| Ray of Light | ||||
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| Released | February 22, 1998 (1998-02-22) | |||
| Recorded | June–November 1997 | |||
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| Length | 66:52 | |||
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| Singles from Ray of Light | ||||
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Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriterMadonna, released on February 22, 1998, byMaverick Records. A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work,Bedtime Stories (1994),Ray of Light is anelectronica,trip hop,techno-pop andnew-age record which incorporates multiple genres, includingambient,house,rock andclassical. Mystical themes are strongly present in the music and lyrics as a result of Madonna embracingKabbalah, her study ofHinduism andBuddhism, and her daily practice ofAshtanga yoga.
After giving birth to her first child, Madonna started working on the album with producersBabyface andPatrick Leonard. Following failed sessions with them, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with English producerWilliam Orbit, which resulted in a much more experimental sound. The recording process was the longest of Madonna's career, and she experienced problems with Orbit's hardware arrangement, which would break down and cause delays until it could be repaired.
Ray of Light was met with universal acclaim upon its release and is often considered Madonna'smagnum opus. Critics praised the singer's new musical direction, contemplative songwriting, and mature vocals, alongside Orbit's complex, innovative production. The album has also been credited with introducing electronica into mainstream pop culture and affirming the 39-year-old Madonna's relevance during a period of major teen-marketed artists. Retrospectively, the album has continued to receive acclaim and is considered one of the greatestpop albums of all time.[2] Madonna has referred to it as her quintessential album.Ray of Light won fourGrammy Awards from a total of six nominations at the41st Annual Grammy Awards.
The album entered theUSBillboard 200 at number two, with the biggest first-week sales by a female artist at the time. It also peaked at number one in 17 countries,[3] including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain and on theUnited Kingdom Albums Chart, and charted within the top-five in mostmusical markets. Worldwide,Ray of Light has sold over 16 million copies and is one of thebest-selling albums by women. Fivesingles were released from the album, including the international top five hits "Frozen" and "Ray of Light". The album's promotion was later supported by theDrowned World Tour in 2001. A remix album entitledVeronica Electronica was released on July 25, 2025.
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In 1995, Madonna released her compilation albumSomething to Remember and began taking vocal lessons in preparation for her role asEva Perón inEvita (1996). She would also give birth to her daughter,Lourdes Leon, later in 1996. These events inspired a period of introspection. "That was a big catalyst for me. It took me on a search for answers to questions I'd never asked myself before", she said toQ magazine, in 2002.[4] During the same period, she embracedKabbalah and started studyingHinduism andyoga, all of which helped her "step outside [myself] and see the world from a different perspective".[4] Madonna felt that there was a "whole piece" of her voice left unused, which she decided to utilize for the album.[4] By May 1997, Madonna had started writing songs for the album. She began collaborating withBabyface, who had first worked with her on her previous albumBedtime Stories (1994). The two wrote a couple of songs together before Madonna decided the collaborations were not going in the musical direction she wanted for the album. According to Babyface, the songs "had a 'Take a Bow-ish' kind of vibe, and Madonna didn't want, or need, to repeat herself".[5]
After abandoning the songs she had written with Babyface, Madonna turned to musicianRick Nowels, who had previously co-written songs withStevie Nicks andCeline Dion. The collaboration produced seven songs in nine days, but those songs also did not display the album's futureelectronic musical direction.[5] Three of the songs, "The Power of Good-Bye", "To Have and Not to Hold" and "Little Star", appear on the album.[5] Madonna then began writing songs withPatrick Leonard, who had produced many songs for Madonna in the late 1980s. Unlike her previous albums, Leonard's songwriting collaborations were accompanied by very little studio input. Madonna believed that Leonard's production "would have lent the songs more of aPeter Gabriel vibe", a sound that she did not want for the album.[5]Guy Oseary, chairman ofMaverick Records, then phoned British electronic musicianWilliam Orbit, and suggested that he send some songs to Madonna.[4] Orbit sent a 13-trackdigital audio tape to Madonna. "I was a huge fan of William's earlier records,Strange Cargo 1 and2 and all that. I also loved all the remixes he did for me and I was interested in fusing a kind of futuristic sound but also using lots of Indian and Moroccan influences and things like that, and I wanted it to sound old and new at the same time," Madonna said.[4]
"It took a long time to do the album, months. And it wasn't like we were slacking. We actually did have to work fast, and there were many times when we had to move on. One of Madonna's favorite phrases was: 'Don't gild the lily.' In other words, keep it rough, and don't perfect it too much. It's a natural urge for computer buffs to perfect everything because they can, and we were very wary of that."
