to peak at the runner-up position. On March 16, 2000, the album was certified four times platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for shipments of four million units of the album. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart
and was certified seven times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA) for shipment of 700,000 copies. The album also debuted at number one in Australia, becoming Madonna's seventh album to reach the top spot. The Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) certified it three times platinum denoting shipment of 210,000 copies.
In the United Kingdom, Ray of Light debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
, remaining in the top spot for two weeks. It was certified six times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for shipment of 1.8 million copies. In France, the album entered the official albums chart at number two, staying there for seven weeks before descending the chart. It was certified three times platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
for shipments of 900,000 copies of the album. In Germany, the album reached number one on the Media Control Charts
and remained there for seven weeks. It was certified three times platinum for shipment of 1.5 million copies. The album also reached the top of European Top 100 Albums
chart and was certified seven times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipment of seven million units. Ray of Light achieved similar success in the rest of world, topping the official charts of Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. It has sold over 20 million copies, becoming one of the most commercially successful albums of the 1990's.
", the lead single
from the album, became Madonna's eighth number one single on the UK Singles Chart
, and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100
. Co-written by Patrick Leonard
, the song featured Madonna's vocals over layers of string arrangements and synthesizers. In 2005, a Belgian
court ruled that the opening four-bar theme to the song was plagiarized from the song "Ma vie fout le camp", composed by Salvatore Acquaviva. The ruling forbade the sale of the single and the entire Ray of Light album, as well as other compilations that included the track in Belgium. The second single, "Ray of Light
", based on the track "Sepheryn", written by Clive Maldoon & Dave Curtiss (Curtiss Maldoon
) in the 70s, was 20 years later reworked by Maldoon's cousin Christine Ann Leach and William Orbit and featured a combination of high-energy techno sounds and electric guitar riffs. It debuted at No. 2 in the UK and was certified Silver. It reached the top 5 in the US, where it received a Gold award. The song was also a dance hit in the US, remaining at number one for four weeks, and became the top Hot Dance Club Play single of 1998. The song was nominated for "Record of the Year" at the 1999 Grammy Award
s, but lost to Celine Dion
's "My Heart Will Go On
."
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love
" became the third release outside of North America, and was a top-ten hit in the UK. The music video
, directed by Walter Stern, caused controversy due to scenes featuring Madonna being chased by paparazzi
on motor-bikes, a scenario similar to Princess Diana
's death in 1997. The fourth single, "The Power of Good-Bye
", a ballad reflecting on a painful breakup, became a modest chart success, peaking at number six in the UK, and number eleven in the US It was released in the UK with "Little Star", a song about Madonna's daughter, as an AA side. Its music video was directed by Matthew Rolston
. "Nothing Really Matters
", the fifth and final single release, became a top-ten hit in the UK, reaching number seven. In the US, however, the song became Madonna's lowest-charting single on the Hot 100
, although it reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Its music video, directed by Johan Renck
, was inspired by Arthur Golden
's book Memoirs of a Geisha
, and featured Madonna dressed as a geisha
.
in 1998 and performed "Ray of Light" and "Little Star." Madonna also opened the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999 with the performance of "Nothing Really Matters". At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards
, she performed "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light
" with Lenny Kravitz
. Madonna then did promotional shows across Europe and sang "The Power of Good-Bye" at the MTV Europe Music Awards
. In New Zealand, a box set of Ray of Light and The Immaculate Collection
was released to accompany the album. It reached number 12 the country's official albums chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) for shipment of 7,500 copies. In the United States, "Sky Fits Heaven" was released as a promotional single. It received moderate success on the clubs, peaking at number 41 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The supporting tour for the album, Drowned World Tour
, was supposed to start in 1999 but was delayed until 2001. In 1999, a promotional instore VHS compilation titled Rays of Light was released in the UK, compiling the music videos to all five singles from the album. All five videos were later included on the compilation The Video Collection 93:99
(1999).
