Ray of Light (song)
Encyclopedia
A high-speed 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...

 dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...

 song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...

, psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...

 and acid music. The track contains strong techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...

 elements, as well as disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...

, trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...

 and Eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...

 influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound. The song is based on the track "Sepheryn", which was originally written by Clive Maldoon and Dave Curtiss, but with a different melody and instrumentation. All five (Madonna, Orbit, Maldoon, Curtiss and Leach) are credited for the song. The song was remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

ed by Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone is a house music producer, DJ and remixer.-History:Raised in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, Calderone was introduced into New York City's nightlife by his older brother, Cesar, who was very active in the club music business. Calderone began to dabble with turntables and...

, Sasha
Sasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...

 and Orbit. According to sheet music published by Muscinotes.com at Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...

, the song is written in the key of B♭ major and has a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...

 of 126 beats per minute. The song starts off with an electric guitar riff which has been compared to British alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

/Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...

 band Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...

, after which the fast techno melody begins, which, according to Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien is an author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music.-Early musical and writing career:...

 in her book Madonna: Like an Icon, has been described as having a "bubbling psychedelic undertow", as well as combining "melodic pop with bleep-driven techno". Throughout the composition, there are numerous electronic sound effects, including whistle
Whistle
A whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...

s, bell
Bell
-Sound and music:* Bell , a percussion instrument, usually cup-shaped* Bell * Bell cymbal* Bell effect, a musical technique* Bell Orchestre, a six-piece instrumental band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada...

s and bleep
Bleep
Bleep may refer to:* Bleep sound, a noise, generally of a single tone, often generated by a machine** Bleep censor, the replacement of offensive language , or personal details with a beep sound* Bleep.com, an online digital music retailer...

s. Its beat has been described as "restless". Towards the middle of the track, the electric guitar riff is repeated in which Madonna sings the same line as the start of the song, until the dance section returns, and the song gradually ends. According to Musicnotes.com, Madonna's vocals on the song span from B♭3 to F5, with the latter note sung on the ah vocalization near the end of the song. Madonna's "breathlessly" delivered vocals on the song are noted to be different to the ones featured in her singles before the 1996 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...

.

Critical reception

"Ray of Light" has received acclaim from critics ever since its release. 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...

 of Allmusic called the track a "wickedly good club song", as well as claiming that it was "sonically progressive yet listener-friendly"; he also praised Madonna's vocals, comparing them to those of a "club diva to celestial goddess". Rob Sheffield in his review for the album as a whole, wrote that, alongside other tracks such as "Swim" and "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...

", Madonna is "positively ferocious". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...

wrote that the song was a "celebratory tech-frenzy", and noted Madonna's "elation" in the song, giving it an "A" rating. In a Slant Magazine list of the best singles of the 1990s, in which the song was placed 16th, it was written that the song's "beat is restless", and that "Ray of Light" is "a standout single" due to the song's "emotional warmth". Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

, described the song and the music of the album as "fresh, new and invigorating". In her book Madonna: Like an Icon, Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien is an author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music.-Early musical and writing career:...

 described the song as "speedy acid electronica" and an "ecstatic hymn to the skies" and noted that the song was composed a semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....

 higher than the singer's vocal comfort zone, but claimed that "the strain really helped".

In 1999, "Ray of Light" won two Grammy Awards for 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...

. It was also 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....

, 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...

." About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

 named the song as the fifth "Top 100 Pop Songs of the 1990s". In 2005, the song placed at No. 401 on Blender Magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...

 listed "Ray of Light" as 16th "Best Singles of the '90s" Furthermore, The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...

ranked the single as the fourth best in 1998 in their Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...

 critics' poll.

Chart performance

"Ray of Light" debuted and peaked at number five in the US, while also topping the US Hot Dance Club Chart for three consecutive weeks. In the UK, it peaked at number two, being held off the number one spot by All Saints
All Saints (group)
All Saints were a British/Canadian girl group. Founded in 1993 as All Saints 1.9.7.5, the group consisted of founding members Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Nicole Appleton and Natalie Appleton...

's "Under the Bridge / Lady Marmalade
Under the Bridge / Lady Marmalade
"Under the Bridge" / "Lady Marmalade" was the third single released from the All Saints debut album, All Saints. It became their second number-one single in the UK....