In June 1997, William Orbit met Madonna at her house inNew York, and she played him the music she had already worked on with other producers, which he felt sounded "slick".[4][5] Sessions with Orbit began soon afterwards atthe Hit Factory, where Orbit then gave Madonna a tape 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.[6][5] Madonna listened to the samples, over and over again, until she was inspired to write lyrics. Once she had an idea about the lyrical direction of the song, she would take her ideas back to Orbit, and they would expand on the original music ideas.[5] As most of the instrumental demos pre-existed, Madonna worked on the lyrics and melodies while at home or while travelling.[4]
"[Guy Oseary]'s our discerning ear, ... He's the guy that comes in and withholds all compliments. We'll play him tracks and then he says nothing and leaves and then we have a nervous breakdown, ... Right when I think the track's done he sort of pushes us another step further and says 'Maybe you should try this' or 'I really don't wanna hear that' and then of course it creeps into my brain and later on in the day I'm thinking 'Maybe I should've done a background vocal on that.'"
Recording sessions commenced at Larrabee North Studio inNorth Hollywood in the summer of 1997, where the album was predominantly recorded. For most of the recording process, only three other people were in the studio with Madonna: William Orbit, engineerPat McCarthy, and his assistant engineer, Matt Silva.[5] Sessions were initially plagued with machinery problems, as Orbit preferred to work with samples and synth sounds, and not with live musicians. The computers would break down, and recording would have to be delayed until they could be repaired.[5][6] Orbit recorded the bulk of the album's instrumentation over a four-month period. Orbit recalls playing the guitar until his fingers bled during the long hours he spent in the studio. Orbit also recalled during an interview withQ magazine that Madonna recorded "Swim" the day her friend and fashion designerGianni Versace was killed inMiami, Florida. He also commented that this is probably why the track has an emotional impact.[4][5]
After some errors in her pronunciation ofSanskritshloka "Yoga Taravali" during the song "Shanti/Ashtangi", theBBC arranged for Madonna to take telephonic lessons to learn the basic correct pronunciation of Sanskrit words from eminent scholarVagish Shastri. She then made the necessary pronunciation corrections on the album.[8][9] In a 1997 interview withKurt Loder forMTV, Madonna discussed the impact of giving birth to her daughter Lourdes prior to the album, stating "I think probably having her's set me off on a new way of thinking and... just gone down a different road, period". Regarding the album's creative direction, she stated "It's been really fun, I've never, ... felt so free to experiment."[10]
According to spokesperson Liz Rosenberg, Madonna considered titling the albumMantra, which she thought was a "really cool title", and she also considered calling itVeronica Electronica;[11] however, she discarded both of those ideas and called itRay of Light, as her studio albums up to that point were always titled after one of the songs from each album's tracklist.[12]
The artwork is taken from a November 28, 1997 photoshoot with photographerMario Testino. In terms of styling, Madonna and stylistLori Goldstein opted for textures evocative of the elementswater andair, which are recurrent themes on the album. For the album cover, Madonna wears a turquoiseDolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 1998 vinylraincoat. Other pictures from the same shoot serve as the artworks for the "Ray of Light" and "Frozen" singles, where Madonna models items fromPrada's Spring/Summer 1998 collection.[13] Madonna and Testino had previously collaborated for aVersace brand collection two years earlier. Madonna was impressed with the natural look Testino had captured, so she booked him again for the album's photoshoot. He recalled, "At 2pm she said, 'OK, I'm tired. We're done'. And I said, 'But I don't have the pictures yet'. She said, 'You're working for me and I say we're done'. I said, 'No, we carry on'. The picture she used on the cover came after that".[14]
"I feel that talking about it trivializes it. I've been studying the Cabala [sic], which is the mystical interpretation of the Torah. I've studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I've been practicing yoga and obviously I know a lot about Catholicism. There are indisputable truths that connect all of them, and I find that very comforting and kind. My spiritual journey is to be open to everything. Pay attention to what makes sense, be absorbed. For me, yoga is the closest thing to our real nature."