" and "Best Recording Package
", and was nominated for "Album of the Year
." In addition, the album's title track
won "Best Dance Recording
" and "Best Short Form Music Video
," and was nominated for "Record of the Year
." At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards
, Madonna also won six awards out of nine nominations. She also won "Best Album" and "Best Female Artist" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 1998. In 2001, a poll of a quarter of a million music fans on VH1
voted Ray of Light as the tenth of "100 Best Albums of All Time." That year Rolling Stone readers also voted the album as the 29th best recording ever. Later, the magazine listed Ray of Light at number 28 on its list of "100 Best Albums of the Nineties" and number 363 on the list of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." In 2005, the album was ranked at 33 on the Q
magazine's list of "100 Greatest Albums Ever". The album is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
. Mojo
magazine also listed Ray of Light at number 29 on "100 Modern Classics: The Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime".
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
and distributed by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
and William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
in developing the album. Following failed sessions with other producers, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with Orbit. The album incorporates pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
, and electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
music. The recording took place over four months, but experienced problems with the Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
arrangement by Orbit as well as the absence of live bands.
Upon release, the album was lauded by contemporary critics as a masterpiece. Reviewers complimented the album for its mature, restrained nature and commended Madonna's musical direction, calling it her "most adventurous" record. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from six nominations. Commercially the album was a success, peaking at number one in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. On the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, the album debuted and peaked at number two. With global sales of 20 million copies, Ray of Light became one of the most commercially successful albums of the 1990's.
Five singles were released from the album. The first, "Frozen
Frozen (song)
"Frozen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eight studio album Ray of Light. It was released as the lead single from the album on 23 February 1998 by Maverick Records...
," was an international success, as was the second, "Ray of Light
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
", which won several awards for its music video. Madonna has performed songs from the album on each of her world tours since its release. Due to its impact on popular music, Ray of Light has been included on a number of best albums lists, including Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
".
Background
The working title for this album was The Drowned World, inspired by the novelThe Drowned World
The Drowned World is a 1962 science fiction novel by J. G. Ballard. In contrast to much post-apocalyptic fiction, the novel features a central character who, rather than being disturbed by the end of the old world, is enraptured by the chaotic reality that has come to replace it...
by J. G. Ballard
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...
. It was primarily produced by Madonna, William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
, and Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
. The album featured a new musical direction for Madonna as well as personal lyrics about motherhood, fame, love and spirituality. Madonna's vocal range spanned through higher notes, because of the choral training she underwent during Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
. Madonna began writing songs with Leonard in 1997, the first time the two had worked together since "I'll Remember
I'll Remember
"I'll Remember" is a song by American recording artist Madonna. It was released on March 8, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records as the soundtrack single of the film With Honors...
", three years earlier . Unlike her previous albums, Leonard's song writing collaborations were accompanied by very little studio input. Madonna believed that Leonard's production "would have lent the songs more of a Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
vibe", a sound that she did not want for the album.
Madonna began working on Ray of Light in May 1997, meeting with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had previously worked on her 1994 album Bedtime Stories
Bedtime Stories (Madonna album)
Bedtime Stories is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on October 25, 1994 by Maverick Records. Madonna collaborated with Dallas Austin, Babyface, Dave "Jam" Hall and Nellee Hooper, deciding to move into a more R&B direction...
. The two wrote a few songs together before Madonna decided the collaborations were not going in the musical direction she wanted for the album. According to Edmonds, the songs "had a 'Take a Bow-ish' kind of vibe, and Madonna didn't want, or need, to repeat herself." After abandoning the songs she had written with Edmonds, Madonna turned to musician Rick Nowels
Rick Nowels
Richard Wright Nowels Jr. is a Grammy / Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter/producer who has worked with many of the most vibrant artists in contemporary music...
, who had previously co-written songs with Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
and Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
. The collaboration produced seven songs in three days, but did not show the album's future electronic musical direction. Instead, Madonna took her collaborations with Nowels and Leonard to British electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
musician William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
. Madonna had been a fan of Orbit's work, and loved the "sort of trancy, ambient quality" he gave to the songs he worked on. She began working with Orbit after he had sent her tapes of musical snippets he was working on, which were usually eight or sixteen-bar phrases and stripped down versions of tracks that would later be heard on the album. Madonna would listen to the samples over and over again until they inspired her to write lyrics. Once she had an idea about a song's lyrical direction, she would take her ideas to Orbit and they would expand on the original music ideas. "Mer Girl" and "Ray of Light" are the only songs on the album that Madonna did not compose with her collaborators. For "Mer Girl", Madonna wrote only the lyrics, while her creative input to "Ray of Light" was limited to adding/changing a few lyrics.