". The single also made the top ten in numerous countries including Australia, where it peaked at number six. It also peaked at number three in Canada, number five in Japan, number two in Finland and Italy and number nine on the European Singles Chart. In Spain, "Ray of Light" debuted at number one on the AFYVE singles chart on May 6, 1998, replacing 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...

". It stayed on the top spot for three weeks before descending the chart. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 275,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

Background

The video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund is a Swedish film and music video director, and drummer. He is best known for directing music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films...

, with Madonna's scenes being shot on March 25–26, 1998 at Raleigh Studios and at a nightclub in downtown Los Angeles. The images of various cities include Los Angeles, New York, London, Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...

 and Stockholm, Sweden. It also features a couple of clips from the Swedish television game show Bingolotto
Bingolotto
Bingolotto is a Swedish highly popular primetime television game show lottery that was first broadcast 1989 on local TV and since 1991 nationwide on the Swedish network TV4. The show is a collaboration work between Swedish TV channel TV4, the Swedish lottery game company Folkspel and the Swedish...

, which is broadcast from Gothenburg, Sweden. Alternate remix versions, set to Sasha's Ultraviolet Mix and Victor Calderone's Club Mix of the track feature additional footage of both Madonna and of the environment. Footage from the making of this video was also used for the Screen Projection of 'Runaway Lover' during the Music Promo Tour.

Synopsis

The music video starts off with the rising of the sun, until it progresses into a Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi also known as Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, is a 1982 film directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke....

-esque section, featuring time-lapse
Time-lapse
Time-lapse photography is a cinematography technique whereby the frequency at which film frames are captured is much lower than that which will be used to play the sequence back. When replayed at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster and thus lapsing...

 images of daily life, from people riding a subway, ordering food, bowling, and children in a classroom to sped-up city-scapes and freeways at night. It should be noted that in almost every scene with people in it, such as in the club or classroom, one person is staring directly at the camera, while everyone else goes on with their daily lives. Madonna, dressed in jeans, a simple top, and golden blonde hair, can be seen dancing at the same time. As the video goes on, night starts to fall, and high-speed images of Madonna dancing in a discothèque progress, until she is seen falling asleep on the dance floor.

Reception

The video was ranked No. 40 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...

's 100 Greatest Videos, listed No. 1 on Back In...
Back In...
Back In... was a retrospective documentary series currently broadcasting on the Canadian music video channel MuchMoreMusic. The series also airs on Star! and some Citytv stations. 20 episodes have been broadcast, each profiled by a different year, going from 1980 to 1999. Each episode's title would...

98's Top 5 Best Videos, ranked No. 7 on Listed's Top 40 Memorable Videos Pt. 1 & 2, on MuchMoreMusic
MuchMoreMusic
MuchMore is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media, based at 299 Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario....

, and ranked No. 26 on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...

's 100 Best Videos. It was ranked at number four on "The Top 100 Videos That Broke The Rules", issued by MTV on the channel's 25th anniversary in August 2006.

The video received a total of eight MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...

 nominations, becoming Madonna's second most-nominated video at the award show, after "Vogue" in 1990. It won five awards for Video of the Year
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year
The MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year is the main award handed out at the yearly MTV Video Music Awards. It was first awarded in , when The Cars won it, and has been given out since. Eminem has been the most nominated solo artist, male solo artist, and act in this category, having been...

, Best Female Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...

, Best Direction
MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Direction in a Video. In 2007, the award was briefly renamed Best Director, but it returned to its original name for the 2008 awards....

, Best Editing
MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Editing in a Video. Five artists are tied for the record of biggest winner in this category, each having won the award twice: Peter Gabriel, R.E.M., Madonna, The White Stripes, and Gnarls Barkley. The latter two, in fact, won...

 and Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....

, becoming her most-winning song at the show.

"Non è Mai Stato Subito" lawsuit

In June 1998 Italian director Stefano Salvati accused Madonna's 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...

 imprint 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:...

 of plagiarizing
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...

 the concept of a music video he directed for Biagio Antonacci
Biagio Antonacci
Biagio Antonacci is an Italian singer-songwriter from Milan.-Early life:Biagio Antonacci was born in Milan and was raised in one of its suburbs . Despite learning how to play the drums at a young age, he had to study in order to obtain a diploma in surveying...