Ray of Light was a notable departure from Madonna's previous work, and has been described as her most "adventurous" record.[15] Anelectronica,[16][17]trip hop,[18]techno-pop,[19] andnew-age album;[20] it also contains elements of several different types of music, includinghouse,ambient,drum and bass,rock,new wave,eastern andclassical music.[21] Vocally, the album was also a marked change from Madonna's previous work; as the singer underwent vocal training lessons for her 1996 filmEvita, her vocals exhibited greater breadth and range, as well as a fuller timbre. In many songs, she also abandoned thevibrato which was present in her previous work. Critically, the album is said to have Madonna's most full-bodied vocals.[22]
The opening track and third single, "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", is a downtempo ballad drawing influences fromjungle, drum and bass and trip hop music.[23] The title is inspired byJ. G. Ballard's post-apocalyptic science fiction novelThe Drowned World (1962).[23] "Swim", the second song, has a spiritual tone. She sings: "Swim to the ocean floor/So that we can begin again/Wash away all our sins/Crash to the other shore".[24] "Ray of Light", the third track and second single, is an uptempo electronicdance-pop song with strongtechno andtrance influences. A "sonically progressive" track,[15] it also incorporates elements ofrock, with a prominentelectric guitarriff. Itssound effects includewhistles andbleeps.[15] "Candy Perfume Girl" has agrunge intro and continues to pair post-modern beeps and beats with old-fashioned electric guitar flare ups.[25] In the next song, "Skin", Madonna sings "Do I know you from somewhere?" in a yearning voice over the beats of an electronic orchestra.[25]
The sixth track, "Nothing Really Matters", is an up-tempodance track which contains influences of techno.[26] "Sky Fits Heaven" focuses on Madonna's spiritual studies and her daughter Lourdes. Some lyrics include: "Sky fits heaven so fly it, that's what the prophet said to me/Child fits mother so hold your baby tight, that's what my future can see".[25] Elements of the lyric are taken from the poemWhat Fits? by poetMax Blagg, the poem used for a 1993 advertisement forGap Inc.[27] "Shanti/Ashtangi" is a Hindu prayer and up-tempo techno song sung by Madonna in Sanskrit, over a driving dance rhythm.[24] The techno dance track features Madonna singing the adapted version ofShankaracharya entirely in Sanskrit with lines such as "Vunde gurunam caranaravinde/Sandarsita svatma sukhavabodhe".[28][29]
"Frozen", the ninth track and album's first single, is a mid-tempo electronic ballad which has a layered sound enhanced bysynthesizers andstrings.[30] The song additionally containsambient qualities, a moderate dance rhythm during the chorus and techno-influenced beats towards the end. Madonna's vocals throughout the song lack vibrato, and have drawn comparisons tomedieval music. Lyrically, the song is about a cold and emotionless man; nevertheless, subtexts have been noticed.[30] According to Jarman-Ivens, lyrics such as "You're frozen, when your heart's not open" reflected an artistic palette, "encompassing diverse musical, textual and visual styles in its lyrics."[31] "The Power of Good-Bye" is an emotional ballad which lyrically meditates on loss and longing. It was released as the album's fourth single. "To Have and Not to Hold" is about a distant lover and "Little Star" is about her daughter, Lourdes. Both are superficially vibrant but with underlying subtlety and restrained arrangements prevailing.[25] "Mer Girl", the album's final track, is a surreal meditation on mortality and the death of Madonna's mother Madonna Fortin Ciccone, in which she sings, "And I smelled her burning flesh/Her rotting bones, her decay/I ran and I ran/I'm still running away."[23] "She stepped out of the vocal booth," Orbit recalled of its recording, "and everybody was rooted to the spot. It was just one of those moments. Really spooky."[32]
Ray of Light was released in Japan on February 22, 1998, with an additional Japan-only bonus track "Has to Be".[33] The album was later released in the United States on March 3, 1998. In New Zealand, a box set ofRay of Light and the 1990 compilationThe Immaculate Collection was released to accompany the album. It reached number 12 on the albums chart and was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipment of 7,500 copies.[34] A promotional instore VHS compilation titledRays of Light was released in the United Kingdom in 1999, compiling all the music videos to all five singles from the album. All five videos were later included on the compilationThe Video Collection 93:99 (1999).[35] "Sky Fits Heaven" was released as apromotional single in the United States. It peaked at number 41 on theBillboardHot Dance Club Play chart.[36]