Recording
The album was recorded over four and a half months in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1997, the longest Madonna had ever worked on an album. For most of the recording process, only three other people were in the studio with Madonna: William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
, engineer Pat McCarthy, and his assistant engineer, Matt Silva. The recording process was initially plagued with machinery problems, as Orbit preferred to work with samples, synth sounds, and Pro Tools
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
rather than live musicians. The computers would break down, delaying recording until they could be repaired. Orbit recorded the bulk of the album's instrumentation over the four-month period. Orbit recalls playing the guitar and having his fingers bleed during his long hours in the studio. After some errors in her pronunciation of Sanskrit shloka
Shloka
A ' is a category of verse line developed from the Vedic Anuṣṭubh. It is the basis for Indian Epic verse, and may be considered the Indian verse form par excellence, occurring, as it does, far more frequently than any other meter in classical Sanskrit poetry. The Mahabharata and Ramayana, for...
s on Ray of Light, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, London, arranged for Madonna to take telephonic lessons to learn basic correct pronunciation of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
words from eminent scholar Dr B P T Vagish Shastri
Vagish Shastri
Vagish Shastri is an international Sanskrit grammarian, eminent linguist, Tantric and yogi. He was born in the city of Khurai, in Madhya Pradesh in 1934. His primary education was in Khurai, followed by his education in Vrindavan and Benaras...
. She then made the necessary pronunciation corrections on the album.
Critical reception
On release, the album received positive reception from international music critics. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described the album as "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s" and stated that: "Its lyrics are uncomplicated but its statement is grand" and "Madonna hadn't been this emotionally candid since Like a PrayerLike a Prayer
Like a Prayer is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 21, 1989 by Sire Records, three years after her previous studio album. Madonna worked with Stephen Bray, Patrick Leonard, and fellow icon Prince on the album while co-writing and co-producing all the...
". Roni Sarig, in an editorial review for Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, stated that Ray of Light "is her richest, most accomplished record yet." He was most impressed by Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity which had become stronger since her voice lessons for the film Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
(1996). Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
magazine declared Madonna's new album to be her "most radical, mask-free work." Rob Sheffield's review for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
was mostly positive, but he did point out the weak aspects of the album. Sheffield called the album "brilliant", but was critical of Orbit's production, claiming that he "doesn't know enough tricks to fill a whole CD, so he repeats himself something fierce." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
from Allmusic called Ray of Light Madonna's "most adventurous record" and her "most mature and restrained album." In his review he gave the album four out of five stars. David Browne
David Browne
David Browne is an American journalist and author. He was the resident music critic at Entertainment Weekly between 1990 and 2006. He was an editor at Music & Sound Output magazine and a music critic at the New York Daily News before EW...
of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album an A-, noting "For all her grapplings with self-enlightenment, Madonna seems more relaxed and less contrived than she's been in years, from her new Italian earth-mother makeover to, especially, her music. Ray of Light is truly like a prayer, and you know she'll take you there." Writing for Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
in February 1998, Mark Roland drew comparisons with the music of St Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's Homogenic
Homogenic
Homogenic is the fourth studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in September 1997. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B and Markus Dravs, it was released on One Little Indian Records...
album, highlighting Ray of Lights lack of cynicism as its most positive aspect; "It's not an album turned on the lathe of cynical pop manipulation, rather it's been squished out of a lump of clay on a foot-powered wheel. Lovingly teased into life, "Ray Of Light" is like the ugly mug that doesn't match but is all the more special because of it." Music critic Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn is a pop music critic and author. As critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world...
from Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
wrote, "One reason why her new 'Ray of Light' is the most satisfying album of her career is that it reflects the soul-searching of a woman who is at a point in her life where she can look at herself with surprising and prespective." Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
said that Ray of Light is a remarkable album. He stated, "It's a deeply spiritual dance record, ecstatically textured, a sumptuous, serious cycle of songs that goes a long way toward liberating Madonna from a career built on scavenged images and cultivated identities.