's 1994 single "Non è Mai Stato Subito." According to Salvati copies of his videos were submitted to Maverick before the "Ray of Light" video was shot and requested that the clip be pulled from distribution. Both videos featured the respective singers performing at regular speed against a backdrop of high-speed images.

Producers

  • Director: Jonas Åkerlund
  • Producer: Nicola Doring
  • Executive Producer: Billy Poveda
  • Director of Photography: Henrik Halvarsson
  • Editor: Jonas Åkerlund
  • Production Company: Oil Factory Inc.

VHS release

On June 23, 1998, the music video of "Ray of Light" was released on VHS as a limited edition of 40,000 copies by Warner Music Vision. The VHS tape released was a new state of the art model offering a clearer, sharper picture and superior sound quality. Each edition came with a numbered card and bound in a jet black card slip case, neatly labelled with two satin-finished stickers.

Live versions

A live performance video of "Ray of Light" was released on January 25, 2007 to promote The Confessions Tour
The Confessions Tour (album)
The Confessions Tour is the second live album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 26, 2007 by Warner Bros. Records. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the album chronicles Madonna's 2006 Confessions Tour. It was recorded at Wembley Arena during the London dates of the tour,...

CD+DVD. It was filmed on August 16, 2006 at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...

 in London, England. The video was made available to download on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....

 (UK), Spike (US), MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...

 and MusiMax
MusiMax
MusiMax is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media operating out of Montreal, Quebec.MusiMax is devoted to music and music related programming focusing more on adult contemporary, soft-rock, classic rock and lighter music than its sister station, MusiquePlus...

 (Canada) and shown on many music channels.

Another live performance video of "Ray of Light" was released March 25, 2010 on Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...

 to promote Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour (album)
Sticky & Sweet Tour is the third live album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on March 26, 2010 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was released on DVD, Blu-ray and CD formats. The tour was filmed at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the 2008 leg of...

CD+DVD. It was filmed in December 2008 at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Legacy

The song has been influential, feauturing in different advertising campaigns, and is also credited for helping bring electronic dance music into mainstream pop and radio.

The song has featured in numerous advertising campaigns; was used by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

 in its 2001 advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...

 for Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...

, in combination with an image
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...

 named Bliss
Bliss (image)
Bliss is the name of a Windows bitmap image included with Microsoft Windows XP, produced from a photograph of a landscape in Sonoma County, California, southeast of Sonoma Valley near the site of the old Clover Stornetta Inc. Dairy. The image contains rolling green hills and a blue sky with cumulus...

, as well as a campaign for Sunsilk shampoo in 2008. Premiering on Super Bowl Sunday, the Sunsilk ad included shots of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....

 and Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...

 with songs well known by them, and ends with several video shots of Madonna to the sounds of "Ray of Light". Most recently, the song was used in a promo for the 2011 season of Masterchef Australia.

Live performances

  1. Oprah Winfrey Show;
  2. MTV Video Music Awards
    MTV Video Music Awards
    An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...

    ;
  3. 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...

     (2001);
  4. Hung Up Promo Tour (Coachella Music Festival only) (2005);
  5. Confessions Tour
    Confessions Tour
    Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...

     (2006);
  6. Live 8
    Live 8
    Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...

     (2005);
  7. Live Earth
    Live Earth
    -Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...

     (2007);
  8. Sticky & Sweet Tour
    Sticky & Sweet Tour
    The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...

     (2008–2009);


Madonna performed "Ray of Light" 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...

 at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...

 (where it won five awards including "Best Female Video" and "Video of the Year" awards), at an Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...

 show in 1998, and at the 2006 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...

 in Indio, California. "Ray of Light" was also performed during the 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...

, the Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour
Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...

, the Sticky & Sweet Tour
Sticky & Sweet Tour
The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...

, Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...

 and Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...

.