To promote the album, Madonna made a number of televised appearances and live performances of the album's songs. On February 14, 1998, she debuted "Sky Fits Heaven", "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light" atRoxy NYC nightclub.[37] "Frozen" was performed onThe National Lottery Show in the UK (February 21),[38] 1998Sanremo Music Festival in Italy (February 24),[39]Wetten, dass..? in Germany (February 28)[40] andThe Rosie O'Donnell Show in the United States (March 13).[41] On April 27, Madonna made an unannounced appearance at theRock for the Rainforest benefit concert atCarnegie Hall in New York City to sing "Frozen". She also joined the other stars of the concert, includingSting,Elton John, andBilly Joel to perform "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Twist and Shout" with them.[42] On May 29, Madonna appeared onThe Oprah Winfrey Show and sang "Little Star" and "Ray of Light" there.[43] On September 10, she opened1998 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City with the performance of "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light" featuringLenny Kravitz on guitar.[44] "The Power of Good-Bye" was sung at the1998 MTV Europe Music Awards in Italy (November 12)[45] andTop of the Pops in the UK (November 19).[46] On February 24, 1999, Madonna performed "Nothing Really Matters" at the41st Grammy Awards ceremony atShrine Auditorium inLos Angeles.[47]
Madonna performed "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", "Ray of Light", "Candy Perfume Girl", "Sky Fits Heaven", "Frozen" and "Mer Girl" on theDrowned World Tour, her fifth concert tour, which promotedRay of Light and itssuccessor album. It started in June 2001 and was Madonna's first tour in eight years. The tour was to be started before the new millennium,[48] but she had become pregnant with her son Rocco Ritchie, released the albumMusic that year, and married British filmmakerGuy Ritchie in December 2000.[49][50] The show was divided into five sections,Cyber-Punk,Geisha,Cowgirl,Spanish andGhetto.[51] The Drowned World Tour received positive reviews.[52] The tour was a commercial success, grossing a total of US$75 million, and it was the top concert tour of a solo artist in 2001.[53] The concert was broadcast live onHBO fromThe Palace of Auburn Hills inAuburn Hills, Michigan, on August 26, 2001.[54] TheDrowned World Tour 2001 DVD was released in all regions on November 13, 2001. Like the original airing of the show, the DVD received very good reviews. The photographs used on the DVD packaging were taken by Madonna's friendRosie O'Donnell.[55]
"Frozen" was released as the lead single from the album on February 23, 1998. It peaked inside the top five in most musical markets worldwide, while topping the singles chart in Finland, Italy, Spain and on theUnited Kingdom Singles Chart, where it became Madonna's first single to debut at number one.[56][57] It became her sixth single to peak at number two on theBillboard Hot 100, setting a record for Madonna as the artist withmost number-two hits in the chart history.[58][59] The song received critical acclaim, and was labelled a masterpiece whose sound was described as "cinematic".[23] However, theBelgian court in 2005 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 entireRay of Light album, as well as other compilations that included the track in Belgium.[60] In February 2014, a Belgian court ruled that Madonna did not plagiarize Acquaviva's work for "Frozen". The court spoke of a "new capital offense" in the file: composer Edouard Scotto Di Suoccio and societies Tabata Atoll Music and Music in Paris had also filed a complaint for plagiarism. According to them, both "Ma vie fout le camp" and "Frozen" originated in the song "Blood Night" which they composed in 1983.[61] After all three tracks in the case were compared, the final ruling was that the songs were "not sufficiently 'original' to claim" that any plagiarism had taken place.[62] This ruling ended the eight-year ban of the song that was in place in Belgium since 2005.[62]
The album's second single, "Ray of Light", was released on April 27, 1998. It peaked at number one in Spain and attained the top five position in Canada, Finland, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.[57][63][64] It entered the Hot 100 at number five, becoming Madonna's highest debut on the chart ever.[58] The song was also a hit on Hot Dance Club Play chart, remaining at number one for four weeks, and became the "Top Hot Dance Club Play Single" of 1998.[65] Critically, it also received positive reviews, being praised for its club-perfect, yet "sonically progressive" sound, as well as her powerful vocals.[15]