Chart performance
Ray of Light was officially released on March 3, 1998. Eighteen days later, Rolling Stone reported that the album has sold over three million copies worldwide. In the United States, Ray of Light debuted at number two on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart on the issue dated March 21, 1998, selling 371,000 copies in the first week. It was the biggest first-week sales by a female artist in Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
era, at that time. However, the album was not able to top the soundtrack album
Titanic (soundtrack)
Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the film of the same name composed, orchestrated and conducted by James Horner. The soundtrack was released by Sony Classical on November 18, 1997...
of the motion picture Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
, becoming Madonna's fifth album to peak at the runner-up position. On March 16, 2000, the album was certified four times platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for shipments of four million units of the album. In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
and was certified seven times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA) for shipment of 700,000 copies. The album also debuted at number one in Australia, becoming Madonna's seventh album to reach the top spot. The Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) certified it three times platinum denoting shipment of 210,000 copies.
In the United Kingdom, Ray of Light debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, remaining in the top spot for two weeks. It was certified six times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for shipment of 1.8 million copies. In France, the album entered the official albums chart at number two, staying there for seven weeks before descending the chart. It was certified three times platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
for shipments of 900,000 copies of the album. In Germany, the album reached number one on the Media Control Charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
and remained there for seven weeks. It was certified three times platinum for shipment of 1.5 million copies. The album also reached the top of European Top 100 Albums
European Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100...
chart and was certified seven times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipment of seven million units. Ray of Light achieved similar success in the rest of world, topping the official charts of Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. It has sold over 20 million copies, becoming one of the most commercially successful albums of the 1990's.
Singles
"FrozenFrozen (song)
"Frozen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her eight studio album Ray of Light. It was released as the lead single from the album on 23 February 1998 by Maverick Records...
", the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the album, became Madonna's eighth number one single on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Co-written by Patrick Leonard
Patrick Leonard
Patrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings....
, the song featured Madonna's vocals over layers of string arrangements and synthesizers. In 2005, a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
court ruled that the opening four-bar theme to the song was plagiarized from the song "Ma vie fout le camp", composed by Salvatore Acquaviva. The ruling forbade the sale of the single and the entire Ray of Light album, as well as other compilations that included the track in Belgium. The second single, "Ray of Light
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
", based on the track "Sepheryn", written by Clive Maldoon & Dave Curtiss (Curtiss Maldoon
Curtiss Maldoon
Curtiss Maldoon is a singer-songwriter duo from England.They first began working together in the band Bodast in 1968 which also featured Steve Howe on guitar and Bobby Woodman Clarke on drums. They recorded one album produced by Keith West whom Howe had worked with in U.K...
) in the 70s, was 20 years later reworked by Maldoon's cousin Christine Ann Leach and William Orbit and featured a combination of high-energy techno sounds and electric guitar riffs. It debuted at No. 2 in the UK and was certified Silver. It reached the top 5 in the US, where it received a Gold award. The song was also a dance hit in the US, remaining at number one for four weeks, and became the top Hot Dance Club Play single of 1998. The song was nominated for "Record of the Year" at the 1999 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, but lost to Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's "My Heart Will Go On
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song/love theme of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Simon Franglen, James Horner and Walter Afanasieff ,, it was recorded by Céline Dion...
."
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love
Drowned World/Substitute for Love
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" is a pop song written by American singer Madonna, William Orbit, Rod McKuen, Anita Kerr and David Collins for Madonna's seventh album Ray of Light . It was produced by Madonna and William Orbit, and received a positive reception from music critics...
" became the third release outside of North America, and was a top-ten hit in the UK. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Walter Stern, caused controversy due to scenes featuring Madonna being chased by paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
on motor-bikes, a scenario similar to Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
's death in 1997. The fourth single, "The Power of Good-Bye
The Power of Good-Bye
"The Power of Good-Bye" is a song written by American singer Madonna and Rick Nowels for Madonna's seventh album Ray of Light . It was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Patrick Leonard, and received a positive reception from music critics...
", a ballad reflecting on a painful breakup, became a modest chart success, peaking at number six in the UK, and number eleven in the US It was released in the UK with "Little Star", a song about Madonna's daughter, as an AA side. Its music video was directed by Matthew Rolston
Matthew Rolston
Matthew Russell Rolston is an American photographer and music video director. Rolston is known for his signature lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design, and has been repeatedly identified throughout his career with the revival and modern expression of Hollywood glamour...