Tracklistings and formats

US 12" vinyl (SAM 3269)
  • A "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Strip Down Mix) – 5:00
  • B "Ray of Light" (Orbit's Ultra Violet Mix) – 6:59


US 2 x 12" vinyl (9 44523-0)
  • A1 "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Ultraviolet Mix) – 10:43
  • A2 "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Strip Down Mix) – 5:00
  • B1 "Ray of Light" (Victor Calderone Club Mix) – 9:29
  • B2 "Ray of Light" (William Orbit Liquid Mix) – 8:06
  • C1 "Ray of Light" (Sasha Twilo Mix) – 10:58
  • C2 "Ray of Light" (Victor Calderone Drum Mix) – 5:26
  • D1 "Ray of Light" (Orbit's Ultra Violet Mix) – 6:59
  • D2 "Ray of Light" (Album Version) – 5:19


EU 12" vinyl (W 0444 T)
  • A1 "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Ultraviolet Mix) – 10:43
  • A2 "Ray of Light" (William Orbit Liquid Mix) – 8:06
  • B1 "Ray of Light" (Victor Calderone Club Mix) – 9:29
  • B2 "Ray of Light" (Album Version) – 5:19


EU CD single (9362 44535-2)
  1. "Ray of Light" (Album Version) – 5:19
  2. "Has To Be" (Non-Album Track) – 5:15
  3. "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Ultraviolet Mix) – 10:43


US promo CD single (PRO-CD-9349-R)
  1. "Ray of Light" (Radio Edit) – 4:35
  2. "Ray of Light" (Album Version) – 5:19


US promo CD single (PRO-CD-9327-R)
  1. "Ray of Light" (Sasha Ultra Violet Mix Radio Edit) – 5:07
  2. "Ray of Light" (William Orbit Liquid Mix Radio Edit) – 5:11
  3. "Ray of Light" (Victor Calderone Club Mix Radio Edit) – 4:56


US 7" vinyl (7-17206)
US CD single (9 17206-2)
AU CD single (5439-17209-2)
JP CD single (WPCR-10525)
UK cassette single (W0444C)
  1. "Ray of Light" (Album Version) – 5:19
  2. "Has To Be" (Non-Album Track) – 5:15


US Maxi-CD (9 44523-2)
AU Maxi-CD (9362-44521-2)
EU Maxi-CD (W 0444 CD)
JP Maxi-CD (WPCR-1860)
UK CD single 1 (W 0444 CD)
  1. "Ray of Light" (Album Version) – 5:19
  2. "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Ultraviolet Mix) – 10:43
  3. "Ray of Light" (William Orbit Liquid Mix) – 8:06
  4. "Ray of Light" (Victor Calderone Club Mix) – 9:29


UK CD single 2 (W 0444 CD2)
  1. "Ray of Light" (Sasha Twilo Mix) – 10:58
  2. "Ray of Light" (Sasha's Strip Down Mix) – 5:00
  3. "Ray of Light" (Victor Calderone Drum Mix) – 5:26
  4. "Ray of Light" (Orbit's Ultra Violet Mix) – 6:59


Official versions

  • Album Version (5:19)
  • Radio Edit (4:33) (Promo Single, GHV2
    GHV2
    GHV2 is the second greatest hits compilation album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 2001, by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. It contains the most popular songs from the 1990s up until 2001. It is the follow-up to the 1990 release, The...

    , Celebration
    Celebration (Madonna album)
    Celebration is the third greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, and the closing release under her contract with Warner Bros. Records, her record company since 1982. The release follows her two previous greatest hits albums, The Immaculate Collection and GHV2...

    )
  • William Orbit Liquid Mix (8:08)
  • William Orbit Liquid Mix Radio Edit (5:13) (Promo Only)
  • William Orbit Ultra Violet Mix (7:00)
  • Victor Calderone Club Mix (9:29)
  • Victor Calderone Club Mix Radio Edit (4:55) (Promo Only)
  • Victor Calderone Drum Mix (5:29)
  • Victor Calderone Video Mix (Promo Only)
  • Sasha's Ultra Violet Mix (10:48)
  • Sasha's Ultra Violet Mix Radio Edit (5:10) (Promo Only)
  • Sasha's Stripped Down Mix (5:04)
  • Sasha's Twilo Mix (10:59)
  • Confessions Tour
    Confessions Tour
    Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It supported her tenth studio album, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Madonna confirmed the possibility of going out on a tour as early as November 2005. Jamie King, Madonna's longtime collaborator, was then hired on...

     live audio from The Confessions Tour CD (6:12) (Digital download and iTunes bonus track)
  • Sticky & Sweet Tour
    Sticky & Sweet Tour
    The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...

     live audio from Sticky & Sweet Tour
    Sticky & Sweet Tour
    The Sticky & Sweet Tour was the eighth worldwide concert tour by American singer Madonna to promote her eleventh studio album, Hard Candy. It began in August 2008 and was Madonna's first tour from her new recording and business deal with Live Nation. The tour was announced in February 2008, with...