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" was released on August 24, 1998, as the third single outside the United States. It reached number one in Spain and the top ten in Italy and the United Kingdom.[57][66] Themusic video, directed byWalter Stern, caused controversy due to scenes that featured Madonna being chased bypaparazzi on motor-bikes, a scenario similar toPrincess Diana'sdeath in 1997.[67]
The fourth single, "The Power of Good-Bye", was released on September 1, 1998. It reached the top-ten peaks in Austria, Canada, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom.[68][57][69] In the United States, the song peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.[58] Its music video was directed byMatthew Rolston. "Little Star" was released as a double A-side single with "The Power of Good-Bye" in the United Kingdom on November 23, 1998.[1]
"Nothing Really Matters" was released as the album's sixth and final single on March 2, 1999. It became a top-ten hit in Canada, Finland, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.[57][70] In the United States, it became Madonna's lowest-charting single on the Hot 100, peaking at number 93, but was a number-one hit on its dance chart.[58] Its music video, directed byJohan Renck, was inspired byArthur Golden's bookMemoirs of a Geisha, and featured Madonna dressed as ageisha.[71]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Chicago Tribune |   [72] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[73] |
| The Guardian |  [74] |
| NME | 8/10[75] |
| Now | [76] |
| Q | [77] |
| Rolling Stone | [78] |
| The Sydney Morning Herald | [79] |
| USA Today | [80] |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [15] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [81] |
| MusicHound Rock | [82] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[83] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [84] |
| Slant Magazine | [23] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+[85] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music | [86] |
Ray of Light received universal acclaim from critics.[87][88]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine fromAllMusic called it Madonna's "most adventurous record" and "most mature and restrained album".[15] Paul Verna ofBillboard commented: "Easily her most mature and personal work to date,Ray of Light finds Madonna weaving lyrics with the painstaking intimacy of diary entries and wrapping them in hymn-like melodies and instrumentation swathed in lush, melancholy ambience—with forays into classic house, trance, and evenguitar pop. Of course, she balances the set's serious tone with chewypop nuggets that allow her to flex her immeasurably widened vocal range to fine effect." He finished the review by calling the album "a deliciously adventurous, ultimately victorious effort from one of pop music's most compelling performers."[89] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant 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 hasn't been this emotionally candid sinceLike a Prayer".[23]Rob Sheffield's review forRolling Stone called the album "brilliant", but was critical of Orbit's production, saying that he doesn't know enough tricks to produce a whole album, and so becomes repetitive.[78] "UntilSimply Red enlistJohn Zorn, orMariah Carey works withTortoise,"Stuart Maconie wrote inQ, "she remains the only pop aristocrat who's keeping her ears open."[90]
David Browne ofEntertainment Weekly wrote: "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 trulylike a prayer, and you know she'll take you there."[73] Roni Sarig, inCity Pages, was most impressed by Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity and calledRay of Light "her richest, most accomplished record yet".[91]Robert Hilburn of theLos Angeles Times wrote: "One reason why her newRay 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 candor and perspective."[92] InMelody Maker, Mark Roland drew comparisons withSt Etienne andBjörk'sHomogenic album, highlightingRay of Light's 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."[93] Joan Anderman fromThe Boston Globe saidRay of Light is a remarkable album. He described it as a deeply spiritual dance record, ecstatically textured, a serious cycle of songs that goes a long way toward liberating Madonna from a career built on scavenged images and cultivated identities.[94]Robert Christgau was less impressed inPlayboy, deeming it a "great-sounding" but average record because enlightenment themes always yield awkward results for pop entertainers. However, he praised sensual songs such as "Skin" and "Candy Perfume Girl".[95]
Upon its release,Ray of Light topped the official charts of 17 countries.[3] It broke the record asWarner Music Group's album with most shipments before its release at 2.5 million units worldwide, excluding the U.S.[96] The album managed to sell 3 million copies in five days.[97] With over 16 million copies,[98][99]Ray of Light is one of thebest-selling albums by women.