. "Nothing Really Matters
Nothing Really Matters
"Nothing Really Matters" is a pop-dance music song written by American singer Madonna and Patrick Leonard for Madonna's seventh album Ray of Light . The song was released as the final single from the album in the spring of 1999. It was produced by Madonna, William Orbit and Marius De Vries and...
", the fifth and final single release, became a top-ten hit in the UK, reaching number seven. In the US, however, the song became Madonna's lowest-charting single on the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, although it reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Its music video, directed by Johan Renck
Johan Renck
Bo Johan Renck is a Swedish director of music videos, TV and film. He is an occasional recording artist using the moniker Stakka Bo.-Music videos:...
, was inspired by Arthur Golden
Arthur Golden
Arthur Golden is an American writer. He is the author of the bestselling novel Memoirs of a Geisha .Golden is a member of the Ochs-Sulzberger family . He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, grew up on Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and attended Lookout Mountain Elementary School in Lookout Mountain,...
's book Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs of a Geisha is a novel by American author Arthur Golden, published in 1997. The novel, told in first person perspective, tells the fictional story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before and after World War II...
, and featured Madonna dressed as a geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
.
Promotion
To promote Ray of Light, Madonna made a number of televised appearances and live performances of the album's songs. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
in 1998 and performed "Ray of Light" and "Little Star." Madonna also opened the 41st Grammy Awards in 1999 with the performance of "Nothing Really Matters". At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards
1998 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 10, 1998, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Ben Stiller at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles....
, she performed "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
" with Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
. Madonna then did promotional shows across Europe and sang "The Power of Good-Bye" at the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
. In New Zealand, a box set of Ray of Light and The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection
The Immaculate Collection is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 9, 1990 by Sire Records. It contains fifteen of her hit singles from 1982 to 1990, as well as two new tracks "Justify My Love" and "Rescue Me"...
was released to accompany the album. It reached number 12 the country's official albums chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ) for shipment of 7,500 copies. In the United States, "Sky Fits Heaven" was released as a promotional single. It received moderate success on the clubs, peaking at number 41 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The supporting tour for the album, Drowned World Tour
Drowned World Tour
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light and Music. It was also her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993...
, was supposed to start in 1999 but was delayed until 2001. In 1999, a promotional instore VHS compilation titled Rays of Light was released in the UK, compiling the music videos to all five singles from the album. All five videos were later included on the compilation The Video Collection 93:99
The Video Collection 93:99
The Video Collection 93:99 is the second music video compilation by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Released by Warner Music Vision on November 2, 1999, it contained the music video of Madonna's singles released between 1993 to 1999...
(1999).
Legacy
Larry Flick from Billboard claimed the album "not only provided the chameleon-like artist with her first universally applauded critical success, it has also proved that she remains a vital figure amongst woefully fickle young audiences." The album earned Madonna many awards and honors. In 1999, Ray of Light received six Grammy Award nominations, winning four of them. The album won "Best Pop Vocal AlbumGrammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop music albums...
" and "Best Recording Package
Grammy Award for Best Recording Package
The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer, except if the performer is also the art director....
", and was nominated for "Album of the Year
Grammy Award for Album of the Year
The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
." In addition, the album's title track
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
won "Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
" and "Best Short Form Music Video
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
," and was nominated for "Record of the Year
Grammy Award for Record of the Year
The Record of the Year is one of the four most prestigious Grammy Awards presented annually. It has been awarded since 1959.-History:The honorees through its history have been:*1959-1965: Artist only.*1966-1998: Artist and producer....
." At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards
1998 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 10, 1998, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Ben Stiller at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles....
, Madonna also won six awards out of nine nominations. She also won "Best Album" and "Best Female Artist" at the MTV Europe Music Awards 1998. In 2001, a poll of a quarter of a million music fans on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
voted Ray of Light as the tenth of "100 Best Albums of All Time." That year Rolling Stone readers also voted the album as the 29th best recording ever. Later, the magazine listed Ray of Light at number 28 on its list of "100 Best Albums of the Nineties" and number 363 on the list of "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." In 2005, the album was ranked at 33 on the Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine's list of "100 Greatest Albums Ever". The album is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
. Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine also listed Ray of Light at number 29 on "100 Modern Classics: The Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime".
Track listing
Notes- "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" contains a sample of "Why I Follow the Tigers", as performed by the San Sebastian Strings.