    CD (4:53) (Digital download and iTunes bonus track)

Peak positions

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia ARIA
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...

 Singles Chart
6
Austrian Singles Chart 31
Belgian Flemmish Ultratop 50
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...

25
Belgian Wallonie Ultratop 40
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...

33
Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....

3
Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

17
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,...

9
Finnish Singles Chart 2
French SNEP Singles Chart 18
German Singles Chart 28
Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

16
Italian FIMI Chart 2
Japanese Oricon
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...

 International Singles
5
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 9
Spanish Singles Chart 1
Swedish Singles Chart 14
Swiss Singles 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...

32
U.S. 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...

5
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...

26
U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales 5
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...

1
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 ...

2


End of year charts

End of year chart (1998) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 75
Australia ARIA
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...

 Singles Chart
57

Sales and certifications

{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Country
! style="text-align:center;"|Certification
! style="text-align:center;"|Sales/Shipments
|-
|align="left"|Australia
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|35,000
|-
|align="left"|United Kingdom
| style="text-align:center;"|Silver
| style="text-align:center;"|200,000
|-
|align="left"|United States
| style="text-align:center;"|Gold
| style="text-align:center;"|500,000
|}

Personnel

  • Written by Madonna, William Orbit, Clive Muldoon, Dave Curtis, and Christine Leach.
  • Produced by Madonna and William Orbit.
  • Engineered by Pat McCarthy.
  • Art Direction/design by Kevin Reagan.
  • Photography by Mario Testino.

Cover versions, live cover performances, etc.

  • The 2000 compilation Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2 features a cover by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
    Sigue Sigue Sputnik
    Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band created in 1982 by the former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band had three UK Top 40 hit singles, including the song "Love Missile F1-11".-Early years:...

    .
  • On the 2004 compilation Platinum Blonde NRG, Vol. 2: Nrgised Madonna Classics, a Hi-NRG
    Hi-NRG
    Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...

     cover is performed by Future Force.
  • Natasha Bedingfield
    Natasha Bedingfield
    Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...

     recorded a cover version of "Ray of Light" for BBC Radio 1
    BBC Radio 1
    BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...

    's 40th anniversary. It was played during the Chris Moyles
    Chris Moyles
    Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....

     Show on Wednesday September 19, 2007 and can be found on the Radio 1. Established 1967 compilation CD released shortly afterwards. She said "I have so much respect for Madonna after learning how hard it is to sing that song. She has an amazing voice – the range you need to sing the song is incredible".
  • In 2008, Iggy Pop
    Iggy Pop
    Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...

     and The Stooges
    The Stooges
    The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...

     played "Ray of Light" (along with "Burning Up
    Burning Up
    "Burning Up" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single on March 9, 1983, in some countries as a AA side single with "Physical Attraction"...

    ") during Madonna's induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
    Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...

    .
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic
    "Weird Al" Yankovic
    Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...

    's medley Polka Power! from the album Running With Scissors
    Running with Scissors (album)
    Running with Scissors is the 10th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 29, 1999. The album contains the hit single "The Saga Begins", a parody of Don McLean's song "American Pie".-Details:...

    includes a polka version of the chorus.
  • In 2010, Glee
    Glee (TV series)
    Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...

    tribute episode The Power of Madonna
    The Power of Madonna
    "The Power of Madonna" is the 15th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 20, 2010...

    featured "Ray of Light" playing in the background as the school's cheerleading team performed a complicated stilts routine.
  • In 2010, the song was played in the movie Burlesque
    Burlesque (film)
    Burlesque is a 2010 musical film directed and written by Steven Antin and starring Christina Aguilera and Cher. The film was released on November 24, 2010 in North America....

     while Ali (Christina Aguilera
    Christina Aguilera
    Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...

    ) was rehearsing for her new position as a dancer in the Burlesque Lounge, owned by Cher
    Cher
    Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...

    's character Tess.
  • In the 2011 Family Guy
    Family Guy
    Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...

    episode New Kidney in Town
    New Kidney in Town
    "New Kidney in Town" is the eighth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 9, 2011. The episode follows Peter, after he drinks kerosene, causing him to suffer from immediate kidney failure...

    , Peter is seen in the Ray of Light video after drinking his first energy drink (Red Bull
    Red Bull
    Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...

    ).
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