In the United States,Ray of Light debuted at number two on theBillboard 200 albums chart on the issue dated March 21, 1998.[100] It set the record for biggest first-week sales by a female artist inNielsen SoundScan era at that time with 371,000 copies sold.[100] However, the album was not able to top thesoundtrack album of the motion pictureTitanic, becoming Madonna's fifth album to peak at the runner-up position.[101] During the second week, the album sold 225,000 copies and was still kept off the top spot by the soundtrack.[102] On March 16, 2000, the album was certifiedfour times platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of four million units of the album.[103] Madonna became the first female artist to have seven multi-platinum studio albums by RIAA.[104] According to Nielsen SoundScan,Ray of Light had sold 3,900,000 copies in the United States as of February 2023.[105] This figure does not include units sold through clubs like the BMG Music, where the album sold over 459,000 copies.[106] In Canada, the album debuted at number one on theCanadian Albums Chart with first-week sales of 59,900 copies.[107] It was later certified seven-times platinum by theCanadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipment of 700,000 copies.[108]
Ray of Light achieved commercial success in Latin America, being certified 3× platinum in Argentina for 180,000 copies recognized byCámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (CAPIF) and platinum in Brazil for shipments of over 250,000 units certified byAssociação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos (ABPD).[109][110] In Mexico, initial shipments of the album were 30,000 units.[111][112] The album also achieved commercial success in Oceania, debuting at number one on the albums chart in Australia[113] and New Zealand.[114] It was certified triple platinum byAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and platinum byRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipments of 210,000 and 15,000 copies respectively.[115][116]Ray of Light became the best-selling album from Warner Music in theAsia-Pacific region during 1998,[117] and sold over one million copies in Asia as of June 1999.[118]
Ray of Light achieved its biggest commercial reception in European countries, where it topped theEuropean Top 100 Albums chart[119] and was certified seven times platinum by theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales of seven million copies, becoming theninth best-selling album in Europe for the 1998–2007 period.[120][121] In the United Kingdom,Ray of Light debuted at number one on theUK Albums Chart with opening sales of nearly 139,000 copies and remained at the top spot for two weeks.[122][123] It was certified six times platinum by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 1.8 million copies.[124] As of 2018, the album sold 1,730,000 units in the UK according toOfficial Charts Company.[125] In France,Ray of Light entered the albums chart at number two, staying there for seven weeks before descending the chart.[113] It was certified three times platinum by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for shipments of 900,000 copies.[126] In Germany, the album reached number one on theMedia Control Charts and remained there for seven weeks.[127] It remains Madonna's best-selling album in Germany with three times platinum certification fromBundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for shipment of 1.5 million copies.[128] In the rest of Europe,Ray of Light topped the official charts of Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Spain and Switzerland.[63][113]
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At the41st Annual Grammy Awards,Ray of Light received four awards out of six nominations.[129] The album wonBest Pop Album andBest Recording Package, and was nominated forAlbum of the Year, while the title track wonBest Dance Recording andBest Short Form Music Video, and was nominated forRecord of the Year.[130] The album gave Madonna her first musicalGrammy of her career, as previously she had only won in the video category. Madonna also became the biggest winner of the1998 MTV Video Music Awards, winning six awards from nine nominations.[131] "Frozen" wonBest Special Effects; "Ray of Light" wonBest Choreography,Best Direction,Best Editing,Best Female Video andVideo of the Year, and was also nominated forBest Cinematography,Best Dance Video andBreakthrough Video.American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) honored Madonna two awards of Most Performed Song for "Frozen" and "Ray of Light" at the 1999 ASCAP Pop Music Awards,[132] as well as Top Dance Song for "Ray of Light" at the 1999 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.[133]