- "Shanti/Ashtangi" adapted from text by ShankaracharyaAdi ShankaraAdi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
, taken from the Yoga Taravali. Additional text: Traditional, Translation by Vyass Houston and Eddie Stern. - "Mer Girl" contains an interpolation and elements from "Space" performed by Gábor SzabóGábor SzabóGábor Szabó was a Hungarian jazz guitarist, famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock and his native Hungarian music.-Biography:...
. - "Has to Be" was also available as the B-side to the "Ray of LightRay of Light (song)A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...
" single.
Charts
| Charts (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
1 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
2 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
1 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 1 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
2 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
1 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
1 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
2 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
1 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
7 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
1 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
2 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... |
Platinum |
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
3× Platinum |
| Austria | 2× Platinum |
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
7× Platinum |
| Denmark | 5× Platinum |
| Europe | 7× Platinum |
| Finland | Platinum |
| France Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
3× Platinum |
| Germany | 3× Platinum |
| Hong Kong | Platinum |
| Netherlands NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
3× Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Platinum |
| Norway | 2× Platinum |
| Poland Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
2× Platinum |
| Russia | 7× Platinum |
| Spain | 3× Platinum |
| Switzerland | 3× Platinum |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
6× Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
4× Platinum |
Chart procession and succession
Release details
- All editions released by Maverick and Warner Bros. Records.
| Release format | Country | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Regular album | United Kingdom/Germany | March 2, 1998 |
| Limited edition album | United Kingdom/Germany | March 1998 |
| Double-vinyl album | United Kingdom/Germany | March 2, 1998 |
| Cassette album | United Kingdom/Germany | March 2, 1998 |
| Mini-disc album | United Kingdom/Germany | March 2, 1998 |
| Regular album | North America | March 3, 1998 |
| Limited edition album | North America | March 1998 |
| Japanese album | Japan | February 22, 1998 |
| Japanese double album1 | Japan | September 8, 1999 |
| Japanese vinyl album | Japan | February 1998 |
Credits and personnel
- Lead and backing vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
— Madonna - Backing vocals — Donna De Lory, Niki HarisNiki HarisNiki Haris is an American actress, dancer, and singer of pop, R&B, Dance music and jazz, perhaps best known for having been one of Madonna's backing vocalists from 1987 to 2001.-Early life and family:...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
— Marc Moreau - KeyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
— Marius de VriesMarius de VriesMarius Van Wyk de Vries is an English music producer and composer. He has been behind some of the key albums and soundtracks of recent times, gathering five Grammy nominations, two BAFTAs, and an Ivor Novello award along the way.-Music Producer:... - DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s — Fergus Gerrand - Drum programming — Steve Sidelnyk
- PercussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
— Fergus Gerrand - FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
— Pablo Cook - SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s — William OrbitWilliam OrbitWilliam Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
- String arrangementsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
— Craig Armstrong, Patrick LeonardPatrick LeonardPatrick Raymond Leonard is an American songwriter, keyboardist and music producer, known for his longtime collaboration with Madonna on many different recordings.... - ConductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
— Suzie Katayama - ProgrammingComputer programmingComputer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
— Mike Bradford, Marius De Vries - EngineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
— Mark EndertMark EndertMark Endert is an American music producer, mixer, arranger and musician.-Biography:Since the early 1990s - present, he is credited on albums spanning a wide array of musical genres with sales totaling more than 90...
, Jon Ingoldsby, Patrick McCarthy, Dave Reitzas, Matt Silva - MasteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Ted Jensen - PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
by Mario TestinoMario Testino-Early Life:Testino grew up in Lima, the eldest son of a businessman. When he was young he wanted to be a priest. Testino recalls being unpopular at school because of his flamboyance. He was good at math and went on to study economics at Universidad del Pacífico, where his insistence on wearing... - Art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
by Kevin Reagan - Art design by Kerosene Halo, Kevin Reagan
See also
- List of best-selling albums
- List of best-selling albums in Germany
- List of Canadian number-one albums of 1998
- List of European number-one hits of 1998
- List of number-one albums from the 1990s (UK)
- List of number-one albums of 1998 (Australia)
- List of Top 25 albums for 1998 in Australia
External links
- Madonna.com – official website.