Ray of Light also gave Madonna several trophies from various international award shows—including twoDanish Grammy Awards for Best International Album and Best International Female Vocalist fromIFPI Denmark,[134] aFryderyk award for Best Foreign Album fromZwiązek Producentów Audio Video (ZPAV) in Poland,[135] aGolden Giraffe Award for International Pop Album of the Year fromMahasz in Hungary,[136] twoPorin awards for Best International Album and Best International Video ("Frozen") in Croatia,[137] and twoRockbjörnen awards for Best International Album and Best International Artist in Sweden.[138]
In Canada, Madonna wonBest International Video for "Ray of Light" at the 1999MuchMusic Video Awards and was nominated forBest Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) at the1999 Juno Awards.[139][140] She also receivedBest Female andBest Album trophies at the1998 MTV Europe Music Awards.[141] At the 14th annualInternational Dance Music Awards, Madonna won Best Dance Solo Artist and Best Dance Video for "Ray of Light".[142]
Ray of Light has been credited for bringing electronica music into global pop culture. TheLos Angeles Times noted that "aside from occasional breakthroughs such asFatboy Slim, electronica wasn't totally mainstream fare when Madonna releasedRay of Light."[143] Until the album brought the genre to the top of music charts, according to authorJ. Randy Taraborrelli, "techno and electronica had, for years, been the music played at so-calledraves, hugely popular, illegal underground parties taking place in abandoned warehouse and deserted areas on the outskirts of town all around the world."[144] AllMusic editor Liana Jonas stated that the album's title track has "brought mainstream attention to electronica music, which ascended from its underground status to wild popularity in the early 21st century."[145]The Observer's writer Daryl Deino calledRay of Light "a risk-taking album that helped define mainstreamelectronic dance music."[146]
Elliott H. Powell in anAmerican Studies study forNew York University observed thatRay of Light madeSouth Asian culture accessible to the American public in the 1990s.[147] Rhonda Hammer andDouglas Kellner in their bookMedia/Cultural Studies: Critical Approaches recalled that "the phenomenon of South Asian-inspired femininity as a Western media trend can be traced to February 1998, when pop icon Madonna released her video 'Frozen'." They explained that "although Madonna did not initiate the fashion for Indian beauty accessories [...] she did propel it into the public eye by attracting the attention of the worldwide media."[148]
According to Taraborrelli, the album has been hailed as bold and refreshing in music of the late 1990s, which was dominated byboybands andteenage artists such as theBackstreet Boys,NSYNC,Britney Spears andChristina Aguilera.[149]Larry Flick fromBillboard said that 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."[150] Journalists have discussed how the album affected Madonna's career and public perception. According toBillboard's Kristen S. Hé,Ray of Light remains the singer's most critically acclaimed album, as of 2020.[88] Music criticLucy O'Brien commented: "1998'sRay of Light certainly rehabilitated Madonna's image. Up to that point she had still been written off as an average pop glamour girl who got lucky, but with this record she reached a whole new audience, proving that she was a good songwriter with an intensely productive talent."[151] Mary von Aue fromStereogum stated that "Ray of Light reestablished Madonna as a groundbreaking artist",[152] and Nick Levine ofDazed said theRay of Light era "won Madonna the kind of critical acclaim she’d never enjoyed in the past".[153] ForPopMatters, Peter Piatkowski observed that the album effectively divided Madonna's career into two distinct eras: "those who followed her career from the beginning in 1982 ... would find themselves choosing one camp over the other: the music beforeRay of Light was arguably more accessible and radio-friendly", whereas her subsequent works would contain at least some elements of the experimental electronic dance music she had embraced onRay of Light.[154]
Ray of Light has been featured on numerous critics' lists of greatest albums of all time.Rolling Stone magazine placed the album at number 367 on the list of500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[155] In September 2020, an updated edition of the Rolling Stone list was published, showing the album rising 145 spots, at number 222.[156] In 2001, a quarter of a million music fans onVH1 votedRay of Light as the 10th of "100 Best Albums of All Time".[157] In 2003,Ray of Light was allocated at number 17 onQ magazine readers' list of "100 Greatest Albums Ever".[158] The album is also included in the book1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[159]Mojo magazine also listedRay of Light at number 29 on "100 Modern Classics: The Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime".[160] In 2013, the album was also included at number 241 onNME magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[161]Pitchfork rankedRay of Light as the 55th best album of the 1990s, "Madonna's trying, with all her might, to evoke the blackest depths and most euphoric joys of the human heart. The album's title track sounds like it was forged inside a meteor; the surreal, pitch-black poem 'Mer Girl' is as still as death itself."[162]
Ray of Light has also been influential on other artists' work. Canadian singerNelly Furtado stated that she used it as a template for her albumLoose (2006).[163] Moreover, English singerAdele named the record as "one of the chief inspirations" for her third studio album,25 (2015).[164] Madonna herself has consideredRay of Light the most fulfilling evolution of her career, with her referencing it as the "quintessential Madonna album" in a 2013RedditAMA.[165][166]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Drowned World/Substitute for Love[a]" |
| 5:08 | |
| 2. | "Swim" |
|
| 5:00 |
| 3. | "Ray of Light" |
|
| 5:20 |
| 4. | "Candy Perfume Girl" |
|
| 4:36 |
| 5. | "Skin" |
|
| 6:21 |
| 6. | "Nothing Really Matters" |
|
| 4:26 |
| 7. | "Sky Fits Heaven" |
|
| 4:47 |
| 8. | "Shanti/Ashtangi[b]" |
|
| 4:29 |
| 9. | "Frozen" |
|
| 6:12 |
| 10. | "The Power of Good-Bye" |
|
| 4:12 |
| 11. | "To Have and Not to Hold" |
|
| 5:22 |
| 12. | "Little Star" |
|
| 5:18 |
| 13. | "Mer Girl[c]" |
|
| 5:31 |
| Total length: | 66:42 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Has to Be" |
|
| 5:16 |
| Total length: | 71:58 | |||
Notes[167]
Unless otherwise indicated, Information is adapted from the album's liner notes.[167]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
All-time charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[109] | 3× Platinum | 180,000^ |
| Australia (ARIA)[115] | 3× Platinum | 210,000^ |
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[231] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
| Belgium (BRMA)[233] | Platinum | 100,000[232] |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[110] | Platinum | 250,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[108] | 7× Platinum | 700,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[234] | 5× Platinum | 250,000^ |
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[235] | Platinum | 50,604[235] |
| France (SNEP)[237] | 3× Platinum | 1,000,000[236] |
| Germany (BVMI)[128] | 3× Platinum | 1,500,000^ |
| Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[238] | Platinum | 20,000* |
| Israel | — | 55,000[239] |
| Italy (FIMI)[241] | 5× Platinum | 600,000[240] |
| Japan (RIAJ)[242] | 2× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[243] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[116] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[245] | 2× Platinum | 115,000[244] |
| Poland (ZPAV)[246] | 2× Platinum | 200,000* |
| Russia | — | 123,000[247] |
| Singapore (RIAS)[248] | Platinum | 15,000* |
| South Africa | — | 43,000[249] |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[63] | 3× Platinum | 300,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF)[250] | 3× Platinum | 240,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[251] | 3× Platinum | 150,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[124] | 6× Platinum | 1,800,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[103] | 4× Platinum | 4,359,000[105][106] |
| Zimbabwe | — | 3,000[249] |
| Summaries | ||
| Asia | — | 1,000,000[a] |
| Europe (IFPI)[120] | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000* |
| Worldwide | — | 16,000,000[99] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Edition(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | February 22, 1998 | Standard | [252][253] | |
| United Kingdom | March 2, 1998 |
| [254][255] | |
| Germany | ||||
| United States | March 3, 1998 | CD |
| [256][257] |
| Canada | [258] | |||
| Japan | September 8, 1998 | CD | Double edition | [259] |
riding the electronica wave with her new collaborator, U.K. beat master William Orbit.
Madonna has dipped her latest collection of songs in a light batter of electronica.
she did an about turn, delivering convincing, idiosyncratic trip-hop on Ray of Light (1998)
After sculpting the user-friendly technopop of Madonna's Ray of Light....
Fusing icy electronica and new-age music...Ray of Light found Madonna trying...to evoke the blackest depths and most euphoric joys of the human heart.
yes. ray of light
[...] disco «Ray of light» che nel nostro Paese è già arrivato a cinquecentomila copie vendute (cinque volte platino)
Madonna har beholdt William Orbit som samarbeidspartner fra to og et halvt år gamle «Ray Of Light» (115 000 solgte i Norge)
Warner's biggest selling African releases in the first three quarters of last year were Madonna's Ray Of Light, which sold just 3,000 copies in Zimbabwe [...] big sales can be achieved in South Africa: Madonna's Evita sold 50,000 in the country in 1997 while Ray of Light sold 43,000 last year.
| Studio albums | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack albums | |
| Live albums | |
| Compilation albums | |
| Limited releases | |
| Video releases | |
| Concerts and tours | |
| Films directed | |
| Documentaries | |
| Television | |
| Books authored | |
| Companies and brands | |
| Works about Madonna |
|
| Impact and legacy | |
| Related articles | |
